Friday the 13th, a full moon and the 200 block of State Street was flooded with people patiently waiting to see Nick Offerman perform.
This was the state of downtown Madison around the Orpheum Theater for over an hour. Attendees for his late show wrapped blocks around the venue, forming long lines on both sides and patiently waiting for doors to reopen.
Around 10 p.m., Offerman’s second performance of the night began though not everybody had found their seats just yet. This startled Offerman as he started his show with a song. He paused.
“Sorry, I’m just marveling at all the people not sitting down yet and still talking,” Offerman said.
A voice from the crowd tried to tell him there was a line outside, but it didn’t seem like he heard the comment.
Unaware of the reason for ongoing movement, he improvised a little as audience members treaded through the aisles and fumbled to their seats, beers in hand.
“You know where people are nice — Milwaukee,” Offerman joked to a response of mixed boos and laughter.
The self-proclaimed American humorist stopped over in Madison to present back-to-back performances of “All Rise,” his latest tour.
Consisting of a great deal of witty stories and songs as well as a brief segment of dancing, Offerman’s show generated a wide range of responses from the audience.
Many know Offerman thanks to his role as Ron Swanson from the television sitcom “Parks and Recreation.” But it seems like certain individuals at the show expected more of this character over the real person.
Throughout the show, some people rose to leave their seats. Sometimes to purchase another drink or snack, but often times to leave the theater.
Whether or not this was the “All Rise” nature Offerman intended to impose, he made a related remark during the end of his show.
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Throughout the show Offerman made a lot of points about human nature, and even his own stupidity. According to him, the bottom line is we’re all stupid. Even for those who believe they’re smart, they must still accept the fact that it’s not possible to know everything.
My favorite moment of the night was Offerman’s final song of the act. He repeatedly acknowledged the eminent stupidity of humankind. But he also highlighted how we can all do better to understand each other and unite.
“Us dipshits need to stick together,” Offerman said.
Following this, he closed out the show with a self-induced encore of two songs. The grand finale was a song all Ron Swanson and Nick Offerman fans alike could embrace and sing along to.
I won’t give away the name of the song, but I will say this: tiny horse.
Is Nick Offerman’s “All Rise” tour worth the watch? That’s up to you to decide for yourself.
