After more than a year of travel restrictions, many Americans are ready to get back out on the road to visit friends and family, and see the sights.
New York-based comedian Myq Kaplan, 43, performing at the Morgantown Brewing Company on July 14, is no exception.
“My girlfriend’s aunt, who lives in Minnesota, has a coffee table that belonged to my girlfriend’s grandmother,” Kaplan said.
Of course for a touring comedian, one of his first times travelling post-pandemic couldn’t just be a simple family visit.
“It might have just been that we drove to Minnesota and then drove home, but I started looking for, ‘What would be reasonable lengths of drive to stop along the way, and hopefully do shows?’ We’re unofficially, jokingly calling it the ‘Coffee Table Tour.’”
Kaplan’s latest show is actually titled ‘imPERFECT,’ and Wednesday night’s performance will be the first of his tour.
It will also be his first time performing in the Mountain State.
“It’s my first time to Morgantown, I’m really excited. So if you want me to have a good impression of your town, come out to the show and enjoy it the most,” Kaplan joked. “Even if I don’t do anything else in Morgantown, I’ll be like, ‘Wow Morgantown, West Virginia is great.’”
Kaplan will be joined by local comedians Noah Basden, Lish Brownfield, Cody Cannon and Lawton Parnell.
“Ever since COVID, everything’s opened up a little bit, the shows have been really packed,” Parnell said. “I’m excited to be in the crowd, it’s my first show…back at Brew Pub.”
Although he shares Parnell’s excitement to be back performing live, Kaplan also recognizes the reality of the ongoing pandemic.
“Of course the pandemic is not over, the variants exist, and the whole thing about paying attention to science and the numbers is that there is no universal, one size fits all, ‘This is the answer.’”
“I’m going on a comedy tour to create frivolity, but not frivolously,” he quipped.
In that spirit, Kaplan believes that the return to live, in-person shows – and live comedy in particular – only adds to the experience.
“I think the audience experience, because of going through the cold water of the lockdown, it will feel warmer,” he said.
Live performance is in no small part an interaction between the performer and the audience, something that has been difficult to recreate in online Zoom shows and ‘virtual comedy clubs’ of the pandemic. In Kaplan’s estimation, it’s downright enchanting.
“My friend Dylan Brody said, ‘I believe jokes are powerful spells, and they only work if you say them in the right order and the right rhythm.’”
Thinking back to his first time invoking the spells, in the clubs and coffee houses of Boston where he attended college, even after more than 20 years performing, Kaplan still marvels at the power of jokes.
“‘Let there be laughs’ was kind of how it felt.”
Making your plans for the week and reading this over your Sunday cup of coffee, you may find yourself wondering, ‘Is this show for me?’
Asked to categorize his style of comedy, Kaplan pondered metaphors about jazz, meditation, and music, before suggesting the curious check out some of his clips from ‘Conan’ or his latest special, ‘A.K.A.’ to make up their own mind.
When pressed, he ultimately landed on a simple explanation of his style.
“I like sharing joy and I hope you also like experiencing it.”
Tickets are available at https://www.morgantownbrewing.com/events
Tweet @SchulzReports
