Tig Notaro’s “Good One” wound up on multiple best-of lists in 2011. The CD certainly opens with a bang, as Notaro is brought onstage by good friend Sarah Silverman (how many stand-up comedians can match that starpower in an introduction?), and in less than a minute, Notaro has opened with a short but good one about Chaz Bono.
Her slow, deliberate pacing, combined with a dry wit, builds suspense before each misdirect. It works equally as well even when her next line is most predictably direct. And also compounds the impact of repetition. The pauses, meanwhile, allow for some funny repartee between Notaro and her live audience.
If you watch Conan, then you likely have seen Tig Notaro relate her disbelief at friends’ emails about their children, as well as her ability to deliver impressions — both of which appear on “Good One.” As does Notaro’s “No Moleste” bit, which she has honed over the years.
Her active imagination takes her and us to some unexpected places. Have you imagined a baby taking a shower? What happens after you punch a shark in self-defense? And how is it that Yoda was so active and nimble at 870 years old, and yet so frail by 900? You may learn that and more spending 46 minutes in Notaro’s company. You’ll also learn that Taylor Dayne is omnipresent in modern-day Los Angeles, and how Notaro’s admiration for her made resulted in amusing consequences. It all ends in one of the odder conclusions you’ll find to a comedy CD. I shan’t spoil it, so you may experience it for yourselves.
Good one, Tig. Good one.
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