“I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too.”

This is one of Mitch Hedberg more famous quotes, in his unique delivery style it is still very funny but put in to the context of his life it is now a little tougher to enjoy.

The saddest part of only reviewing recorded work from clowns that we can no longer experience live is that occasionally you come across someone who you didn’t realise exactly what you had missed until they were already gone.

There aren’t really any DVD recordings of Mitch Hedberg easily available so for the first time ever we are reviewing a comedy album – there are hundreds of great clips on YouTube but I really wanted to cover off a full solo performance. Mitch All Together is one of three comedy albums released by this clown and can easily be picked up as a CD or downloaded… and at this early stage of this review I will already say that I recommend you do.

This clown has a delivery style unlike any other that I know, his humor is both observational and literal but by no means particularly topical or political. The beauty of this is that the references really don’t age and his material can still be considered fresh and relevant.

People have always said that great music (Hendrix era) owes a lot to the creative side of drug addiction and there are clowns that have proved that this can be true for comedy as well (thank you Bill Hicks). I don’t mean to cast any aspersions but Hedberg did seem to view the world somewhat differently to anyone else of his time.

His performance ranges from wondering how a daisy feels about the “he loves me, he loves me not” game to questioning the relevance of sesame seeds and why we have never let them achieve their full potential. It’s all over the place in terms of topics but when you combine this with the randomness of his off kilter delivery style it really does work as an incredibly polished show.

From breakthrough to death Mitch Hedberg was with us for less than a decade but any clown that can count George Carlin and Dave Chappelle as confirmed fans certainly demands our attention. I thoroughly enjoyed this album and have been scouring YouTube for more examples of his stage work, all of which have so far just proven that the light that burns twice as bright can only burn for half as long.

“You know, I’m sick of following my dreams, man. I’m just going to ask where they’re going and hook up with ’em later.”

Clown Stars: * * * * *

 @Acme Comedy Club, Minnesota