“Every joke gets a 10% better reaction because I’m on my deathbed,” said David Spade about halfway through his set at Warfield in San Francisco on Friday. He wasn’t wrong. Spade’s voice was so shockingly horse that the audience seemed to give him several jokes that didn’t quite get across.
Don’t worry, the Grownups comic wasn’t actually on his deathbed — he just suffered a brutal bout of laryngitis. Spade did his best to fight his way through his illness thanks to “Pink Floyd s—t they’ve jamming into me,” and he was able to deliver an expert performance. But the obvious effort it took him to deliver each joke didn’t exactly make for the best comedic atmosphere.
During his hour-long set, Spade mostly stuck to classic comedy themes like attempts at air travel and the hassles of shopping at CVS. Unlike many comedians these days, Spade didn’t have audiences lock their phones before the show started. Maybe he was aware that his material wasn’t worth stealing.
The Los Angeles-based comedian incorporated a number of Californian twists. He taunted meteorologists who insist recent rains won’t help with California’s drought, and made an incredibly forced joke about how he encountered rapper Nelly while evacuating from wildfires. The inevitable punch line – it’s going to be “Hot in Herre” – got a little applause.
He also took a look at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s handling of the pandemic – “We are in our third year of our two-week lockdown.” (Based on his past donations, Spade’s dislike of Newsom isn’t very surprising.)
Though Spade didn’t attack “awakened culture” as directly as fellow comedians Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock did when they came to town, he didn’t shy away from the topic. He mimed Woody Allen, accused #MeToo of ruining Hooters and shared a story about why he only wants massages from female masseuses. Though he blatantly pointed out, “But I’m not an NFL quarterback.”
After joking about not being able to pronounce the words “husband” or “wife,” Spade appeared to concede defeat, telling the audience, “Okay, I’m not going to use that joke anymore.”
While lacking in particularly original content, the set was peppered with one-liners that sometimes made the show greater than the sum of its parts. For example, “I don’t even know how to drive anymore without texting” seemed to get the crowd smiling involuntarily.
Spade’s funniest parts revolved around his experience of being a famous person, but not too famous. He shared a story about a wannabe fan who asked, “Are you… anyone?”
“Yes, yes, I am,” Spade replied.
Elsewhere, he explained how he struggles with celebrity fundraisers because he doesn’t have the money to compete with real-life A-listers like Sean Penn or Leonardo DiCaprio.
After concluding with a mediocre remark about the direction of Bachelor in Paradise, Spade bade farewell by recalling his illness. “I’m so glad you came out,” he said, “I’m on drugs!”
If the same could have been said for the audience it might have been a more enjoyable show.
