Following on the heels of “These Are Jokes” and “Person,” Comedy Central Records is about to release Demetri Martin’s third full-length comedy album “Standup Comedian.”
“Standup Comedian” will be released as a stand-up comedy MP3 album or CD and also on DVD, but the audio and DVD versions will feature a completely different recording. The DVD recording was filmed at the Skirball Theater in New York City, while the CD was recorded at a much smaller and more intimate venue in Minneapolis. Martin is known for his one-liners, frequently delivered while playing a guitar and/or harmonica. Martin is also known for utilizing large note pads with pre-printed words or drawings, or sometimes drawing during the live show, to accentuate his jokes. It is seemingly for this reason that Martin chose to record different shows for the CD and DVD — because the visual bits would not translate to the audio recording.
Demetri Martin has a very dry sense of humor, with a delivery similar to that of Steven Wright, who Martin cites as one of his primary influences. Because there are no long form stories, there is a tremendous number of jokes packed into this one hour set.
Despite the comparison to Steven Wright, Demetri Martin is a very unique comic. He is incredibly smart (he is a Yale graduate who later attended New York University School of Law), and his jokes acutely point out many ironic situations and highlight the absurdities of life. For example, he questions the act of building a tree house — that we cut down a tree, use the wood to build a house, and then make other trees hold it for us. I have always been a fan of comedy that dissects language, and Martin includes a great bit on the bizarre way we introduce people — as in, “I’d like you to meet someone, this is Jane.” This? What is that? What, this? This, is Jane.
Fans of Demetri Martin will truly enjoy this new material. If you’re not familiar with Martin’s work, you owe it to yourself to check this stand-up comedy CD or MP3 out.
Standup Comedian
Demetri Martin
Stand-up Comedy MP3 album and CD
Comedy Central Records 2012