A Frank Review of the Kids in the Hall 2008 Tour

So Dave and I saw the Kids in the Hall stage show last night, and it was swell. It almost didn't happen, as this was a Tuesday night in Houston, as Scott was clear to point out in a rather graphic manner. We actually got our tickets late enough to enjoy Buy-One-Get-One-Free pricing, and only one lone nerd seemed to miss out as we entered the theater. There we were greeted by more nerds. My last couple times at Verizon Wireless were "Toadies" and "Deftones" concerts. I'm used to couples looking for darkened corners to tap that ass there, not tap their mana. Anyhow, the show only cost me twenty-five bucks, whereas the dinner we had at a jazz restaurant ran $58 with tip, no drinks. The place was lit almost entirely by candlelight, so it struck me as a great place to take a date if you have a sudden breakout. My dish, which also cost more than my ticket, was called "Seafood Infusion." It stood about nine inches tall, involved mahi-mahi, and was flanked by four scalloped potatos. Dave hated it, but it happened to have these great commercial art posters from the 30's up and oh my fucking god we're both straight men, okay?



Anyhow, before the show Dave and I entertained ourselves by discussing constellations that could be formed throughout the audience's bald spots. We were among the youngest and fittest in the room, which says something when you consider my own hairline and Dave's slowing metabolism. Still, it's great to find belly laughs and a superfiscial sense of superiority in Houston on a Tuesday night. The crowd was clearly more liberal than the norm, especially as Buddy Cole discussed how Jesus Christ was a raving homosexual, Mary Magdalene his fag hag, while name dropping the Montrose to roars. In fact, devoted KITH were especially rewarded by the show's 90 minutes of mostly new material, at least as of July 2007, since the set list was very nearly identical to the one performed at the 25th Annual "Just for Laughs" festival per their Wiki entry*. Not listed there was the Chicken Lady's turn as a phone sex operator**, not the first time "Failure To Launch" was referenced; Gavin, the young tall taler, greeting Jehovah's Witnesses with unintended ridicule, and Cathy and Kathie discussing weight loss through meth addiction. I knew*** a girl who did that, actually. Weight gain and aging came up often, as the Kids have gotten pretty old and fat****. Still, I got a thrill out of sitting a few hundred feet from Dave Foley, who I've had a man-crush on for years, possibly because he looked so good in a black cocktail dress back in the day. Classic a/v transitions and recurring gags were in full effect. They closed with "Superdrunk," worth noting on a comic book blog but one of the weakest skits, and the Mr. Tyzik encore coasted on goodwill, though it was surely earned. Below is a list of dates and more clips, so do give them your money if they pass your way.


* Bits #'d 5, 8, and 9 were replaced, and the set was in a much different order.

** At least twice as long and considerably varied from the clip above.

*** More Bible talk.

**** I had no idea they formed in 1984, not many years after Dave was born.



April
4 - Merrillville, Ind. @ Star Plaza Theatre
5 - Milwaukee, Wis. @ Riverside Theater
6 - Columbus, Ohio @ Wexner Center Mershon Auditorium
9 - Austin, Texas @ Paramount Theatre
10 - Austin, Texas @ Paramount Theatre
17 - Boston, Mass. @ Wang Centre
18 - New York, N.Y. @ Nokia Theatre
19 (7 p.m.) - New York, N.Y. @ Nokia Theatre
19 (10:30 p.m.) - New York, N.Y. @ Nokia Theatre
20 - New York, N.Y. @ Nokia Theatre
22 - Houston, Texas @ Verizon Theatre
23 - Dallas/Grand Prairie, Texas @ Nokia Theatre
24 - Kansas City, Mo. @ Uptown Theatre
25 (7 p.m.) - Madison, Wis. @ Barrymore Theatre
25 (10 p.m.) - Madison, Wis. @ Barrymore Theatre
26 - Minneapolis, Minn. @ Orpheum
27 - Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre
30 - Glenside, Pa. @ Keswick Theatre

May
2 - Niagara Falls, N.Y. @ Seneca Casino
3 - Washington, D.C. @ Warner Theatre
4 - Easton, Pa. @ State Theater
8 - Anaheim, Calif. @ The Grove
9 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Orpheum
10 - San Francisco, Calif. @ War Memorial
11 - Portland, Ore. @ Arlene Schnitzer
13 - Salt Lake City, Utah @ Kingsbury Hall
15 - Seattle, Wash. @ WaMu Theatre
16 - Coquitlam, BC @ Red Robinson Show Theatre
17 - Calgary, AB @ Jack Singer Concert Hall
18 - Edmonton, AB @ Jubilee
20 - St. Louis, Mo. @ The Pageant
21 - Nashville, Tenn. @ Ryman Auditorium
22 - Orlando, Fla. @ Hard Rock Live
23 - Clearwater, Fla. @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
24 - Atlanta, Ga. @ Cobb Energy Center
25 - Charleston, S.C. @ North Charleston PAC
29 - Chicago, Ill. @ The Chicago Theatre
30 - Detroit, Mich. @ Royal Oak
31 - Cleveland, Ohio @ Playhouse Square

June
1 - Green Bay, Wis. @ Weidner Center
3 - London, Ont. @ Centennial Hall
5 - Toronto, Ont. @ Massey Hall