There are few things as vulgar as talking about past sexual exploits and alcohol and drug-induced antics. Luckily, when told by the right person, there are also few things as funny.
On Dec. 10, the Jay and Silent Bob comedy duo from Clerks and Mallrats, Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes, made their way to Saskatoon to perform Jay and Silent Bob Get Old at the Odeon Events Centre. The event was two hours of Smith and Mewes sitting on stage with microphones and recounting endless stories.
The doors were supposed to open at 7:30 p.m. with the event beginning at 8:30, however, as the clock neared 8:30, the doors were only leaking in a few people at a time, leaving a few hundred lined up around the block outside in the cold of Second Ave. By the time the extent of people in line found themselves indoors, it was apparent that the Odeon didn’t have enough seats to accommodate all the guests.
In retrospect, although the Odeon serves alcohol and would seem to be the appropriate venue for such a raunchy event, the centre is not made for the kind of intimate, casual chat session that Smith and Mewes do. The Broadway or Roxy Theatre would’ve been a better choice of venue. Luckily, even with having to stand two hours to listen, the show more than made up for the discomfort.
The show is completely casual. There are no scripted exchanges or stand-up comedy bits. It is merely Smith and Mewes asking each other questions about their past experiences, talking about the tour, life in the movies, experiences with drugs and alcohol, and, of course, past sexual exploits. Just letting these guys rant is hilarious, especially Mewes who seems to lack an internal filter. Mewes basically acts and talks exactly like Jay, except he’s less annoying and not nearly as high, since he has been sober and clean for over a year and a half.
The show had mainly highlights. Smith discussed his affinity for Canada, his daughter’s burgeoning acting career in grade school and his latest film project, Hit Somebody, a comedy about an aspiring hockey player. One scene from the film takes place in Saskatoon and Smith workshopped the scene to make sure he wasn’t misrepresenting Saskatoon in it. However fun Smith’s anecdotes are, it wasn’t until Mewes began ranting that the humour really got going.
In an effort to explain his connection to Saskatoon, Mewes went into a half hour rant about hooking up with a girl from Saskatoon in Hawaii. The anecdote descended into an extended discussion of fellatio and whether it is the man’s obligation to let a woman know when he is about to ejaculate. This then segwayed into Mewes inquiring Smith’s take on the matter as well as recounting other past sexual encounters and drunken antics, including one time he did a vodka funnel and passed out on his friend’s lawn in the winter where he promptly vomited, pissed and shat himself.
The show ended with “Let Us Act,” a segment where Smith directs Mewes in an improvised scene with an audience member. A short scene detailing Lindsay Lohan’s recent Playboy photoshoot ensued, with Mewes playing Lohan. It was humourous, if occasionally painful due to the audience volunteer’s awkwardness.
Smith and Mewes tailor their show to whatever locale they’re in, so there is a guarantee that you will never experience the same show twice. To get a feel for what the show is like, you can download the Jay and Silent Bob Get Old podcasts for free on the website or iTunes and listen for yourself.
Although the 50 dollar price-tag is a little high, getting to spend an evening listening to Jay and Silent Bob chat about their filthy life experiences is a fun experience with the kind of vulgarity you are unlikely to ever encounter outside a high school boys’ gym class.
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Photo: Anirudh Koul/Flickr