Dr Earnest Parrot

Wow, i didn't realise how hard it is to mantain this blogging thing. Even when i have stories i want to share, its just a pain making the time to tell it.
Anyhoo last weekend i flew over to Melbourne for the Comedy Festival (stayed there just over 13hrs- a fair part was sleeping). I didn't realise there was a 'Comedy Lock in: 20 hours non stop of comedy which would have been awesome as far as being once in a lifetime and not having to worry about accommodation.
With that aside i was there to see Demetri Martin (thanks Susan). For the uninitiated he's a 32yr old baby faced comedian from NY- You'll see him doing the 'Trendspotting' segments on 'The Daily Show', his comedic style is with an economy of language popularised by Stephen Wright and Mitch Hedburg. He also likes drawing, playing instruments and word games which he incorporates into his act.
I don't quite know what made me want to see him and expend the effort and cashmoney, i've never travelled so far for one event. Something compelled me?- whatever the reason it was worth it.
I was slightly apprehensive, i'd seen enough of his material from his 'Comedy Central Presents' special and elsewhere, i was worried that hearing 'recycled' material would give the show an awkward flow compounded by the fact his style isn't conversational i was expecting scattered familiarity.
What we were treated to however was a pleasant surprise. He had come up with a gimmick where he was confessionally talking to a pyschiatrist about his emotional condition. At first i thought it was just a crutch to tell jokes in an interesting way, as the show progressed i realised the cructh *was* the whole show. I also realised that the show might not be as rapid fire funny as i had expected. But in a good way. The show was split into 5 anecdotes told in the context of 5 random benign moments in his life. Not grand moments like "graduation, the first time i had sex or the other time i had sex" but more mundane moments like the time he made an awkward pick up line on a crowded train and the time he bought the Michael Jackson jacket.