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Evan Wecksell: Live at
the Bitter End
Fans of laughter may not yet know Evan Wecksell by name but based on
his ever
increasing appearances at the hottest comedy and music venues across
the country it
proves only to be a matter of time. Evan is an alternative entertainer
who combines his
talent for developing and delivering comedic material with his
self-accompanied
performance of perversely hilarious compositions. Recently Evan
performed live at
New York City’s renowned club The Bitter End.
Evan is happy and
comfortable on stage wasting no time opening sweet and strong on
his Takamine acoustic electric. Slowly Evan tells the story of an
imperfect woman
whose flaws and notable features he equally adores.
The anticipatory lyrics in Evan’s first song Problem, keeps the
audience interested in his anecdote. Suddenly, and without warning,
the Disney-esque melody line turns defiantly laugh-out-loud funny more
closely resembling the cringeworthy Stephen Lynch. Problem’s
punch line which references Evan’s love interest’s surprise appendage
takes the audience completely by surprise as it seems to do Evan whose
facial expression is nothing less than genuine enough to convince the
viewer that he too were hearing this story for the very first time.
Evan continues to
confide in his audience the secrets of his romantic relationships in
Ready for You. Beautiful guitar licks and a dash of sugarcoated
vocals complement Evan’s observational humor which references
the stereotypical male-female relationship. A cackling exercise for
the audience, most present consistently succeed at drowning out
subsequent punch lines with the sounds of their own laughter. In
Ready for You Evan’s physical comedy is highlighted drawing laughs
where outward joke telling takes a back seat to musical accompaniment
or plot details. Two songs deep into The Bitter End set it is obvious
to the audience that this comedic experience is equal parts funny,
equal parts pure entertainment.
As the evening
continues, there is no denying there’s a certain twisted talent to
Evan Wecksell which is perhaps most apparent during I Wanna Be
Black. It is possible that the most hilarious aspect of this tune
lies in Evan’s skilled comedic onomatopoeia-type vocal delivery. This
paired with the juxtaposition of his innocent vocal quality and
folk-like guitar accompaniment with his raunchy or, in this case,
politically incorrect subject matter stands only to further drive home
the comedic genius behind his approach. Evan’s ability to deliver a
story line which one might expect in a song entitled I Wanna Be
Black without inciting any particular offense is also notable.
Evan’s performance
at The Bitter End stretched well beyond a typical comedy set. His
vocal and musical delivery kept and held audience attention, his
physical comedy kept everybody laughing when raw material may have
fell slightly short of par, his endearing interactive skills and
playful nature kept audience enthusiasm high and his requisite musical
talent pale only in comparison to his raw comedic skill which extend
far beyond the traditional ensuring everyone within ear shot is
guaranteed a good time. To strictly hear an Evan Wecksell set,
however, is a disservice compared to seeing one considering so much of
Evan’s humor is highlighted by his expressions and passion for
physical delivery. But, if you can’t make it out to Evan’s current
west coast tour, this show has been captured on CD and is currently
available for purchase at Evan Wecksell’s website,
www.EvanWecksell.com. Listen with your girlfriend, listen with your
boyfriend, listen with your boyfriend’s girlfriend, but for God’s
sake, use caution while driving.
Evan Wecksell:
Live at the Bitter End
Setlist: Problem / Ready For You / 1945 / Real Emo / I Wanna Be Black
/ One More Year (The College Song)
- Jennifer L.
Pricci,
Chorus & Verse
January 2005 |
