One's Not The Loneliest Number

I’d been planning for about three weeks now to go see the comedian Chelsea Handler down in the Detroit area. She was performing at the “Meadow Brook Music Festival". It’s an outdoor theater down near Oakland University. On my way down to meet with the folks I was meeting with I got a call from one of the guys who said he wasn’t going to be able to make it. Actually he said he had just gotten home from work and really wasn’t feeling well.

Undeterred, I kept heading over to the Detroit area, figuring at the least, I’d go to a deli for dinner and then if I decided not to go the show I’d head home. I got directions to the “Stage” deli and headed there for a corned beef sandwich. As I was getting back into my car I got another call from the other guy I was supposed to meet telling me that since the forecast called for rain he didn’t feel like going either. Now I had to decide whether to turn around and head back home or go to the show anyway.

Well, my friend wasn’t kidding about the rain. I’m sitting in the parking lot of the theater about an hour and a half before the show and it’s pouring. I ran up to the ticket booth in the rain, (I hate what it does to my hair) and instead of getting the planned for lawn ticket for 10.00 I decided to spend an extra 15.00 and bought a pavilion seat. I didn’t want to sit in the rain, again, the hair thing. I put a Joe Jackson cd in and I’m just watching all the other folks arriving and scurrying to the gate to get their tickets too.

I just got off the phone with a friend who expressed sympathy at the idea of me having to go to the show alone. I explained that this certainly wasn’t the first time I’ve gone to see live comedy by myself. I’ve probably been to more shows alone than with others.

I think comedy sort of lends itself to being able to enjoy it without having other you know with you. It’s quite easy to laugh at something funny whether with friends or without. In a situation like this you have the entire crowd to join in with. I’m sure it looks kind of strange when people walk by you and see you’re all alone but, in the pavilion, all you need is someone to have the seat next to you and the person next to you is the only one that knows. At comedy clubs you just sit up at the stage and there will always be people that get seated next to you so, again, problem solved. Funny, but I’ve been to tons of these types of shows by myself and this is the first time I’ve ever thought about it. Must be age.

Anyway, it’s getting to be time to head inside. Of course the rain has stopped. I kind of hope that once I get inside it really starts to rain like crazy. It’ll give me something else to laugh at.