This past week marked only the fourth year of Austin’s Moontower Comedy Festival, but it’s easy to see why the annual event has quickly became such a major draw for comedians and fans alike. Moontower embodies the stereotype of Austin as being laid back and friendly, and it does so in a way that isn’t rolled in the clichés that come with trying to “keep it weird.” Everyone is in a good mood, the majority of showcases are easy to get into, and drinks and laughs are had by all. At many of the shows at Moontower there’s a vibe more akin to a hangout or a fun concert than a pretentious, exclusive event. All of this makes for an experience that is conducive to maximizing laughter, which is obviously the goal of any comedy show.
Headliners this year included marquee names like Ron White, Wanda Sykes, Patton Oswalt and Marc Maron. Bigger acts make the festival a draw, but the real magic took place at the numerous smaller showcases, many of which are akin to a SXSW music showcase in that they feature a handful of sometimes lesser-known acts each performing abbreviated sets. The goal, of course, is to expose festival-goers to as many comedians as possible over the course of four nights. Seeing big names like Wanda Sykes – who killed with a set that saw her moving from racially driven police killings to life married to a white French woman – was indeed highly entertaining.
Wanda Sykes
However, the best laughs came from promising young comedians who will most likely be the next generation of major acts. In its short existence, Moontower has proven to be a prime destination for catching the next big star, with names like Amy Schumer, Hannibal Buress, and a handful of current Saturday Night Live cast members all playing to small crowds in tiny clubs. This year’s real winners came from names who may already be fairly well-known, but will only be getting bigger if their sets were any indication. Kurt Metzger’s crude jokes and goofy facial expressions, Michelle Buteau’s riffs on the trials and tribulations of interracial marriage and bowel movements around your significant other, Nate Bargatze’s Tennessee drawl and dry yet thoughtful humor, Ted Alexandro’s blunt observations on single life, and Robert Kelly’s gut-busting, tear inducing jokes on life as a fat man all made for non-stop laughter.
Robert Kelly
Any festival should give you the chance to see what you love while also discovering new things, and in this sense Moontower Comedy has succeeded year after year. Getting into most showcases was hassle-free and each night gave festival-goers the opportunity to feast upon hours and hours of stand-up comedy. One can’t help but wonder if the festival will be able to preserve its friendly, chilled out vibe as it grows each year, but luckily for us, it seems Moontower has found a winning formula it intends to hold onto.
Note: This article originally appeared on The Horn.
All photos by Arthur VanRooy.
