My So-Called Waking Life

It'd be easy to miss out on A Day In Dig Nation. It hasn't gotten much advance press, and in fact, we only heard of the "evening of three bizarre comedies" because we were at another show when we came across a poster. Since we're always suckers for a witty title, that alone was enough to pique our interest. So there we were, at the Re-Bar last Friday night, not knowing what kind of show to anticipate. We did know one thing: the set-up on the stage was not what we had expected. Because there were instruments, like there was gonna be a band. Oh, there was gonna be a band alright...but it was just going to consist of one guy.

A Day in Dig Nation is a one-man comedy show, but not in the traditional sense of the term---wait, is there a long-standing tradition of one-man comedy? If there is, Michael McQuilken is breaking the mold with his thought-provoking show. We don’t want to say too much about the three acts, except that they tie together in unexpectedly delightful ways. This is a show that features some well-coordinated pantomiming; use of multimedia that ranges from computer animation to a decidedly low-tech puppet show; a self-imploding three-piece band; hardcore tap-dancing; life in an underground bunker; and a nice pair of tight white slacks. One of the main themes at play is the trouble with communicating in the modern world. That is to say, there's an overabundance, a veritable glut of communication, of which very little is substantial. As a major media junkie, this is an idea which we buy into completely.

In places, especially the final vignette, McQuilken's tone and delivery is pitch-perfect. However, there are some pacing issues---in particular the second act, which, while good, is divided into two parts (before and after intermission) and tends to meander. This show also has sound issues; while we didn't want McQuilken miked all the time, we woulda liked to have heard everything that he uttered. The songs are surprisingly well-written and –performed (yay for Jon Brion-esque use of digital loops) and cover a wide gamut of genres: up-beat country-tinged pop, melodramatic piano ballads, and dark, moody beats with white-boy rhymes. With so much of McQuilken's talent on display, we’re glad we happened upon this show. Consider us insta-fans.

Plays at the Re-Bar Thursdays-Sundays till November 20th.
Bonus show on Monday the 14th.
Doors at 7pm, show at 8pm.
$13 in advance, $15 at the door.
Get tickets.