Janeane Garofalo hits the Crystal Ballroom

Janeane Garofalo
Crystal Ballroom
1332 W. Burnside
Friday March 8
8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.
$29.50
21 & over

Janeane Garofalo describes her admittedly cynical outlook best when she says, “I guess I just prefer to see the dark side of things. The glass is always half empty. And cracked. And I just cut my lip on it. And chipped a tooth.”

For many women who have spent the better part of their adolescence and young adulthood being every cute boy’s “friend,” she is the epitome of what they stand for.

She is the girl who does her best to hide a bad case of self-esteem behind a witty joke about the fat free muffins at Starbucks. She is also the girl who is not afraid to stand up for women who are trained to believe that they are only as good as they look.

Garofalo began her career as a stand-up comedian and soon moved on to a costarring role on the HBO sitcom “The Larry Sanders Show.” From there she was cast in Ben Stiller’s directorial debut, “Reality Bites.” Following this better than average start, she has been cast in less than stellar films including “The Truth about Cats and Dogs,” “The Matchmaker” and “Mystery Men.”

It seems that Hollywood has a hard time finding a place for this talented woman. In the book “Feel This Book,” co-written with Stiller, she writes, “If you behave in a manner pleasing to most, then you are probably doing something wrong. The masses have never been arbiters of the sublime, and they often fail to recognize the truly great individual. Taking into account the public’s regrettable lack of taste, it is incumbent upon you not to fit in.”

In print a comment like this can sound angry and bitter, but spoken by Garofalo it has a whole new meaning.

Her comic timing and delivery of lines that could easily be misconstrued as callous is her greatest gift. For those who have never had a taste of her stand-up style there is no time like the present to experience the master at work. This Friday Garofalo will be performing her stand-up routine at the Crystal Ballroom. The first show starts at 8 p.m. followed by another at 10:30 p.m. The show includes a special guest and should not be missed by anyone who likes comedy that doesn’t pander to the lowest common denominator.