ElbowSkin’s Too Hard Basket (FringeTIX)
ElbowSkin @ Rhino Room (Upstairs)
7:15pm, Wed 5 Mar 2008
I’ve previously seen ElbowSkin in 2004 and 2006. I liked what I saw. I purchased a ticket for their 2008 show. Riveting, eh? But Dave and Ern are back, presenting a show based on the flimsy premise that they’re rehearsing for the show. A bit cyclical, yes, and certainly The Umbilical Brothers have attempted that premise before; but ElbowSkin manage to keep the laughs rattling along and, if anything, the idea facilitates some ideas that may not be possible in a more conventional show.
A bit of video footage places us at ElbowSkin’s Secret Hideaway where they’re busy – or not – writing the show. In desperation, they pull open the “Too Hard Basket” to get to the ideas previously deemed too hard… and we’re then privvy to a ton of song snippets – often only one or two lines – that are astoundingly funny. A couple of longer songs – as seen at the Comedy for a Cause benefit gig – were also presented, along with a bunch of short skits.
Of course, the trademark ElbowSkin pre-recorded video snippets are there – the “chicken crossing the road” bits, in particular, are brilliant. Who’d have thunk that the chicken was prodded by a stick? or belted by a 3-wood? And their usual harmonies and guitar work are fantastic throughout.
But the real gem of the night was the closer. Whether it’s true or not, Ernie announced that his girlfriend’s parents were attending a show for the first time. After waxing lyrical about the loveliness of their daughter, he dedicated the last song to them… “I Fucked Your Daughter”. There’s something absolutely delightful about the idea that the words “It’s fair to say she really loves the cock” are being delivered to her parents. Great stuff :)