An old comedy album, a new pair of headphones, and some tonka toasters
The Firesign Theatre, How Can You Be In Two Places At Once When You’re Not Anywhere At All
I credit my Dad for introducing me to most of the pop culture I’m still into today. He has odd taste, and he spent most of my childhood ensuring that I would, too. So, it’s easy to see why I was listening to the comedy stylings of The Firesign Theatre troupe before I could fully pronounce my S’s. On my way into work last week, I stumbled upon my copy of How Can You Be In Two Places At Once When You’re Not Anywhere At All, and I’ve had it on repeat ever since. This was the troupe’s second commercial release and one of my all-time favorites—trumped only by I Think We’re All Bozos On This Bus. Side one is a half-hour road trip into the heart of absurdity. The surreal, often dream-like scenes are peppered with nutty characters that have no shortage of philosophical one-liners. Side two is where the group took a shot at creating a more structured story line, as well as introducing their most well known character, Nick Danger, Third Eye. I could listen to nothing but Nick Danger monologues for the rest of my life and be perfectly content. From his 1940s film-noir style, to the incredible voice acting of Phil Austin, Danger is arguably their best character, and yes, I am including robot President Bill Clinton in that statement. How Can You Be In Two Places At Once is well worth a listen if you have an hour to kill. [Ali Bridges]
