Audience POV recap!
-Tom and Ted got things started and Tom told a funny story about a John McEnroe (presumably) being rude at a recent Who concert. Mr McEnroe was wearing a hat in the fashion of Neil Peart.
-Ted Leo and the Pharmacists played a handful of new material that had the crowd enraptured within a few songs, in that Ted Leo sort of way.
-Chris Gethard told of his times at Weird New Jersey magazine and showed off not one, but two Smiths related tattoos. I loved his book but had not seen him in person before and was pleasantly surprised.
-All of the auctions were genuinely thrilling. As the night went on, the crowd was more lubricated and sort of ignored earlier instructions to not yell things out if they were not actually bidding. During these moments, I watched Tom, helpless to Heave Ho, and envisioned him carrying snakes from a burning pet shop, Pee Wee style.
-I was there for the Vance, and was not disappointed. Comedians Are Nuts was innovative as usual, though I wish Gary had time to dig a little deeper. Klausner/Gary rapport extends to holiday themes.
Titus Andronicus ripped skulls.
-It was a thrill to see Jon Benjamin and Tom sharing the stage. The pornography was pornographic. Not the place for prudes!
-Brooke Shields presence was strange! It seemed to raise more questions than it answered. She was very candid and a great sport. Ted Leo said it best when he said that he still chooses to believe it was her smoking the joint with HR.
-I had wondered how Chris Elliot and Adam Resnick would go over with a youngish crowd, which was silly of me. Loudest laughs of the evening so far as I could tell.
-Andrew WK/TL/Rx doing I GET WET was a highlight.
The total 30k raised was whopping. Ted Leo continues to prove to be the paragon of human decency. And obviously, Tom is never to be missed in a live setting.
