STAND UP TUESDAYS: Marc Maron

November 12th, 2013

Angie Frissore

Stand-Up Tuesdays is a weekly comedy spotlight written by the wonderfully talented Angie Frissore. Covering both known and unknown comics, Stand-up Tuesdays is your new source for all things funny.

This week, Angie puts a spotlight on Marc Maron’s comedy career. If you or your comedy troupe would like to be featured on Stand-Up Tuesdays, please email utgjames@gmail.com.

Marc Maron’s new special Thinky Pain, available exclusively on Netflix, gives fans a whopping almost-two-hours of intimate material from the heralded podcaster and comedian in what is by far the best storytelling set he’s done to date. Sharing some of his most awkward moments, Maron treats his small audience to a variety of topics, including auto-erotic asphyxiation, atheists, and even getting finger banged by a doctor.

Part comedy set, part therapy session, Thinky Pain overall betrays Maron’s initial nervousness (he takes the stage with a stomach ache) as he effortlessly delivers story after story. Despite asking the audience at certain points which direction he should take on stage, Maron’s set is a well-oiled and calculated machine. At a run time of just under two hours, however, when Maron starts to describe some stories that are more than familiar to the audience, one can’t help but wonder if the set could benefit from taking out some of the material we’ve heard before.

While I generally will never tire of Marc Maron’s brilliantly delivered tales, there are some that could have been left out. Perhaps I take for granted my own familiarity with Maron’s material, but I have heard his story about waking up to what seems to be a zombie apocalypse in a hotel very early in the morning a number of times – and while I certainly enjoy it, its inclusion in Thinky Pain ultimately leaves me wishing it had been left on the cutting room floor.

Granted, a lot of repeat material included in Thinky Pain is Maron’s best work, but by the time you’ve sat through an hour and a half of up-close-and-personal Maron, one can’t help but want to stick to the newer stuff.

Marc Maron’s Thinky Pain is a testament to the comedian’s impeccable storytelling prowess, despite running a bit on the long side. For comedians looking to get more personal in their material, or who wish to delve into the storytelling style, Thinky Pain should not be missed. Check it out for yourself on Netflix today.

Grade: B