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| From July 24, 2011 |
Jamie Kilstein is a progressive comedian and the co-host, with his wife, journalist Allison Kilkenny, of Citizen Radio, a daily politics & comedy podcast. You should follow Jamie and Allison and the show on Twitter: @jamiekilstein, @allisonkilkenny and @citizenradio.
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| From July 24, 2011 |
Last night I went to see Jamie at easily the oddest place I’ve ever been — Paul Booth’s Last Rites tattoo gallery. Jamie’s comedy set was part of a weekend of events to celebrate the launch of Booth’s expanded facilities, which now include an art gallery and performance space in addition to the world’s craziest and most nightmare-inducing tattoo parlor. I had never been in a place even remotely like this, and I was grateful for a chance to hang out there and experience a scene that was totally new to me.
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| From July 24, 2011 |
It was a weird gig. The mic had so much extra bass on it that it boomed throughout the set and hit enough low notes to cause involuntarily bowel movements. It was also extremely difficult (sometimes impossible) to make out what Jamie was saying during the show. And given the party nature of the event, there were tons of people milling about the room talking during the performance.
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| From July 24, 2011 |
To add to the excitement, Jamie had a long-untreated concussion and should have been in the hospital, not on a stage. (In fact, he’s at the emergency room right now as I’m typing this post. And, in true Kilstein fashion, he’s live-tweeting his experience.)
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| From July 24, 2011 |
All that aside, though, Jamie still managed to reach people with his cutting-edge observations on gay rights, the killing of Osama Bin Laden and being a vegan. He pulls no punches and — despite the obvious impact such stances must have on his career — he speaks the truth at every opportunity. Definitely a comic, and a human being, worthy of respect.
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| From July 24, 2011 |
All in all, a fun night. If you dig tattoo art, check out Last Rites. I’ve heard there’s a pretty long waiting list to get tattooed there, so book now. And if you appreciate fearless and funny political comedy, please go see Jamie Kilstein and listen to (and support!) Citizen Radio. Our world needs more of these folks.
UPDATE (Greenwald style!): Just to prove I was telling the truth about Jamie’s medical condition, here’s a photo taken of him in the emergency room this morning:
