Live entertainment is made of proximity. We need things to be cuddled. People keep asking me when I’m bringing Scot Nery’s Boobietrap back and my answer is “When it’s fun to get together again!”
The best way to experience comedy is packed in, shoulder to shoulder. The front row is arms-length to the performer. The ceiling is low. The seating is dense. We are in it together. When something affects one of us, it affects all of us. We laugh and breathe together.
This is the tribal experience. The most amazing version of it was when I was performing on the street. It would be a complete mix of people from different walks of life who didn’t even plan on being in that spot at that time. They all came together to laugh and clap and celebrate humanity. Nobody was an outsider, there was nothing to protect. It was all “us” and no “them.” Doing what humans have evolved to do.
I’m in a resort now doing stage shows for people, but we’re not there yet. There’s still suspicion. There’s still personal space. There’s still masks and Purell. I don’t want people to stop taking precaution at all, but I do want a little bit to figure out ways to get people into a village together sitting around a fire and knowing that sometimes, we’re all one.