Known for his sharp wit and keen observations on American society, Patton Oswalt will bring his distinctive brand of comedy to the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington on Saturday, March 22 as part of his “Effervescent” tour.

With his own Netflix standup special "Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping," as well as numerous roles in movies and TV series such as "Parks and Rec," "Reno 911," "Modern Family," and "A. P. Bio," Oswalt marks a singular presence as a lovable if sardonic character. He made his acting debut in the "Seinfeld" episode “The Couch” in 1994 and things have been looking up ever since. He's been imortalized for children as the voice of Remy the rat in Disney's Ratatouille.

While he's certainly got a softer side, as a standup, he’s not afraid to go for the jugular, laying into politicians and their billionaire backers with acerbic commentary on the current state of the nation. “I try to do my version of punching up—which is by focusing on Elon, Trump, Bezos, who are letting this shit happen,” he says.

“I’ve kind of cranked up the absurdity. Things are so dark. It’s such an enormous thing to expect a comedian to address, but it’s certainly not the whole set,” he adds.

Having just lived through the worst wildfires in the history of Los Angeles, he knows there are other issues than just politics. “Our current situation is massive, but I also think that there are things that are even bigger that aren’t being addressed like the environment and AI. I’m obviously being affected by what’s going on, but I also sometimes feel like the emcee in 'Cabaret' who’s saying, ‘What the hell am I supposed to be doing here?,’” he says.

If electing Trump is the symptom of our present predicament, Oswalt knows the greed of vampire capitalists like Bezos and Musk are the cause. “Elon is putting us through all this because he wants to be cool, and he’s not cool. He’s like the kid whose dad owns the laser tag place and thinks that all the kids should like him, but he’s obnoxious and mean, so no one wants to hang around with him,” he says.

Over the years, Oswalt has steadily built a following of fans who appreciate his perspective. However, several years ago he got into a bitter Twitter feud with a follower, which he ultimately resolved by contributing to the man’s GoFundMe page. “You could see how miserable he was. You’re seeing similar things now with a lot of these Trump voters online going, ‘Wait, my job is gone,’ or ‘Oh my god, he took away my Medicaid.' They want someone else to be punished for their pain, and they don’t realize that the people that they’re voting for don’t care about them. So, a lot of times when you see someone being racist or transphobic it’s because they’re in a lot of pain, and they can’t articulate it. They’d rather take power over growth. Growth involves pain,” he says.

"Just siding with the most popular and the most powerful saves you a lot of pain, and they’re looking to avoid that. And I don’t blame them. Everyone wants to avoid pain. No-one’s looking out for them. Trump voters are especially being exploited, abused, and used by the powers that be. Donald and Elon could care less about their supporters. They openly despise them, and it’s become very clear very quickly that none of these billionaires give a shit about these people, so of course they’re gonna lash out. Why wouldn’t you? I would. I get it,” he adds.

As Oswalt tours the country, he tries to separate people from politics and welcomes almost everyone to his shows. Recognizing that human beings are complex and that reality is more purple, i.e. a mix of red and blue, is key to his approach to comedy, no matter where he is.

“I never go to a place and dread it like, ‘Oh god I’m in Mississippi now’. There’s always pockets of coolness and resistance everywhere, in the reddest states. Also, five minutes outside of L.A., you’re basically in a red state. And then you can be in Asheville, North Carolina which is one of the most left wing, progressive places on earth. So, it just depends on where you are and how you treat the people that you meet,” he says.

As to what the audience can expect out of his show in Great Barrington, Oswalt isn’t giving away any secrets, but says, “It’s nothing you’ve ever seen on any of my specials or recordings. It’s a brand new hour plus. That I can guarantee.”

Tickets are $39-$94 and are available via the Mahaiwe's website.

Share this post

Written by
Mike Cobb