Entertainment Event Decisions ...

Tamara and I  usually make it out to a few local music shows a year -- Jonathan Richman when he comes through, Grass is Dead when they come through, sometimes a "Food Truck Rally" with local bands at our favorite local venue (The High Dive).

We hadn't been to a "big show" in more than a decade, but as you may recall last year we made the effort to go see Bob Dylan in St. Augustine, and I resolved at that point to try to make it to a "big show" once a year.

My plan for this year was to probably see Dylan again.

But then I got more fascinated with stand-up comedy than I used to be (I've always loved it going back to Steve Martin's early albums/specials when I was in elementary and junior high school, but actually writing/performing it replaced building/playing cigar box guitars as my Obsession of the Year).

So, contingent on Tamara agreeing, I plan to see Doug Stanhope (no date/venue yet, but he's mentioned a tour probably including Florida on his podcast), or Gilbert Gottfried (playing Tampa in December), or both, and/or one or more other "big name" comedians (Bill Burr? Ron White? Joe Rogan? Luis J. Gomez? Tom Segura? Anthony Jeselnick? Maybe even Louis CK if it's possible to get tickets at all, since he sells out shows in like 37 minutes after announcing them the day before he performs?)

Of the options, Stanhope tops the list. I've met him, but I've never made it to one of his shows. And based on literally hundreds of hours of watching stand-up specials, listening to albums, etc., I don't think there's a funnier comedian alive. Or, hell, maybe even dead (yes, I love Bill Hicks; yes, I love George Carlin; yes, I appreciate Lenny Bruce, although his stuff is from far enough before my time that it's not always easy to ... well, get; but I'll put Stanhope up against any of those guys on a laugh meter and in particular the intelligent laugh meter and expect him to at least hold his own and probably win).

I've been to local comedy gigs lately, but not to a dedicated comedy club with a "name" comedian (whose name I can't even remember -- he was pretty good but never got and stayed wildly famous) since the 1990s. It's time.