Paula Poundstone
by kingfan on 9/8/09Shryock Auditorium - CarbondaleWe saw Jerry Seinfeld a couple years ago and Paula's show was twice as long and twice as funny!
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About Paula Poundstone
Paula Poundstone Live
A genuine original in the world of comedy, Paula Poundstone has been delighting audiences with her sharp, wry and sometimes absurd observations for more than four decades. Named one of the greatest stand-ups of all time by Comedy Central, Poundstone remains a uniquely skilled and versatile talent whose signature brand of comedy is just as treasured by TV viewers, podcast listeners and readers as it is by the crowds she attracts everywhere she performs.
Born in Huntsville, Alabama, Paula Poundstone began her comedy career in Boston in 1979 before moving to San Francisco, where she became a local sensation thanks to her wildly creative improvisational sets. In 1990, she wrote and starred in her first of several specials for HBO, the CableACE award-winner Cats, Cops and Stuff.
In addition to her many TV specials and appearances on late-night talk shows, Poundstone’s film and TV credits include Cybill and Hollywood Squares as well as voice roles in Inside Out and Summer Camp Island. She is the author of There’s Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say (2006) and The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness (2017). Podcast listeners know her as the host of Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone and as a panelist on NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!.
Famous for never repeating the same show twice thanks to her still-formidable improv skills and love of crowd work, Poundstone continues to perform in clubs and theaters across the U.S. and around the world.
Paula Poundstone Background
Widely considered one of the best and most influential stand-up comedians in the history of American comedy, Paula Poundstone began her five-decade career in Boston in the late 1970s. The unique combination of her sharp and sometimes absurd brand of observational humor and her extraordinary improvisational abilities soon made her a breakout talent in the comedy world.
After moving to Los Angeles upon the suggestion of her fan and supporter Robin Williams, Poundstone became a regular performer on late-night talk shows. In 1990, she appeared in the first in a series of specials for HBO, Cats, Cops and Stuff. Besides winning the CableACE award for Best Stand-up Comedy Special, it was named one of the funniest specials of all time by fellow comedian Tig Notaro, who cites Poundstone as an inspiration.
Poundstone’s wide variety of TV and film appearances include working as a political correspondent for The Tonight Show, having a recurring role opposite Cybill Shepherd on Cybill, and performing voice roles on the animated series Science Court and Home Movies. In 2006, she published her first book, There’s Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say, which was followed in 2017 by The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness.
In 2016, Poundstone released her third comedy album, North by Northwest: Paula Poundstone Live. She continues to tour extensively and appear on such podcasts as NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! and her own Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone.
We saw Jerry Seinfeld a couple years ago and Paula's show was twice as long and twice as funny!
Paula was funny and was great with interacting with the audience.
Paula Poundstone put on a very good performance. She interacted with the audience through out the entire show to make this a very unique act. She would return to jokes from earlier in the show to milk another laugh . Unlike other comedians that are harsh on their subjects, Paula developed a repore with anyone she spoke with. No hard feelings with that approach. Very good show! I would recommend it to all my friends!
Humor was fresh, mostly spontaneous as she integrated the audience into her skit. We did not stop laughing the entire time.
Very stale material. The "herpetologist" was obviously staged and it went on far, far, far too long. Clearly she just dusted off the ole "midwest college" schtick and tossed the bone to the audience. Also, Southern Illinois isn't "FLAT" (that's Uof I in Champaign... different place entirely) It was really too bad, because we were all looking forward to some entertainment last night! As it was, we left after the first half.
Had a great time. Haven't laughed that much in years. Humor with out vulgarity.
I haven't laughed like this in years. Ms. Poundstone is an amazing woman with the quickest mind I have ever seen. All her material is fresh and spontaneous. Beside that she is also unfailingly gracious with her fans; taking time for autographs and photos. One feels that she would be a great friend to have.
Paula was very quick witted! I loved her interaction with the audience. Very funny!
Paula told stories, joked, and interacted with the audience for almost 2 hours...then a meet and greet after the show. What a great night!
