The Todd Glass Show Live: You Had to Be There

It happens to every good podcast eventually. Unfortunately for the Todd Glass Show, “eventually” was Saturday night at Comedy Bar. The live recording didn’t record. A technical glitch meant that only the first 20 minutes of the over two-hour show could be salvaged.

While this won’t do much to ease the pain for listeners, here are a few standout moments that will never see the light of iTunes:

Todd Glass, Presiding?

Podcast guest and friend of Glass’s, comedian Rob Mailloux, revealed that he and his fiancé asked Glass to officiate their wedding this December. The legalities have been figured out, and it may very well happen. The execution depends on whether Glass has conflicting date opening for Louis C.K. – because, as he said, he could really use the $200.

Blanket Statement:

Glass’s current obsession is with the bedding at the Crowne Plaza hotel. He stayed at one recently, and discovered that the blankets on the beds (not to be confused with the comforters) are not washed after every guest. About a third of the audience was okay with this, with the remainder just as disgusted with it as Glass. He refused to let it go, even chiding the alleged cumblanket-lovers in the bar afterwards.

Audience hilarity, part 1

Early in the show, Glass talked about how easy it is to gauge the success of a joke based on laughter, but when you’re telling a serious story, there’s no way to tell whether an audience is interested, or bored. He wished people would use an over-exaggerated “oooooh” or something to indicate fascination. After patiently waiting for the right opportunities, a few audience members slipped in perfectly-timed ooooohs over the course of the evening, and had Glass doubled-over.

Audience hilarity, part 2

Comedy Bar owner Gary Rideout strolled on-stage unannounced, just to make sure everyone had what they needed. When his lengthy, off-mic description of how his night was going was just reaching its peak of discomfort, an audience member shushed him. It killed, leaving Rideout no choice but to leave and fetch a drink for Glass in mock (we think) defeat.

At Your Service

Glass invited Comedy Bar bartender (and improviser/singer/actress) Jenna Warriner on stage to share details of Umbrella Taxi Service, a guerrilla good-Samaritan event she recently participated in. She only got a few words out before he interrupted to mock her sweet-and-innocent cadence, which he swore she didn’t have earlier. She patiently waited for her cue to continue, carried on with her sentence, and artfully slipped into a deep, gravelly voice that none of us saw coming. Well played.

Seen, Not Heard

It turned out to be a very visual show, a potential inconvenience at the time. The screening of a basketball promo starring Glass, silent walk-ons from comedian Evan Desmarais, an ongoing gag with the room’s laser and strobe lighting, and a long list of other moments often prompted the question “can we edit that out?” Yeah… that won’t be a problem.

Closing the night: a passionate karaoke singalong to Canadian classic These Eyes by the Guess Who. The show lasted hours, but appropriately only felt like 20 minutes. It was equal parts circus and bonding exercise. Fortunately for those in attendance, it was unforgettable. As for the rest of you? Our condolences.