SXSW: Writing About Comedy Is Like Dancing About Architecture

Ok, first off, I don't remember it being this hot last year. Today was, like, 96 degrees and I swear the only breeze I felt was exhaust from tour vans. I don't know how you people put up with this. I feel like Hunter S. Thompson in Las Vegas when he said: "I can never properly explain myself in this climate."

Anyway, I think I saw Billy Bob Thornton this afternoon. If it was him, he was getting out of a cab and pushing a baby stroller into my hotel on E. 4th St. Anyone else seen the dude around?

I caught Chuck from Cool Kids do a DJ set at Whiskey Bar. Dude tore up the place, but I was pretty blown away by Game Rebellion, who delivered a fierce set of hardcore black punk. Their no-fear, shirtless frontman hopped from the stage to standing on the bar to reaching into the bartenders' tip jar and tossing bills around to jumping into the crowd to running his hyper ass outside, presumably to do a few laps around the block. They played some originals, as well as covered Tupac and Jay-Z. But I felt a rush of regional pride when they covered Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Entertain us, indeed.

And tonight, I also learned how useless it is to write about comedy. I caught awesome sets by Human Giant, Janeane Garofalo, and Hard & Phirm, and I have no idea how to tell you what happened because jokes just don't sound very funny when repeated on a blog! Garafalo poked fun at women who have too many children, Hard & Phirm confirmed that bowling balls are actually "hick eggs" (the one guy said he has license to make fun of hicks since he's from Tennessee), and the Human Giant dudes ran through live versions of The Illusionators and T-Shirt Squad.

One thing I love about stand-up comedy, though, is how cats like Rob Huebel, Aziz Ansari, and Eugene Mirman are some of the "celebrities" you see the most walking around SXSW...and you only know them as "those guys from T.V."

Not Garofalo, however...regardless of how short she is, that woman is a presence.