Blue Cat doesn’t enjoy watching people fail, but it was strangely compelling to see a human bomb before a fiber-based person brought the house down.
Blue Cat found himself at Comedy Works in downtown Denver this May. For those who haven’t been: it’s a small, brick-walled underground club that smells faintly of ambition, alcoholic beverages, and nervous sweat. A good place to go when you want to laugh, or at least see someone try.
The Evening Begins with Food
Blue Cat started the evening at Lucy Restaurant, the dining location above the club. A reservation there gets you VIP seats (in the first six rows) and your tickets delivered to your table. After dinner (required to have one entree or two appetizers per person – so no one can say “No – I’ll just have water because I’m already full of fiberfill,” you are escorted to the showroom to your seats, reserved just for you. The food was good (Blue Cat is watching his weight so he had a salad) but remember that your bill doesn’t apply to the club minimum once you’re settled in your seats.
The Phone was in the Bag
Another interesting thing was that upon entering the theater, all electronics — phones, smartwatches, the occasional e-reader (but not pacemakers) — are collected into magnetically sealed pouches by Yondr. You keep the pouch with you – so your stuff is safe – just sealed away. No photography, no sneaky recording, no texting “omg he’s so much shorter in person.” Just you, the stage, and your memory. (A real throwback — like 2006.)
So – no pictures of Blue Cat in the club. You’ll just have to imagine him in the third row, paws crossed, watching carefully as people (flesh and felt alike) make fools of themselves to elicit a laugh.
The Opener Was … There
The opening act was…present. Not terrible, not great. Blue Cat won’t mention any names, but the jokes were kind of mechanical and the situation made him want to start rooting for the headliner about 90 seconds in. The others in the room seemed amused – but Blue Cat thinks everyone knew why they were really there.
And Then: Randy Feltface
Then Randy Feltface (or Mr Feltface to Blue Cat), a purple, hyperverbal Australian puppet with the energy of six espressos and one therapy breakthrough, took the stage — and the temperature of the room jumped by ten degrees. His set was funny, energetic, and absolutely not for sensitive ears. Think rapid-fire jokes, interaction with the audience (it turns out the guy in the front row was a delivery driver for a dairy, and that he picked up milk from “the facility”), with some jokes and profanity to qualify for an R rating… if puppets got ratings.
Blue Cat laughed. Loudly, and without apology. As did the rest of the audience, including Blue Cat’s scribe and his son. (Jasper the service dog was not amused, but it was late in the day for him.) There’s something freeing about watching someone say things you can’t — or won’t — and wrapping it all in felt. And his timing and delivery were spot on.
Seen Randy Feltface before? Or been to a no-phones show? Tell Blue Cat in the comments!
No Photos, No Problem
After the show, Blue Cat’s scribe was able to access his phone, now freshly sealed and unused for almost two hours. A rare and lovely stretch of time in the modern world. No notifications had accumulated. (He has good boundaries.)
Blue Cat really enjoyed the experience – although he will not explain what “Blame Bananas” means – you’ll need to have Mr. Feltface explain it himself.
Would Blue Cat go again? Yes. Preferably with someone who knows how to laugh and doesn’t mind being off the grid for a bit. In the meantime, Blue Cat keeps his ears open and his evenings interesting.
What do you think about Randy Feltface? Leave Blue Cat a comment below!
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