Jerry Seinfeld Calgary Fundraiser Owen Hart Foundation

The Wednesday Morning “Nobody-Asked-Me-To, But-Here-I-Go-Anyway” Concert Review: Jerry Seinfeld.

(Or, Why I Will Never Be A Professional Concert Reviewer…)

Well, last night Mrs. That Dan Guy and I damn-near died from the bends. We were nowhere near water nor scuba diving gear, but our risk was just as real. When you’re in the audience of a Jerry Seinfeld stand-up gig, you could quite possibly expire bent-over laughing.

We have seen some of the biggest names in the business, but seeing Mr. Seinfeld was up at the top of our to-do list. He was here in Calgary last night as part of an annual fundraiser for the Owen Hart Foundation (http://cobloh.com/ohf/index.html ), formed 10 years ago after the tragic accidental death of the wrestling star prior to the start of a match in Kansas City. Seinfeld had TWO sold-out shows to perform back-to-back, but if his energy level and duration of our early show were an indication, the next group into the auditorium wasn’t getting out any time soon either.

So, Jerry Seinfeld, the stand-up. Holy Toledo – this man brings the genre to a level beyond any expectation you could imagine. Most stand-ups start slowly and build their gags – Seinfeld was zinging his bits out like a Dutch windmill, and even though each routine was top drawer, the following bit would beat the last gag. Easily lampooning the quirky every-day behaviour of us as humans, world events, and even his own foibles and irritations, his humour seemed like a scattergun attack to hit as many members of the audience as possible, yet with laser precision.

There were times you just couldn’t quit shaking, yet another bit was building, and you were convulsing again. Seemingly innocent items, such as a package of cookies, the nefarious Blackberry handheld device, and a disdain for Twittering (or Tweeting – for the birds no matter how you call it) were just killer material.

Particularly fun was a commentary on the differences between men, women, and married couples – Seinfeld turned that observation into a daily game show, whereby he leaps every morning from bed, stands in front of the game show podium, and prepares to answer the “Were You Really Listening” speed round.

For an encore, Seinfeld came back onstage, and answered questions – many about his hit self-named TV show. If you aren’t aware, the entire cast has a mini-reunion coming up on the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” series – make sure you don’t miss that if you’re a fan.

I’d love to just share all his lines, but really – you need to find out where this guy is going to be next, and pick up tickets. But make sure you’ve got medical assistance nearby – Jerry Seinfeld just might kill you with comedy…

Chow for now!!