Watching comedian Todd Barry perform standup is akin to being entertained by the quiet guy in the corner at a party who goes from loner to “king of the party” by the end of the night because of his wit.
With his breathy, monotone voice and sloth-like demeanor on stage, Barry might not seem to have much star power at first glance, but by the end of his set, his je ne se qua shines through. He’s a master of “playing” with the crowd and often goes off the cuff and finds some of the funniest material unplanned.
“It’s a nice ego stroke to make a group of people laugh,” Barry says.
Barry was born in the Bronx but moved to Florida as a youngster and eventually went to the University of Florida, graduating with a degree in English in 1986. It didn’t take long for him to head back to New York and carve out a career in comedy.
“I’d always been a comedy fan, but never considered being comedian until I was done with college,” he says. “It just hit me that I should try it, so I did.”
Having been a professional comic for almost three decades now, Barry is friends with pretty much everyone who has worked the New York comedy scene, which has led to guest starring roles on TV shows such as Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, Chappelle’s Show and Louie, where he’s often on playing Louie’s comic pal who basically just hurls insults at him.
In fact, Barry and Louis CK are so close that the latter sells “Todd Barry: The Crowd Work Tour,” a 2014 stand-up special/documentary, exclusively on his website for his long-time friend.
The comedian was a regular on the New York comedy circuit throughout the ’90s and 2000s, and still is popular whenever he heads back, attracting both new fans and those who have supported him for years.
“I don’t know that my subject matter has changed a lot. I don’t really talk about mature subjects, but I try not to be immature, either,” he says. “And I’m probably a better joke writer than I was when I started.”
On May 8, Barry will perform two shows at Arlington Cinema & Draft House.
The key to lasting so long in the business, Barry says, is that he’s never gotten that famous. Sure, he’s recognized from his TV appearances and he’s done small parts in movie—including playing Paul Rudd’s co-worker in Wanderlust and Mickey Rourke’s boss in The Wrestler—but he’s never had that one part that makes him a household name. He’s more the “I know you from somewhere” guy.
“The trick is hanging in there,” he says. “I try to do new material and projects as much as possible.”
A legion of fans also pay close attention to his social media sites as Barry is always posting a humorous thought or pondering something that most of the world isn’t thinking about. For instance, last week he had the following Tweeting gems: “Should I buy an electric toothbrush or did they jump the shark? I don’t want to buy a toothbrush if it jumped the shark”; “You know you’re addicted to technology when you’re at the dentist & you look at your phone instead of that juicy stack of People magazines”; and “Hey Pharrell and Robin Thicke. If you guys want to “go in” on one of my tweets, I’ll let you have it for $1.6 million!”
“I try to post funny stuff on Twitter and Facebook. I think anything that might make people think you’re funny is a good thing,” Barry says. “And it’s a good way to get the word out about tours.
Speaking of which, Barry is having a great time touring the country and getting his comedy in front of more fans.
For more information on the show, visit arlingtondrafthouse.com
