Californian funny man Justin Matson thinks that skinny girls who eat salad may secretly cry in their cars. His personal struggles with body image featured in his latest show which he described as a ‘self-defense mechanism’, and he assured patrons that it was ‘okay to laugh’.
And laugh they did, for the most part. His first impression was funny as he introduced himself from behind the curtain and described his stage ‘wings’ as a closet.
The small crowd lapped up many of the comic’s jokes recounting embarrassing situations involving Disneyland roller-coasters, the pros and cons of temp work, his brief stint on clarinet, and being an American visiting Japan.
Matson described some hilarious instances with well-timed delivery. He responded to the crowd’s energy positively despite some distracting patrons.
For the first half of his show, Matson was on a roll and his jokes flowed naturally. That was until he started referring to his notes on a page beside his chair.
I can appreciate that being a stand up comedian is one of the most daunting artforms, but I appreciate it most when a performer is prepared and knows their work intimately.
Matson had me entertained and laughing out loud until he began talking about page two and three of his notes on paper. Furthermore, he began counting down the time remaining until his show was over. I wanted to continue enjoying his anecdotes but these statements, though sarcastic, distracted me from the material.
He shared some stories which made me feel like a close pal and his impersonations of runway models made me giggle. Had he maintained the momentum from top to tail, his show would have been stronger. Nevertheless, the many moments that he hit my funny bone made for an enjoyable night out.
Rating ☆☆☆1/2
Reviewed performance: 23 February 2018
Season:
15 – 17 February
Time: 7.15 pm
Venue: Rhino Room
20 – 24 February
Time: 9.15 pm
Venue: Rhino On Raj
28 February, 1 – 3 March
Time: 5.30pm
Venue: Rhino On Raj
7 – 10 & 14 – 17 March
Time: 10.00 pm
Venue: Rhino on Raj
