Saying “I didn’t know what to expect from this show” may be a little cliché, but in the case of a Kurt Braunohler performance, it is not only true, but pretty much the whole point. I caught the US comic’s first OFF-JFL show at Théâtre Sainte-Catherine and was impressed with the way he wove various topics into one routine in a way that surprised as much as it made sense.
Braunohler packed a fresh take on standard standup fare. His bits included stuff like being a newlywed, the difference between cat people, dog people and bird people, along with some rather out-there stories from his trip to Australia and some serious, though funny, politically-charged commentary on his own tall white male privilege and racist police violence in his home country. Strangely, it all made sense as one narrative.
Still, “I didn’t think he’d go there” was something I caught myself thinking after each topic switch, especially when he went into full social justice mode. But then again, Braunohler did say more than once during his set that he hoped to provoke more randomness in life and that’s just what he achieved here.
He also told the audience that they would be given a chance to show whether or not they trusted him with their life. Along with about ten other people, I opted to take him up on his offer. I recommend you do the same (I’m still alive, aren’t I?) or at the very least, trust him to entertain you for an hour during OFF-JFL. You won’t regret it.
Kurt Braunohler: The Inevitable Whiteness of Being runs until July 23, tickets available at hahaha.com.
Photo by Danny Belair, courtesy of OFF-JFL.