Poundstones interaction with the audience was hilarious. She can make anything people say funny. Shes a hoot.
Not only was Ms. Poundstone totally hilarious, she is so quick. As she interacted with the audience, she came back on whatever was thrown her way as smooth as if she had rehearsed the whole bit 40 times. Her material was current and she was very into her surroundings. Loved her and will go again if she is close
Paula performed during the local festival (Rochesterfest) and the crowd was quite smaller than expected but it made the event seem more intimate and personal. During the show she frequently referred to the local community and had fun with the events taking place such as the parade and food vendors which displayed her quick wit and adaptability.
I laughed til I cried! I'd never seen Paula live before, and was very impressed and delighted I went. She obviously did her homework before coming to town - to learn more about us. She wove our idiosyncracies into her routine in a way that was funny (of course!) but not insulting or vulgar. She interacted with the audience, learning more about particularly vocal members, and wove that into her routine as well. She entertained us for more than 2 hours! We started as a bunch of isolated individuals - and ended as one team routing for Paula. Really, she was building a team, bringing us all together at that one moment of time (over cheese churds, too - beat that!). Nor did she shy away from honest moments about her real life mistakes. It was something special to be part of this event!
Paula was great! She was entertaining and relevant to a wide audience. I thouroughly enjoyed seeing her!
Paula takes everyday situations and pulls the idiosyncrasies and contradictions out. She was under the weather when she performed yet gave a super performance. Her interactions with the audience were just great. I certainly am glad I asn't under her microscope.
I can't say enough good things about Paula Poundstone's show. She was onstage for about two hours, and had the entire audience in stitches all that time. She is such an effortless performer it's awe-inspiring. Don't miss a chance to see her if you can. HAVING SAID THAT, the Canyon in Agoura Hills is an awful place to see a show. The showroom is like a gigantic ballroom, and you don't get your own table (we shared ours with about 6 other people). My fiancee is vegetarian, and we called ahead to make sure that they had something for her to eat, which they assured us they did. However, when we got there the waitress screwed up her order so many times that my fiancee had to go to the kitchen herself and explain what she wanted, which made our waitress furious and she treated us like dog poop for the rest of the evening. Seriously, I have never been treated so rudely in my life. There is no way I would go back to the Canyon club, even if God Almighty was going to show up, tickets were free, and free imported beer was available -- it's THAT bad.
How did I get through the '90s without ever seeing Paula Poundstone live? It's still a mystery, but now I can finally check it off my list. And she was completely worth the wait. It was a long set that included some Paula classics. And of course, she spent a great deal of time riffing on the crowd. No one does it better. The only things keeping it from 5 stars? The Coach House has an unimpressive menu, even for what it is. The bathrooms were kind of gross, and the opening act was painfully bad. Can't believe they booked him. Oof.
Putting aside the overly-priced and salty food, and the most horrific opening act I've seen (he was loudly booed by the crowd), it was a great evening! We had comfortable seats with a clear view, an amazing waitress who really did care about her customers, and - of course - the AMAZING Paula Poundstone! Her comedic outlook on life - past and present - is still smart and fresh. She took on everything from her past court experience, getting older, her kids, the Twilight series, and even made remarkable witty jokes about the location of The Coach House. She is truly a gem; they don't make comedians like her anymore. She entertained us for over two hours, which went by too fast. Watching Paula Poundstone live - instead of listening to her on the radio (Wait Wait Don't Tell Me) or a watching a rerun on comedy central - is worth every penny spent. Thank you, Paula, for the best family evening!
My stomach muscles still hurt the next morning from laughing so hard for so long. This woman is just naturally funny, and her easy-going delivery allows the audience to laugh at themselves as much as they laugh at her.
We have seen Paula half a dozen times and have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves each and every time. She is smart, clever, funny, quick-witted, topical, and down to earth. Her humor is based on her observations of the world around us all and ordinary, day-to-day life. She talks about the same sorts of things we all talk abut with family and friends, only she is funnier. Her conversations with audience members is so quick and smart. She is the best!