STAND-UP TUESDAYS: Jason Downs

March 4th, 2014

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 onJason Downs’ comedy career. If you or your comedy troupe would like to be featured on Stand-Up Tuesdays, please email utgjames@gmail.com.

Comedian Jason Downs joins the recent run of high-quality comedy released by Rooftop Comedy with his new album, Excessive Talking, in this week’s Stand-Up Tuesdays. Recorded at San Francisco’s The Punchline, Downs unleashes a high-energy torrent of hilarity from start to finish as he riffs on everything from thinking of tacos as currency to trying to purchase affordable luggage at Barney’s.

From the moment he takes the stage, Downs is moving at break-neck speed as he launches into a barrage of jokes about being broke, fat and unemployed. While certainly clever, Downs’ opening seems relatively safe in that he’s choosing subjects which are quite common in stand up – and that the audience, generally, can easily relate to. Fortunately, Downs begins to kick it up a notch not too far into his set with some more substantial material.

Downs addresses his A.D.D. early on – or, more specifically, his A.D.H.D. – which seems to either mesh well with or dictate his comedic style. Downs’ transitions from joke to joke are quite sudden, and before you even realize it, he’s off on an altogether new subject – despite certain moments in which he could benefit from some additional focus.

“People ask if I act. Do I act? I was on disability for nine months, does that count?” Downs quips. “Didn’t break character once.”

Now, this is probably just my own comedic curiosity at play, but I’m dying to know just why Downs was on disability and wouldn’t mind seeing him mine that for more material. I can’t help but feel there’s a whole new story in there somewhere.

But I digress.

Excessive Talking is definitely a fun listen and has more than a few moments of comedic brilliance, though ultimately I’m not left with much to come away with. I think with just a few tweaks in Downs’ timing and delivery, he could easily become a comedic force to be reckoned with – and for that, I’m eager to hear more from the San Francisco native.

Check it out for yourself and download Jason Downs’ Excessive Talking at Rooftop Comedy today – and join me in going to hell for laughing as much as I did at Anne Frank jokes.

Grade: B