Neal Brennan at Good Heavens British Bar, September 6th 2019

The last time I went to Good Heavens was more than three years ago to see Hannibal Buress with Eric Andre as an opening act. As you can imagine it was an awesome show. Hannibal ended up riffing beyond his allotted hour for an extra twenty minutes of his brand of surreal observational comedy. Over the years I missed tons of shows at that venue, for the most part I will find out about them after the fact. So this time, when I saw that Neal Brennan was coming, I thought that finally I would be able to catch a stand up show there.

The thing is that I almost didn’t. The show was scheduled on the same date as the previously reviewed Black Midi one. Luckily for me a second show was added and I was able to barely make it after running like a madman at the end of my shift at work. The people from Good Heavens were extremely nice answering my messages on Facebook with questions about the schedule and the atmosphere at the place was really welcoming, I look forward to checking another set there.

Two comics opened the show. The first one was a British lady and the second one an American-Filipino guy. Both were really funny and tackled extremely bizarre topics with wit and humor. Their both structured their ten minutes in a way in which most elements connected from beginning to end. Unfortunately I didn't catch their names but they were both solid local comedians.

After a twenty minute break it was time for Neal Brennan to step up to the stage. I’ve seen the 3 Mics Netflix special -which I think it’s brilliant- and I’m aware of his co-creator and co-writing credits for the Chapelle’s Show. Stuff like the Black Bush skit or the Wayne Brady one will never get old and are some of the few examples or comedy you can rewatch endlessly and will always make you laugh. With those credentials I knew I was up for a treat and by the end my expectations were met… and more.

He opened his set with some Japanese culture observations and after landing a really funny joke involving specific traits in Japanese women he went meta and told us that that was all the Japan material he had for the night. That was not entirely true, here and there other jokes on the subject will pop out, I think mostly improvised. One thing that impressed me, that you don’t get to see in the specials, was his quick wit when it comes to audience interaction. For someone best known for his writing, his improvisational skills are up there as well. A truly funny exchange with a guy sitting close to the stage stood out. “Look at you man, you’re in the fetal position there” was his skeptical comeback after this person mentioned that his wife and him shared the decision making role in their marriage.
  
As in his previous specials, the last part of the show focused on relationships, after covering American politics and the liberal vs. conservative debate. Without spoiling the jokes I’d say that there were quite a few -some involving the NRA, the army and jenga- that felt like they would’ve been hilarious sketches on the Chappelle’s Show. On stage he also demonstrated his affinity for physical comedy and the people responded, those bits were some of the funniest.

You have to admire how towards the end he found a way to neatly tie all three topics, namely politics, ideology and relationships, into one final Colin Kaepernick joke that also included some of the elements (improv, physicality) mentioned above. It was a poignant bit that encapsulated the whole vibe of his set. Avoiding pandering at all costs, a no-held-punches approach that clearly, and hilariously, made a point. 

It felt like you were in the presence of a comedian’s comedian. If not quite structured and paced as you’ll see it on a Netflix special, it’s in a live setting where this brand of observational, hard-hitting comedy thrives. Tonight was no exception, there were no corners cut for this intimate small club set in Shimokitazawa. Neal Brennan delivered in spades.

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