Comedians Want to Be Rock Stars, But Just So We Can Play the Hits

Would you rather be a clown/jester or a bard/poet? An investigation. Plus recs for Riley Mulherkar's music, Isabel Hagen's comedy, and Minna Choi's conversations about composing

All comedians secretly (or not so secretly) wish they were musicians instead. Musicians are so cool! They’re rockstars and dreamboats and moody, brilliant artists. We comedians are clowns and smart alecks.

Also, just logistically, musicians get to play their greatest hits over and over. In fact, that’s what people buy a ticket for. If you go to a Van Morrison concert, you’re disappointed if he doesn’t play “Brown-Eyed Girl.” (Spoiler alert: he doesn’t). Plus, you can do a big concert outside and it’s totally fine if people are chatting, eating, and milling around while you play. It doesn’t ruin the show. But for a comedian? That spells disaster. No matter how good your jokes are, that’s a recipe for an epic bomb. And if a comedian tries to tell their most famous joke over and over again, people get angry and start yelling.

So yeah, comedians, in our heart of hearts, kind of wish we were rock stars instead.

Musicians friends have told me the reverse is true for them. You can see some limited proof that that might be the case in the weird jokey banter that many musicians do between songs. Often incomprehensible, rarely identifiable as a punchline, but certainly brimming with the desire for audience validation. It’s always fascinating for me to see how quickly a musician can transform themselves from the coolest person in the room to the most awkward with just a couple sentences.

One example that stands out in my mind is when Mollie and I went to see Third Eye Blind in concert years after their moment in the spotlight. Everyone in the room was there with a level of semi-ironic detachment and nostalgia, patiently tolerating the new songs so that we could shout-sing to “Semi-Charmed Life.” But then, after a stretch of new songs that received a tepid response at best, the lead singer, 100% seriously, earnestly, and genuinely said, “I love your energy! Yes! Ask anybody and they’ll tell you that the craziest fans in the world are Third Eye Blind fans!!!”

The craziest fans in the world? Third Eye Blind? I looked around the room and everyone else was also silently looking around at each other. There was a notable silence and EXTREME lack of the cheering that he clearly expected. Did he honestly think Third Eye Blind fans were crazier than the Juggalos? They got classified as a criminal street gang by the FBI! Heavy metal bands have fans who punch each other in mosh pits for fun. Third Eye Blind had a bunch of thirty-something couples in button down shirts feeling nostalgic. When it comes to craziest fans, the lead singer had truly lost his mind.

And yet, when he finally played the three songs we all knew, we did have a great time.

Today’s newsletter is a music-themed edition, so put in your headphones, join the nearest juggalo gang, and get ready to rock.

My projects and upcoming events:

PODCAST: How to Be a Better Human (TED/PRX) - This week on the podcast, author Wajahat Ali and I have a conversation about his book Go Back to Where You Came From, And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American. Wajahat is hilarious and thoughtful and this episode covers so much ground. There’s something for everybody. Listen here (or wherever you get podcasts) NOTE: I’m still on parental leave, so these episodes were pre-recorded last year.

This week’s list

GREAT:

For years, I had a very limited understanding of jazz music, mostly associating it with the kind of atonal experimentation by an aging White man in a ponytail that I’d come across in random bars and hotel lobbies. But then I became friends with Riley Mulherkar and he opened my eyes. Riley is one of the rising young stars of a new generation in jazz. He’s incredibly talented and charming. Watching Riley perform, I realized how much I had been missing out on and now his quartet, The Westerlies, are some of my favorite music to listen to and to see live. Riley just released his first solo album this week and it’s fantastic. Give it a listen! Riley by Riley Mulherkar

(BONUS: Another great single released by a friend: Ivan Anderson, also known as the deranged mind behind Email Pro, plays guitar on this new track by Farmer)

FUNNY:

Isabel Hagen is in a category entirely her own when it comes to standup. There’s no one else who combines killer short jokes with flawless classical music on the viola. And somehow, it really really works. She’s so funny and great. Viola vs. The Haters

INTERESTING:

Minna Choi is a composer for film and orchestra. For years, she was also the genius who live-scored every performance of Pop Up Magazine. She’s worked with famous bands, documentary filmmakers, theater productions, and all sorts of other places. Minna is a master at figuring out how to use instrumentation to set the right tone and to pull emotions from the audience. Now, she’s put together a limited run series where she explains how she thinks about music. It’s designed to be an informal, unscripted conversation, as though you just had dinner at Minna’s house and then she started to casually play you some tunes while explaining what she loves so much about music. It’s a delight. Minna Choi’s Just Add Music podcast (h/t Charley Locke)

BONUS FOR PAYING SUBSCRIBERS:

Paying subscribers make Bright Spots possible! If you’re curious about my listening habits, this week’s bonus is a look at my most listened to songs this month on Spotify. Maybe it’s interesting! Maybe it’s scandalous! Only paying subscribers will be able to find out. As always, subscribers also get access to all posts in the archive. They also get my undying gratitude (which never dies). It’s never too late to join them!

That's it for this week. Thanks for reading! Please share Bright Spots with anyone you think might enjoy it.

The craziest newsletter fans in the world are Bright Spots fans,

Chris Duffy

This has been Bright Spots, a newsletter.

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…wait, who are you?

I'm Chris Duffy, a comedian, TV writer, podcast host, and both a former fifth grade teacher and a former fifth grade student. I’m currently writing a nonfiction book about humor for Doubleday.