For those who follow CBC radio’s WireTap, Jonathan Goldstein’s appearance at Blue Met was a major fan event. Bit of a milestone for the man himself, being (he said) the first time the author of three books had sipped podium water as the feature interview. By the end, he had turned into a celebrity before our very eyes.
The line-up for signed copies of Ladies and Gentleman, The Bible, was long, the buzz outside the sub basement Régence A hall, genuine, cross-generational, euphoric.
Like any great comedian – and Goldstein is quickly emerging as one of the greats – his act is both excruciatingly self revealing and, one suspects, profoundly fictional. Born in Brooklyn, raised in Laval, educated at McGill and Concordia, he toiled in the dungeons of telemarketing for a decade while writing on the side. In 2000, he moved to Chicago to work as a producer for the popular US radio show This American Life, coming back two years later to join the CBC, where he hosts WireTap, a mocumentary phone-in show launched in 2004. He resides in Montreal, and was for many years the live-in partner of novelist Heather O’Neill.
Slim to the point of gaunt, with a bushy helmet of dark hair slapped off his face as if by some invisible gale force wind, Goldstein was of course dressed in black. A genius stroke of matchmaking, his interviewer was fellow gen-Xer Jian Ghomeshi, host of CBC’s arts show Q, whose introduction included a short course on self promotion, thus setting up the featured guest as a humbler, nicer, more nervous guy who had to work a little harder for laughs. It paid off.
The footsteps Goldstein treads upon are familiar: tortured Jewish male, bleating beta in a world of alphas, but underneath it all, whip-smart. One of the best bits in his newly published book is a consideration of David as an emerging comedian who dances around the giant, finally felling Goliath with a jokey instrument calculated to get laughs.
Having lined up for it last night, I’ve only just dipped into Ladies and Gentleman, The Bible, (more anon). I probably would not have paid $25 based on the concept alone, but there’s nothing like a lively personal encounter to move product. It’s too soon to say whether this one will be a keepsake for my grandchildren or garage sale material by this time next year, but for sure, the emerging Goldstein phenomenon as unveiled at Blue Met is thoroughly of his generation. A boy who marvels at poop in the potty and turns it into witty dinner table conversation grows up knowing how to work a crowd.
The evening included a hilarious audio excerpt from WireTap where Goldstein phones his parents Buzz and Dina to fact-check a childhood memory: whether or not there was a wall-sized mural of David and Goliath hanging over their regular table at the ‘Grey Durby’ when he was a kid. No, of course they don’t remember. He thanked them in person, insisted they stand and take a round of applause, thereby reassuring Boomers we can at least count on one brand of immortality: our names in the credits.
WireTap can be heard on CBC Radio One, Sundays at 1 p.m. (1:30 NT, 4 Pacific) and Wednesdays at 11:30 p.m. (12 a.m. NT). On Sirius Satellite 137 Fridays at 4:30 p.m., Saturdays at 3:30 a.m. & 8:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 a.m. And in select US cities via Public Radio International.
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Having bought the book on the concept alone – and a quick read of the tale of Noah in the Blue Met bookstore – I certainly hope Goldstein’s book stays relevant and fresh for some time. Although humour does have a habit of being funny only once, judgement should be reserved until I read the entire book. I look forward to a light, hopefully enlightening, read.
A quick note to pass along my kudos on the extensive coverage of the festival. It is timely, energetic and thorough and for someone like me who, unfortunately this year, cannot attend the festival, it gives me a sense of being able to take in what I have missed.
My wife and I hurried to get Jonathon Goldstein tickets, arriving about 20 minutes before Goldstein was scheduled to appear.(The on-line experience was tedious, made especially frustrating by my aging computer). Anway,they were sold out but we managed to score two from nearby “scalpers”. And I’m glad we did. Mostly, it never hurts to see the face behind the voice. But as my wife mentioned afterwards, it is Glodstein’s voice ( and of course, his wit) that sets him apart. And with Ghomeshi, fresh from his Bilyl Bob bruhaha, it was a great twin CBC bill. I enjoyed the interview, and his take on Superman had potential to humanize a superhero. Nice to be able to test-run your next project in front of 250 fans.
For us it was an “all-stein” night as we then sauntered over to catch Bill Brownstein talking bagels and other sundry along with a bluegrass band and bazouki music. A looser, somewhat rowdier crowd fuelled by beer and some local celebs. Glad I got out. It was either that or The AMC.