"Every Wednesday, I drive a hundred miles so that I can surround myself with the people I love. We're welcomed at a nondescript door with a crisp high-five, then we pack ourselves through to the back room of a comic book store. Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, Fidlar's ""Cheap Beer"" pipes through speakers clearly too big for the venue and we erupt into song. ""I DRINK CHEAP BEER, SO WHAT, F- YOU!"" So begins the best comedy show in LA.
...and all that is coming to an end. After nearly six years of entertaining a devoted audience in the back of Meltdown Comics, the sun is setting on The Meltdown Show. I watched as Jonah, Kumail, Emily, and Ed stood up on stage to delivered a powerful and heartfelt goodbye, followed up with ""We haven't told Comedy Central yet... Don't tweet about this!"" There was a mix of tears and laughter from all around. A few of us regulars climbed up on stage to give them all hugs and personal thanks, and the show ended in a standing ovation. We laughed, we shouted, and we cried together for what seemed like an eternity before Emily managed to take back control. ""Guys! I can't look at any of you right now. There's still three weeks left! Save all your energy to make those shows the best.""
@StevenRayMorris put it best. ""Most of the regular attendees would describe going to The Meltdown like going to church. For one night a week we held service where the power of laughter transcended all the bad things in our lives."" Meltdown has been my only constant these last few years. It's helped me through the loss of loved ones, rough patches, and much more. I'm afraid to lose that, but I'm certain the bonds between us all will far outlast the show and I know everything will be okay in the end.
Here's a Spotify playlist of the show's themes + comedians I've had the opportunity to see here. Check out the Twitter Hashtag #MeltdownMemories
http://spoti.fi/2cVFyhi
PS. I'm hoping to make a permanent move to LA soon so I can see my friends more often. If you know any cool startups/companies hiring for a CS Manager/Biz-Ops/General thing-do'er please get in contact. Or if you just want to be friends! Thanks for letting me share, Listserve!
Adam Hageman
[email protected]
Adam Hageman
Riverside, CA
[email protected]