Tig Notaro Comedy Show Review

Tig Notaro Show. Photo Ashley Gaujean. Tig Notaro Show. Photo Ashley Gaujean.

Last Friday the amazing Tig Notaro returned to Montreal to display her very unique style of stand-up comedy. Known for being a writer on Inside Amy Schumer as well as The Sarah Silverman Program, Notaro is like a hidden gem who is slowly growing more amazing with brilliance as people discover her. Raised in southern states such as Texas and Mississippi it could be from the influence of the southern drawl that Notaro takes her time in her comedy. When she is taking you through a joke she takes a moment to make sure you’re listening and anticipating the next part. Notaro shared personal tidbits such as recently adopting twins, marrying her partner and life after battling breast cancer. While you do sympathize, she explains it with ease and makes the thought of internal bleeding funny.

This was not my first time hearing from a performer that the Montreal crowd was made up of strange people. While she had her set prepared for the audience, there was a large amount of interaction with the audience about sudden rock star smoke billowing around her, the purchasing of dirt for a cactus and if any of us had been “bamboozled”. While she did appear surprised at the strange responses from the crowd the nearly two hour show felt like an intriguing and amusing puzzle.

Another notable part of the show was how Notaro explained how a fan had recognized her at the airport while using what was renamed a “travellator” by an audience member (moving sidewalk) and could not be bothered to follow up with his “Tig, what’s up!?”. Notaro found herself thinking about this mystery man for a few days wondering how he was so cool and nonchalant about seeing a celebrity. In her wonderful way of doing impressions she simulated the way he went along with his day without looking back to see if she had noticed his salutation.

Notaro’s show ended with the most mind boggling bit in which she pretends that the Indigo Girls would be performing but were too “shy” to come out. While a large portion of the crowd was not familiar with this band you could not help but scream.. “WHERE ARE THEY!” Notaro tricked the crowd several times (about 20 minutes) with this bit saying things such as “and now you think that I am pretending that people are behind that curtain when they are not.” With bits such as these I was reminded why I enjoy her comedy so much. It is most certainly like no other. With Notaro’s calm and well-paced deliveries it would be easy to hear her tell stories or play with your expectations for hours on end.

Tig Notaro performed September 23rd at Le Monument National.