Todd Barry, unlike the stereotypical comic, doesn’t seem to talk much. Well, at least not on the phone.
While college audiences may know him best as the megalomaniac bongo-player from “Flight of the Conchords,” comedian Barry has brought his humor across many mediums–the first and foremost being stand-up. Taking this into account, tonight’s “Special Engagement with Todd Barry” is sure to be a hit.
“It wasn’t like a lifelong thing,” began Barry in a recent, slightly serious, interview with The Badger Herald.
This sentence can only be seen as an understatement now, as Barry is still making people laugh 22 years later. It all began when Barry performed at an open mic in Florida on a whim. Little did he or the rest of the world know but this night would mark the debut of a talented comedian. With a repertoire encompassing voice-acting, television appearances, film and the like, it is easy for one to say that Barry has had a successful career.
Boasting three comedy records (one of which has a place on The Onion’s Top Comedy Albums of the Decades list); Barry is a household name on the comedy circuit. Known for his deadpan delivery and observational humor, Barry’s stand-up is timed to be incredibly witty.
However, Barry does not accredit himself with being any more introspective than everyone else and rather sees it as part of his job.
“I don’t know how I would see the world differently. I mean, when you’re a comedian you’re always thinking, ‘Can I put this in my act?’ so in that sense. And ideally you do want to look at things differently or else you’d be telling people things they had already thought of themselves. That’s not too interesting, although it might be to some people, hearing their own opinions back,” said Barry.
And when asked where he got his material from, Barry responded, “Just [when] walking around, thinking, running into people and having them do something stupid.”
Receiving inspiration from the others’ actions allows Barry to have a unique set of jokes, most of which are kept contained inside his head but some of which he can and does try out on audiences. Take, for instance, an interview on the “Conan O’Brien Show” in which Barry brought up and made fun of a fan’s online comment concerning him which claimed his personality as “icky.”
This adaptation to events is generally a good thing for comedians; however, some fans may disagree with what’s being said. When asked the oddest thing he’s done, Barry was at a loss of words, but that didn’t mean that fans’ actions were lost on him.
“I don’t know the strangest thing that I’ve done,” said Barry, “but I had a woman in the last set slowly charge the stage because she was mad at me for something. She was a drunk teacher who was out on a school night.”
The transition between performing onstage and for camera has been rather smooth for Barry, as he enjoys both, valuing their differences.
“You’re more in control, and you can do whatever you want onstage. But, stand-up is something you kind of enjoy while you’re doing it, whereas I might not enjoy acting until I see it a year later,” said Barry, when asked which medium he preferred.
“I always seem to get to play a sort of wise-ass guy, like in The Wrestler,” Barry continued, commenting on the similarities between himself and characters, “But I’m nicer than those people. At least, I think I am. That might not be true.”
In the not-so-distant future, Barry will be touring with Ricky Gervais (one of the creators of “The Office”) and can also be seen in the upcoming film, “Vamps” starring Sigourney Weaver and Alicia Silverstone.
But for tonight, Barry will be devoting all his energy to the Comedy Club on State Street, for a night of, in the sparse words of Barry himself, “Jokes.”
Todd Barry can be seen tonight at 8:30 at the Comedy Club located at 202 State Street. Tickets are $15.
