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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Overwhelmed

Ray Harrington

Stand Up! Records · Album · 2017 · 55 min

A tired father takes on camping, parenting, and modern manhood.

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Ray Harrington steps on stage with the physical presence of a giant and the exhaustion of a new father, using his self-deprecating charm to make the heavy load of modern domesticity feel light. His material focuses on the crushing tiredness of raising a toddler while maintaining some shred of personal dignity. He is at his most engaging when he pivots into the absurd, particularly during a detailed breakdown of who would win a hypothetical fistfight between Anne Frank and Helen Keller, or when he takes aim at the active pointlessness of camping.

The performance was recorded in April 2017 at the Rockwell in Somerville, Massachusetts, and released as an audio album by Stand Up! Records later that September. At the time, Harrington was juggling multiple creative fronts, having recently completed his documentary Be a Man. The strain of making a film while dealing with a young child fed directly into the theme of the hour, which went on to top the Amazon comedy charts and peak at number 15 on Billboard’s comedy album chart.

The set list

10 bits

  1. Camping

    Riffs on the inactivity of camping

  2. Pudging

    Explores the concept of 'Pudging'

  3. Self-description

    Introduces himself to the Somerville audience as 90% flannel, 10% pumpkin spice, resembling someone found in the woods by a jogger on Law & Order

  4. Reese's Peanut Butter Egg

    Argues that the Reese's Peanut Butter Egg is the best candy he has ever had

  5. Winter activities

    Discusses his favorite winter activities of Netflix and seasonal affective disorder

  6. Adults with hamsters

    Examines the absurdity of grown adults keeping pet hamsters

  7. Grammar Nazi

    Objects to being labeled a grammar Nazi despite meeting all the criteria

  8. Swearing around a toddler

    Recounts the stress and guilt of swearing in front of his toddler

  9. Aging body pranks

    Talks about the cruel pranks our bodies play on us as we get older

  10. Sex and Candy

    A darker, debauched routine that elicits spit takes

How it plays

Tone
Infectiously charming, refreshingly uncynical, observational, and personal even when navigating darker or debauched material
On stage
Affable, large physical presence (6'7") with 'innate, John Candy-esque likability', self-described as '90% flannel, 10% pumpkin spice'
About
Parenting and toddlers, Aging and physical changes, Camping, Seasonal affective disorder, Grammar, Everyday absurdities

What the critics said

Praised as 'infectiously charming' and refreshingly uncynical, delivering grounded and relatable laughs even when exploring darker topics

In the room: Small, intimate theater atmosphere contrasting with the oversold comedy club vibe of his first record

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: allmusic.com, vanyaland.com, en.wikipedia.org, heyrhody.com, seniordiscountpodcast.blogspot.com.

Backstory

Created while Harrington was making his documentary 'Be A Man' and raising a baby who was rapidly becoming a toddler, leaving him feeling overwhelmed and burned out

Details

Released
Taped
The Rockwell, Somerville
Runtime
55 min
Where
Stand Up! Records (album)
Honors
Debuted at No. 1 on Amazon's comedy albums chartPeaked at No. 15 on Billboard's Comedy Albums chart
Topics

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