I love that the Ottobar does comedy these days and that you can see comedy shows all over town. Local amateurs struggling to find their timing to nationally touring professionals, I love it all. But that's not why I'm bringing this show to your attention.
You see, Cenac was originally scheduled to play the Ottobar on May 30th. But we had an uprising. Some bad things happened surrounding that time as well as some really hopefully things, including the indictment of the officers involved in the death of Freddie Gray. But we also had a curfew, so the Ottobar had to cancel the show. It had to cancel all of it's shows during the curfew. Putting on shows is rather central to its business model, so you can understand why this was a hardship.
Things stayed pretty calm in and around Remington. But local businesses that serve an evening crowd, such as the Ottobar, Sweet 27, Long John's, the Dizz, and WC Harlan, were hurt. The GameStop on Charles Street was broken into. Demand for law enforcement in other parts of the city meant less police coverage for us here, and we've seen an increase in crime (though the onset of summer is another factor). But things are calming down.
We need some comedy after all that. Both because we need a breather, and because a good joke can bring a new perspective on a subject that's been talked about to death. I don't know to what extent Cenac will work the Baltimore Uprising into his material, but it's great that he found a way to make it Baltimore after all.
So I encourage you to go check out the show. It's cheap, he's hilarious, and the Ottobar could use a good month.
