Fred Armison – Victory North Preview

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As the late Joan Rivers routinely asked, “Can we talk?”

Let’s be honest. We’ve likely all been there.

You’re ready, willing and able to enjoy a standup comic’s show. It could be taking place in a small or large club, a swanky theater, a cavernous arena or merely on TV. The comic is decent ―maybe even exemplary— at their craft. All is going well. And then, you notice something behind the performer, half-hidden in the dark, just out of range of stage lights. Something worrisome. Perhaps even ominous.

A musical instrument, just waiting to be employed in the service of the comic’s otherwise perfectly fine act.

It’s usually a guitar, or occasionally a keyboard. A sense of encroaching doom envelops you.

“They’re going to pick that up at some point…”, a disembodied voice, filled with dread, mutters inside your head. Nine times out of ten, in such a moment, the spell ―which had been so carefully crafted and successfully achieved only moments before— is broken. There’s no going back. It’s all downhill from that point forward.

All you can do is fixate on the noise making prop waiting in the shadows.

Their show is now anathema to you.

So, it was an almost fiendishly subversive move when, a few years ago, Armisen ―who up until that point had been primarily known for his work as an extremely talented sketch comedian in small-screen ensemble projects like NBC’s Saturday Night Live (where he appeared for a whopping 11 seasons) and IFC’s Emmy-nominated series Portlandia― launched a touring, one-man standup show called Standup For Drummers.

It was openly advertised as blending dry, observational humor with a demonstration of Armisen’s solid skills as a rock drummer (before getting the comedy bug, he played and recorded professionally for many years in a number of punk and alt-rock bands and later served for a decade as the bandleader and frequent drummer for NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers). Despite mixed reviews from critics and crowds ―many of whom deemed it an interesting concept which in practice provided neither enough percussion content for drumming enthusiasts nor enough humor for standup fans— the tour was documented for posterity in a 2018 Netflix special of the same name.

Fast forward to January of 2024, when Armisen returned with a new touring show once more featuring both him and his drum set, as well as occasional comedic interludes and musical accompaniment from friends and fellow humorous musicians. In between his many acting and voice-over gigs in a wide variety of movies, TV shows and videogame projects, he’s been regularly hitting the road with this updated and rebranded version, now called Comedy for Musicians But Everyone is Welcome. It’s this show that he’s bringing to Savannah’s own high-end showcase venue Victory North for a sold-out engagement on April 2.

Those lucky enough to have snagged a ticket to this highly anticipated concert can expect a leisurely paced collection of sharp cultural observations and brief musical interludes, delivered with the laconic, almost offhanded delivery Armisen is known for. Much of the humor conveyed in this show is based around the comic lifting the curtain to revel in the minutiae of the day-to-day lives of professional musical performers. The eccentricities, struggles and petty squabbles of gigging composers, players and vocalists are all rich fodder for Armisen’s keen satirical eye.

“It feels like he’s inside our heads,” said Sarah Mitchell, a Nashville, Tn.-based bassist who caught this tour with some of her bandmates. “He’s talking about things only musicians would understand, but somehow, he makes it accessible to everyone. It’s genius.”

While the show is said to be undeniably funny, it also carries a deeper message about the power of music to connect people. Armisen often pauses during these appearances to reflect on his own journey as a musician and comedian, sharing stories about how music has shaped his life and career. These moments are described by those who’ve attended the concerts as being poignant without being overly sentimental, offering a glimpse into the heart of an artist who has spent decades honing his craft.

“Music has always been my first love,” he shared in a recent interview. “There’s a rhythm to comedy, and there’s comedy in rhythm. The two worlds are so interconnected for me. This tour is a way to celebrate that relationship and share it with audiences in a way that feels authentic.”

Unlike the Standup For Drummers tour, which focused solely on his percussive skills, this current outing serves as an opportunity for Armisen to show off his estimable chops on a handful of different instruments, including drums, guitar, bass and keyboards. Backed by what’s been described as a rotating lineup of guest musicians (ranging from indie rock darlings to standout talent from each city he visits), Armisen also relies a good bit on crowd work to keep things fresh. It’s not uncommon for him to invite musicians in every audience to offer up their own anecdotes and experiences, with this pushing each night’s show in new and different directions that are specific to that particular city.

When I talk about music, people want to talk about it too," Armisen told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in 2023. "The more it keeps going, I’m always surprised,” he admits. “As the years have gone on, I’ve wished that musicians would turn up for it and it is really happening.” He also notes that when audience members share their own observations of being a musician, many of those anecdotes are “really funny.”

“I get a mini show,” he enthuses. I get to be a part of them being funny (as well), which I like. I like the idea of building something new that isn’t (just) doing characters and stuff.”

Critics have mostly been kind to this second installment of Armisen’s music-meets-standup mashup, with Rolling Stone calling it “a must-see for anyone who’s ever tapped their foot to a beat or struggled through a piano lesson.” Which is, you know, pretty much everyone. That’s probably why this current road show is regularly playing to capacity crowds wherever it goes.

“Music has this incredible ability to bring people together,” the comic said onstage during a recent performance. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a professional musician or someone who just likes to sing in the shower. There’s something universal about it. And that’s what this tour is really about — celebrating that connection.”

Photos by Jim Reed

WHAT: Fred Armisen’s Comedy for Musicians But Everyone is Welcome
WHEN: 7PM, April 2
WHERE: Victory North (VictoryNorthSavannah.com)
COST: Sold Out
TICKETS: May be found at resale outlets

 

Categories: Article, Comedy Show, Music & Clubs

Tags: , #Georgia, #Savannah GA, #Savannah Tourism, #Visit Savannah, Actor, American actor, American actor and comedian, Comedian, Fred Armison, Savannah, Savannah Georgia, Standup Comic Show, Veteran Comedic Actor and Writer, Victory North Show, Writer