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July 5, 2006
Inside With: Brent Weinbach, Comedian
By: Jesse Thorn
Brent Weinbach has made a name for himself as one of the nation's most unique comic voices. His deadpan monologues are often marked by unexpected moments of intensity or surreality, with shifting voices and poop jokes the norm. He's built a cult following in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, consistently selling out clubs and theaters in both locales. Wearing one of his trademark WEINBACH t-shirts has become an indelible mark of coolness on the left coast. This week, he makes his New York City debut; he headlines Mo Pitkins Friday night at 8PM. Jesse Thorn made a game attempt at unlocking the half-Filipino puzzle box that is WEINBACH.
One of your biggest influences is radio monologist Joe Frank. How does that work?
There were years of ideas I wanted to express comedically, but I didn't know how I wanted to present them. I didn't quite know my voice. I had written material for myself to perform in the past, but I could never bring myself to perform it because of that lack of voice. And when I forced myself to write the first set of material I would actually and finally perform on stage(my third attempt in all), the brooding tone of Joe Frank, who I was currently a big fan of, naturally came through and this time, it seemed to fit. I think that all of the projects I engage myself in are in one way or another influenced by other people and figures I am amused and intrigued by at the time.
So before performing my first set, I had it planned out that I would sit down in a chair on stage and relate my feelings and frustrations in this dark, monologue style, Joe Frank manner. But when it ultimately came down to it, I didn't sit down(because there was no chair), and due to all the talking and other noises that come from a coffee shop/bar/laudromat, I had no choice but to project my voice as loudly as I could while still maintaining the storytelling intensity I had originally intended on. This created a whole other dynamic: a manic, deadpan demeanor -still influenced by Joe Frank, but evolving into something much more my own.
If folks have never seen your work, what should they expect? Are there comedians working now who you feel you have an affinity with?
My frame of reference is much more innocent and juvenille than anything else. While I do incorporate some postmodern ideas and somewhat obscure allusions, people should mostly expect comedy that is not trying to make its audience feel smart by getting it. I like comedy that you don't have to "get," but just makes you laugh anyway. With that in mind, I try to play more with sounds and images, rather than words and irony and politics, and so I think that even little kids could enjoy a lot of what I do on stage. Voices, characters, feces, dance moves, absurd stuff that doesn't make sense -these are some things to expect. It's all meant to be harmless and silly. And intellectuals are welcome to get a kick out of it too.
I think I share qualities with people like Arj Barker and Rob Cantrell, not only because they were indeed direct local San Francisco influences on me, but also because of their attention to delivery and stage presence. Brody Stevens, the way he does crowd work... Ron Lynch, his attention to sounds and images... These comics I mention, except for Lynch, also possess a sort of manic energy that I can very much relate to. There are others, I'm sure, but those names come to mind right now.
You taped an appearance on Craig Ferguson's show earlier this year, and from what I understand you were a hit with both the staff and the audience. So why did the segment never air?
I wish I could tell you. The only explanation I got was that a network executive at CBS "didn't get it," I think referring to my deadpan style. I guess she felt that since she didn't understand what I was doing, the rest of America at 1:25am wouldn't understand either, even though everyone at the taping did. It's frustrating, because she's probably a very wealthy network executive and probably sees this as no big deal. But a TV taping is very important to someone in my position and having it not air for no real reason at all is an even bigger deal. She could have at least had the decency to talk to me herself, but she didn't, so it's fair for me to make assumptions about her. I'm still annoyed about the whole thing, but hopefully one day, someone higher than her will do something totally unfair and uncaring and inconsiderate to her, and she can be as frustrated as me, even though unfortunately she'll never see that parallel.
Tickets to Brent Weinbach's Friday night show at Mo Pitkins are on sale now.
Jesse Thorn is the celebrated host of The Sound of Young America. Photo of Jesse and Brent taken by Jakub Mosur at San Francisco's 2006 Sketchfest.
Posted by The Apiary at July 5, 2006 11:37 AM
Comments
all these 'inside with' biters ... 'aw hyellnaw, hyellnaw' ...
Posted by: keith h. at July 5, 2006 2:09 PM
Um, is anyone from CT planning on attending this show? Thing is, I really want to go, but I can't find anyone to join me and I watch too much Law and Order: SVU to be comfortable taking the train home by myself.
Posted by: Carol at July 5, 2006 5:16 PM