NYCF: Michaels Showalter and Ian Black

Back in the '90s (oh so long ago), sketch group The State used to show

up on late-night MTV somewhere between Singled Out and Liquid

Television. Those guys (and girl) have come a long way since then,

evidenced by the crammed-to-the-gills Michael Ian Black and Michael

Showalter stand-up show at Caroline's on Thursday night. The show took

place as part of the New York Comedy Festival and as one of MySpace's

free Secret Stand-Up

shows.

The Michaels took the stage with no openers, Showalter first followed

by Ian Black. After talking a bit about the election (and of course,

specifically Sarah Palin), Showalter went into a hilarious bit about

re-reading his 8th grade yearbook. He performed a statistical analysis

of the likes & dislikes that he and his classmates had listed under

their names. Likes included pizza, ska, and animals, while dislikes

ranged from cafeteria food to "gomers," his high school's word for

nerds. Showalter also talked about the difficulties of getting a cat,

describing the two-round interview process and ultimate rejection of

Kitty Care.

Michael Ian Black immediately won over the crowd by asking a

brace-faced kid, previously tormented by Showalter, why he was

attending the show. The kid said it was his birthday and Black

presented him with FIVE CANADIAN DOLLARS as a present.

Next, he spoke

of politics and why McCain/Palin lost the election: "If fetuses could

vote, maybe they would have won." Before ending the show, he read one

of his trademark letters, this one to a heckler who had asked him to

show his penis. He was flattered, but ultimately realized that the

heckler was actually talking to Showalter.

-Sachi Ezura