My overall impression
People write damn foolish things on the ol’ Craigslist. As a denizen of the Internet and a strong believer in the burgeoning array of experimental fiction coming from it – Amazon reviews, greentext, trolling, Tumblr escapades, ad infinitum – I see nothing wrong with themed shows that cull material from the great expanse of weird that lurks behind a billion computers. That said, it seems to be irresponsible to present a show as fact when some pieces seem too far-fetched to be an earnest offer. Considering no statement was made to indicate the posts were “true” or “honest,” I suppose the bases are covered, but I found it difficult to discern whether or not the source material was genuine commerce and not occasionally whimsical.
The night I saw the show, it ran closer to 90 minutes, which can be challenging for scheduling. As a long-running feature, I tend to forgive such overages, but the air between the bits was palpable. Similar theme shows at UCB and IO West tend to lack the stop-and-start pace that weighed down an otherwise tight evening of comedy and music. The performers found brilliant characters, the material was excellent and the show as a whole was fun. I just wish I’d have had a beer to sip between the scenes, or perhaps chug.
