Mike Brody’s ‘That’s Not What I Meant’

Sometimes I have real shitty days (best intro to a Prozac commercial ever). My boss is an asshole with an eye patch (can’t make that up), I have about 6 dollars in my bank account, and my lady friend hasn’t texted me back in 3 days (back to masturbating :/). I really needed a pick me up so when AmericasComedy.Com asked me to write a review for Mike Brody’s CD That’s Not What I Meant, I was a bit pissy about intensifying my life workload, but I was optimistic that discovering a new comedian might just be the thing I needed. And Mike Brody was exactly that.

Brody is a high energy, witty master of observational comedy. And after working twelve years in the stand-up community it’s a pleasant surprise to see his work come to fruition. That’s Not What I Meant, produced in conjunction with Rooftop Comedy, has everything a comedy connoisseur – or not – will love. It’s brilliantly paced, sufficiently lengthy and clever.

What’s truly interesting about this particular album is the voice and cadence in which Brody delivers his material. Right off the bat he creates this intriguing goofy air about him, which captivates the recorded audience and anyone smart enough to take a listen. The way in which he constructs his jokes is not a set-up punch line one-two combo, but rather an over arching story like theme that strings together both witticism and criticism.

Personally, this is my favorite way in which a comedian performs. It feels less like you’re listening to a comedian on stage and more like you’re just listening to a guy entertaining a crowd at a party. The source of Brody’s material is also what makes That’s Not What I Meant a great buy. Most of the material on the CD is derived from his own life and experiences, which gives it an original and authentic feel. He really gives his listeners a tour of the inner workings of his mind and makes you glad you followed him to the end.

The CD is filled with jokes concerning his life growing up in Iowa, his marriage, life as a comic and a hilariously funny tale about how he was kidnapped as a child…yes…kidnapped…like the Lindbergh baby…except we know where Mike is.

So much of stand-up comedy is engulfed in pessimistic cynicism which is not at all a bad thing, but sometimes it’s nice to listen to a comedian who’s not pissed off at the world and not pushing some sort of mentality or agenda on you. Brody is funny simply for the sake of being funny. He loves to make people laugh and that is so evident throughout the CD. He’s not having a mental breakdown on stage, he is simply enjoying the moment, and that makes That’s Not What I Meant a great CD to relax to and take pleasure in.

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