My Girlfriend's Boyfriend

So I’m awake at 3 in the morning and I’ve just decided to quit on sleep. I’ve got my headphones on, I’m sitting in the glow of the laptop screen in the dark space of my living room and I’m preoccupied with reminding myself to not laugh to loudly as Mike Birbiglia hit’s the ground running in his stand up album My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend. If you’re wondering if I was able to contain my laughter. No, I was not. 

 

Birbiglia starts off the album with I’m Right. Very simply put, and with logic, Mike hits on the fact that in an argument that he feels passionate about, he’s right. It’s dry logical humor like this opening statement that supplies the album with its copious amounts of real time hilarity. Weather it be hitting on relationship topics or legal issues, Birbiglia tackles it with a level headed logic that’s hilarious because it’s true and well delivered. 

 

As I rolled through the punch lines it finally dawned on me that I had seen Birbiglia’s Sleep Walk With Me film at some point last year. I recall not liking it that much, it was a bit of a downer with a few chuckle worthy moments, but after listening to this stand up it kind of made me see it in a new light, almost makes me want to go back and re-watch it again. 

 

While Sleep Walk With Me was a downer for me, as the film does hit on a lot of the same discussions about bad relationships and stupid mistakes, My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend is a more vigorous outing with Birbiglia getting excited about won arguments, lost arguments, being in the know on relationship advice (right or wrong). The comedian shows the confidence he lacked in the film and that makes all the difference. 

 

By the time we had reached his story about being in a car accident and being forced to pay for the other guys car, the one who caused the accident, I was in tears. The dinner conversation between his girlfriend at the time about his accident was off the charts anger, hilarity, and realization that formulates into the kind of charm that made the album such a hit for me. It was like sitting around with a very funny friend and just talking about life and all the things that both suck and rule about it. Very much worth checking out for just about anyone that’s ever been in a relationship or felt like you’d lived your life at some point (or even now) on the outside looking in. Great stuff, I highly suggest.