Moontower 2018 Day 3 Recap

by Dany Recio

Moontower Comedy 2018

C’est la vie! Saturday was the last day for Moontower 2018. You guys are thinking, did it end in a bang? Yes, an exhausted bang that gave it its all. After three nights packed to the brim with jokes, laughs, and drinks, is it any wonder you’d feel a little sluggish? You can call me a light-weight or say that I can’t hang, and you’re right. As much fun as it is, by the end exhaustion does start creeping in. Regardless, I still found the energy to enjoy my last two shows.

The Stars in Bars showcase was a lot like New York’s Finest, with a killer lineup and a ton of comics on the roster. I wish it had a gimmick but they just called it Stars in Bars because, well, it’s got to have a name alright? The name is the least important thing anyway. This was the second time I had seen Ron Bennington and I think he really likes Austin, he was always yelling about how “No buildings are finished.” Clearly a big fan of all the exposed brick and rafters in every hip Austin venue. I didn’t get to stay until the end, “What?! But Why?!” (that’s you). Look, I had to go to a local non-Moontower related comedy show. I won’t say much about it cause this isn’t about that. What I will say is that to skip a Moontower show means it must be important. That’s the great thing about Austin and why Moontower is so good. Comedy is always happening, it’s good and not hard to find.

Alonzo Bodden

Alonzo Bodden points towards one of the many places in Austin where you may find comedy

The last thing I did that night and for the festival itself was go to The Velveeta Room for Blue Moon. This was a showcase specifically for blue comedy. Blue comedy is usually comedy that is dark, dirty, or twisted. It’s humor that most folks might not enjoy, hence why it happened at 11:30 Saturday night. This is the pinnacle of the week for me, this show had a lot of my favorites: Mark Normand, Kurt Metzger, Liza Treyger, Jessimae Peluso and Felicia Michaels. Plus, this is the show for them to really cut loose. We all knew what we were getting into with the theme of the show so when the comics had a new joke or story that would be banned from cable television, they went for it. I’d fill you in but, you know, keeping it PG.

The way I see it is, if you’re reading this you might’ve missed the boat. Moontower is done, for this year at least. Lucky for you there will be tons of local comedy shows to catch, or you can go back to watching Netflix comedy specials. If you thought I was going to get through four articles without ever mentioning Netflix, you were wrong. Also, Netflix sponsored the artist lounge this year and yeah, I got in, and it turns out it was very easy to do and a lot of other people got in too. Regardless Netflix specials are great but just like cheese, you can’t beat the real thing. Unless, you are a comedian and you’re getting a Netflix special then congratulations, I’m very happy for you.

Amanda Seales

Amanda Seales does not have a Netflix special (yet) but she is on HBO’s Insecure

If I’ve done anything with my recaps I hope first and foremost you go to Moontower next year. Oh, and what do you know, badges are already on sale. No performers have been announced but now it’s a game. Get a badge, roll the dice, you can’t lose. Secondly, I hope you watch more comedy in town in the meantime. Lastly, I hope you went from having seen some comedy at one point to maybe delving in and becoming a big ‘ol comedy nerd. We’re in the middle of a “comedy boom” so seems like a great time to get in before it’s not cool anymore.