Aspen Stories: Brent Weinbach

Two weeks ago, the HBO’s Aspen Comedy Festival brought comedians and comedy industry insiders from all over the nation to a little resort town in Colorado. Several Sound of Young America pals were among the attendees, so we thought we’d debrief them on their experience.

First up: Brent Weinbach. Brent is one of San Francisco’s most unique and succesful comics. His delivery veers between pitch-perfect impressions and a soothing monotone. His passionate Bay Area fans are known for attending his “Advanced Weinbach” shows, which feature his most bizarre routines, and wearing his trademark Weinbach t-shirts. Recently, he’s spent more time in Los Angeles, with a TV development deal and a growing fan base in the Southland.

Had you been to Aspen before?

No.

What did you expect it to be like?

I expected it to be really cold and the audiences to maybe be kind of sucky. They ended up being very kind of sucky.

What surprised you about it when you got there?

I was surprised about how nice my hotel room was compared to my friends’. I had a jacuzzi with a skylight over it, a microwave and refrigerator, a couch, and an extra sink. And other stuff too. Also, I was surprised at how little I had to spend while I was there, due to there beingfree buffets and stuff. I spent less than $50 for the whole week.

What was the audience like for your show(s)?

The audience was composed of three different kinds of people.

Industry. They were the only ones who laughed and were the best portion of the audience.
Old, white, rich, Republicans whose frame of reference was very removed from what most of the comics were talking about on stage. They did not laugh, because they didn’t get it. You would see rows and rows of people with white hair or baldness, sitting there with still faces. I guess they were expecting something else.
The worst portion of the crowd: country red-necks from surrounding towns. These people constantly yelled things out, heckled, and loudly answered rhetorical questions. At such a prestigious festival, you would think they would organize security to deal with these things, but they didn’t. Comedians had to sometimes battle it out with these people, as if they were in Modesto or some place like that. During one of my sets, someone yelled out, “Get a job.”

What was the best social event you attended? Why?

Apparently, the one party I missed was the one that everyone said was the best party, the one at the Goldberg house. I guess the best social event I went to was -well, I don’t have an answer. They were all the same to me. I’ll tell you what though, about nine of us went snow mobiling one morning. If you consider that a social event, that was the best. It was like a video game or an action movie or something, sort of. It was very fun. We rode through the mountains and ate burgers at this log cabin and raced at the end. We met amysterious man named the Red Zinger.

What was the best show you saw that wasn’t your own?

The Whitest Kids U Know. I was falling out of my chair because I was
laughing so hard. Great acting, silly, over-the-top -they were the best thing
I saw at the festival, and I saw almost every show.

What was the strangest social interaction you had while there?

Well, this one well-known manager introduced himself to me and said he really liked my stuff and so on. Then I brought up this story about him and my manager that may have been too innapropriate for just having met him. After I mentioned it, he didn’t really laugh. Neither did the couple of agents I work with who were there too. There was a brief awkward moment and then the subject was somehow quickly changed, but I was still very embarrassed. I felt like I
really put my foot in my mouth and stressed out about it the rest of the night. In the end, I don’t think he took any notice of it or cared. I hope.

Would you reccomend it to others?

Yes. As long as you go in expecting to have mediocre to decent sets, it’s a very fun time and a great opportunity to see other acts from around the country.

Brent Weinbach Online (His CD, “Tales From the Brown Side” is reccomended)
TSOYA: “Laugh Riot” featuring comedy from Brent (MP3 Link)

Next up: Sherry Sirof