The team of three put on an inaugural show that, with the combination of videography and comedy, has immediately set itself apart from anything currently happening on the Denver scene. The execution was flawless, the artistry evident, and the comedy...well, it was hilarious, to say the least.
Held in S. Broadway's Illiterate Gallery, the trio drew tons of people. Some were standing, a great deal of people criss-cross applesauced in the very front of the room, and the rest of us packed in shoulder-to-shoulder in the rows of folding chairs, sharing body heat and apologizing for constant touching. The guy behind me had an affinity for breathing into my hair. I cant say I didn't like it. There was an air of serious intimacy in the room. Had it not been so hot, I would have been all for it.
But remember, this was a first show. And this first show packed the room so heavily that oxygen nearly became an issue. Um, can we say awesome?
To the comedy. Brilliance would be a word of choosing. The three gentlemen of the night creatively packed each minute with energy and intellect. And the birth of that pairing ended up being a solid two hours of creative humor.
Digital shorts were woven into the fabric of the show in a manner that was fitting and fun. The breaking down of their feature short "Economic Collapse" held a small piece of genius in creating curiosity within the audience as the show progressed. The shorter shorts in between were perhaps my favorite parts of the show.
Orvedahl's short film featuring his wife, infant daughter, and dog was not only adorable and heartwarming, but incredibly well-put together and fun. I love getting insight on a comic through their work, and this piece did just that. Plus, his baby girl is undeniably adorable. Watching her bubble up with laughter was pretty much the cutest thing I could ever want to see.
The short put together by Reichardt and Zupa with Reichardt attempting to woo his girlfriend through Shakespearean jibberish was...well, it was...it was so great. Zupa cleared up the confusion with his own superb take on Romeo and Juliet. And, as I said, these two pieces were my personal favorites within the show.
Each of the threople did their own brand of stand up. Ravi Zupa did a great sketch in which he did the same set of jokes with three different comedy flavors, the first being a first-time comic, the second being the comedy bad boy, and the third being the guy who does stand-up at his local church's easter egg hunt. The clever mix of comedic irony and characters was something I hadn't seen before. While most comics struggle to find one voice, Zupa can pretty much do any one he wants.
Orvedahl brought his stand-up to the table in a way that he described as "the normal kind, not this other experimental shit that everyone else was doing". Or something like that. As a regular on the Denver stand-up scene, he once again brought it to the table in a manner that is very much his own.
And Reichardt went the route of experimentation. He stood to the side of the video screen as a film of himself came on and acted as the voice within his head throughout the whole set. Does that make sense? I hope so. His plays on nervousness and stage fright really worked well with the second voice behind him, and I would assume that getting the timing on that is not the easiest thing in the world. It worked. It worked really well.
To close down the night, the guys invited the national up-and-coming fun-ness that is TJ Miller to the stage for some classic, un-experimental stand-up. I've seen Miller a few times in Denver and his act is always a lot of fun. His crowd interaction, quick wit, and character work combine for a type of comedy that is all his own.
Among the crowd, there were a few familiar faces and I got a chance to catch up with Adam Cayton-Holland as he was within my breathosphere of seat space. He commented that these guys were definitely going to outgrow this space quickly, if not immediately. And I'm pretty sure he might be right. Definitely a cool space, but I've got a feeling bigger audiences are in the mix for this trio of humor.
Definitely a great show. Denver has a ton to look forward to with Threople in the mix, and these guys have definitely set a new standard for creativity in the scene. Well done, gentlemen.
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