Comedy Spotlight: Arj Barker

Probably best known as Bret and Jemaine's best mate Dave from HBO's The Flight of the Concords, Arj Barker is a Bay Area comedian who recently released his new album and Comedy Central special LYAO.

He displays a hilariously impressive range of humorstyles, from the standard observational humor about global warming and pirates, to a bit of delightful absurdity in which a merry band of vaguely British toiletries garner assored censures and commendations. There's a joke for everyone who's ever sent a text to a friend suggesting that they dine together at a fine pervazedum, and of course it wouldn't be a true comedy album without a good old-fashioned font joke.

ROFL - Arj Barker

At times he threatens to moralize, taking a hard line on hot-button issues. He boldly sets aside the humor, if only for a moment. His stern tone assures you; this is no laughing matter. It is, of course, a laughing matter, and he deftly acheives a few sublime moments where the suspense of enduring his faux-soapboxing while awaiting the inevitable tension-relieving punchline is every bit as funny as the joke itself.

<3 - Arj Barker

Other times, he makes no pretense of sincerity, as when he again ascends the soapbox to declare his controversial stand against water. Admittedly, it's a joke that works much better in person or on video, as watching him pace back and forth, berating the hapless bottle of water that rests innocently on the stool in the middle of the stage is half the fun, but it's nonetheless satisfying to hear someone finally take on agua once and for all.

LMAO - Arj Barker