Todd Barry Is Unprepared

• Mindy Tucker
• Todd Barry

This Chicago date is one in a run that’s being promoted as Todd Barry’s “Final Crowd Work Tour.” And for the veteran stand-up, successful “crowd work” requires a couple of key elements. One, a mike and his brain full of gloop—no prepared material, no jokes come onstage. Two, audience members in the first couple rows with whom he can shoot the breeze and banter. Of those, at least one should be a musician with a clever haircut, one should be a software engineer or, ahem, “gamer,” and one should be clad in a dumb and/or ironic T-shirt (worn specifically to impress the guest of honor).