With charisma, charm and a laid back attitude, comedian Todd Barry delivers subtle punchlines with little effort and amazing timing about any conceivable topic. He is a veteran funnyman with self-proclaimed "nice eyes," who has appeared often on a few late-night network shows, and frequently tours the national comedy club circuit.
On May 26, Barry will perform his extremely funny style of humor at Maxwell’s on Washington Street in Hoboken, with fellow comics Andy Blitz and the show’s headliner, Janeane Garofalo.
"Me performing at Maxwell’s will be the best thing to happen in Hoboken since the last best thing to happen in Hoboken," said Barry during a phone interview last week.
On the drums
For Barry, comedy was not a childhood dream. He was born in New York City but grew up near Fort Lauderdale, Fla. There he learned to play the drums and joined several local bands. At one show, Barry’s band met the alternative superstar rock band R.E.M. in 1984.
After a couple of years, the music biz seemed to be fading and not working out as expected. Barry needed a new outlet. So one night, at a club in Florida, he signed up for an open-mic. He riffed and delivered several jokes. The crowd responded well and it gave Barry the confidence to pursue stand up comedy further, he said.
"I never picked up any [comedy] style," he said. "I just went out there and performed."
Club appearances
For more than a decade after that, Barry toured clubs throughout the country mastering his act, and writing new material. In the late ’80s he moved to New York City and devoted his time completely to comedy. He performed relentlessly, and his accomplishments included appearances on "Late Night with Conan O’Brien," Comedy Central half hour specials, "Late Friday" on NBC, the "Comedy Showcase" hosted by comedian Louie Anderson, "Caroline’s Comedy Hour," and A&E "Comedy on the Road."
One notable appearance of which Barry is extremely proud is showcasing his talent on the "Late Show with David Letterman" in the late ’90s for the first time. It was a marquee moment in his career that opened several doors for him professionally. He has since done Letterman two more times.
"Letterman is truly one of the highlights of my career," he said.
In addition to doing Letterman, Barry has appeared on "The Larry Sanders Show," "Sex in the City," "Spin City," and the movies "Road Trip" and "Pootie Tang," to name a few. He has also been a featured performer in the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal in 1994, the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colo. in 1998 (where he won the Jury Award for standup), the Chicago Comedy Festival in 1999, and the Cat Laughs Festival in Kilkenny, Ireland last year.
Barry is a comic virtuoso, capable of playing straight comedy as well as upbeat fast routines, which is evident in his well-produced CD "Medium Energy," which came out last year. The album, recorded live at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City, truly captures Barry’s sense of humor with jokes about topics ranging from "sperm bank babies" to "K-Mart in New York."
Barry is very funny and is able to take almost any mundane topic and spin it comically. He is not too animated when he performs, which has become his unique trademark. On his web site, he jokingly writes, "I can bomb on purpose." But when asked about it, Barry said, "I really can’t bomb on purpose."
Throughout his years as a comic, Barry has learned to have discipline and continue to dedicate himself to the profession.
"You always have to work on your act," he said. "You don’t want to be an overnight sensation. To be a good comic, you have to train for years."
Barry has performed at Maxwell’s before. He opened for the very popular band Yo La Tengo, for whom he has played drums several times, and has done shows with other comics as well.
"One time I sat in for Yo La Tengo on drums," he said. "It was a great night."
When asked what he thinks about the Mile-Square City, he jokingly replied: "If you can’t live in New York, you can find a place in Hoboken."
For a little more than 14 years, Barry has been working hard at comedy and he makes it look easy. Defining his style of humor is something he does not do.
"Once you get in the business, you tend to get to know everybody," he said.
He still lives in New York City and can be heard occasionally on the Howard Stern Radio Show. He also performs regularly at Manhattan clubs. After his Maxwell’s gig, he will be at the Capitol City Comedy Club in Austin, Texas from June 11-17, and in October he will be at Dr. Grin’s@The Bob in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Look for Barry in upcoming television and movie projects.
Maxwell’s is located at 1039 Washington St. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. and tickets are $12. For more information call (201) 798-0406. To obtain a copy of Barry’s hilarious CD visit www.toddbarry.com. The web site also includes pictures, a bio, and a page of miscellaneous information, much like his act. q
Fort Lee resident and freelance photographer Gerald Cadena took the cover photo. He can be reached at cadenage@shu.edu. His web site is home.att.net/~capedkingprod