John Mulaney - From Scratch
Hello, and welcome to the blog. Before I tell you what I have been up to, I would like to shout out to someone I was talking to recently who told me they read this blog. That is the first time someone has told me they have read it without me asking first. You know who you are. Thank you, sir.
I saw John Mulaney last week at the 3Olympia Theatre in the heart of Dublin city. I had a lovely time. Here’s what happened in detail. That sounds very formal. Here is how I got on. That sounds better.
Before the event, I got an email from Ticketmaster saying it would be a “phone-free” event. Years ago, I saw Kevin Hart live with my friend Kurt. That event was also a phone-free event, but no enforcement was made. I am sure we were good boys and didn’t use our phones. In the modern era of 2023, enforcement has been put in place.
How’s this for modern technology: you now have to put your phone on silent mode and in a magnetically sealed bag. Think of the electronic tags you get in department stores. Yes, those. I feel lucky because I like to think I have a healthy relationship with my phone. I was one of the first 30 people in the venue, so I was there an hour before showtime. That’s when it hit me. I’m being dramatic, but I did start to get a bit twitchy after the first half hour or so. My phone does not own me. I have to say that for myself more than anyone else. The show finally kicked off.
The first support act of the night was Seaton Smith. I am always in awe of comedians, whether or not they are good. Being able to add stuff off the cuff and have it get a laugh is fascinating to me. I try that in my everyday life, to mixed reviews. Seaton Smith is good, though. A very chill performer (for more reasons than one *wink wink*). It’s always refreshing hearing an American’s perspective on the country of Ireland, let alone an African American who didn’t shy away from the political history of our country. Smith has a quick wit and playful stage presence, which was a great start to the evening.
The second was Dan Levy. No, Schitt’s Creek fans, not that one. However, they don’t look dissimilar. Levy is married with three children, the subjects of most of his material. Family and everyday life are always my favourite subjects, so I was all for hearing Levy’s stories surrounding his family. It’s nice hearing how life is so different living in Los Angeles than it is living here. A lot more straightlaced than his predecessor, Levy seemed like a natural transition into the main event of the evening, John Mulaney.
Mulaney is a native of Chicago, Illinois. I hate to brag, but I have been there. My dad used to do a lot of business over there too. It’s nice having that personal connection. According to Mulaney, his great-grandmother was from Ballyhaunis, county Mayo. As Mulaney pointed out, his family and other Irish- American family’s relatives were the few who bothered to leave. He also mentioned things relating to The Troubles. All in good fun. All off the cuff. A true professional. For those not in the know, Mulaney has a history of drug and alcohol abuse. He had two stints of rehab in 2020, leaving finally in early 2021. Since then, he has gotten divorced, started another relationship and had a child with his new partner, actress Olivia Munn. With all that information, he had a lot of material to work with for this new tour. Mulaney covered all this in in-depth and honest detail. Nothing was off-limits, and it was incredibly refreshing to hear and see. Mulaney was made for the stage, and even though he looks like one, it is hard to imagine him as an accountant or something like that. Watch his Netflix specials. That’s an order.
That’s enough for one day. Thank you for reading, and thank you for your time.
