Photos: Nerdist Live! In DC

Chris Hardwick, Jonah Ray, Matt Mira

 Chris Hardwick

Matt Mira

Jonah Ray

Podcast Review: Nerdist Live! In DC

Attending a live show of a favorite artist, band, comedian, what have you, can put you in a very precarious position. What if the thing you love so much doesn’t hold up to the harsh light of reality? Will you find a favorite pastime ruined forever? On the other hand, if the outcome meets or exceeds your expectations, the result is generally a fortification of your love for that thing. Luckily for this nerdy girl, the Nerdist Live experience was nothing short of superb. The appeal of the Nerdist podcast for me, and I assume many of its fans, is the intentional lack of structure. Chris Hardwick, Matt Mira and Jonah Ray converse in a way that is totally organic, to the point where you feel less like an audience member and more like a passive participant. The only thing that could make the experience better would be to actively participate.

It is no surprise, then, that when the Washington, DC Nerdist Live! tour date was announced I wasted no time in purchasing tickets. I arrived an hour before the doors were set to open in hopes of securing a prime seat, only to find the line stretched almost half a city block. As it turned out I was indeed lucky, as the line was closer to three blocks long by the time the doors opened. I managed to snag a seat in the front row (SCORE!) and waited anxiously for the show to begin. The show was held at the wonderful 9:30 club. I can honestly say that, having been there on numerous occasions for various bands, the cheers from the crowd when Chris arrived on stage were louder than I’d ever heard. Matt, Jonah and Chris each performed a stand-up set before beginning the podcast. I won’t bore you with the details of the podcast itself, as the full recording is available online. However I will say that all three of the hosts were more generous, humble, and giving than anyone could have hoped. I think this came across fairly well during the Quemments - every question asked was given a sincere and thoughtful answer, even when some of the quemmentators went on a bit too long (I’m looking at you Mr. English-Journalism Teacher). There were even special guests - John Patrick Lowrie and Ellen McLain (GLaDOS!!!).

Between the stand-up, the podcast, quemments, and guests, the show was three hours long. Despite the hour (midnight) and the likely fatigue of the hosts (Jonah had been up at 3:30 AM the day before to fly from Jamaica to DC... or the day of... the timeline was unclear), all three stuck around for an additional two to three HOURS to sign autographs for anyone who was interested. And by autographs I mean signing multiple items per person, taking photos, conversing with the crowd and being genuinely amazing. I finally reached the stage around 2:00 AM. I spoke to Chris, Matt and Jonah, who were all exceptionally lovely. They also filmed a short “get well soon!” message for my “date” for the evening, who had fallen ill literally the day before and was unable to attend. Also, I totally hugged Chris Hardwick (insert fangirl squee here).

Chris, Matt and Jonah are all wonderfully nice and SUPER RAD human beings. They are genuinely appreciative of their fans, and provided for a kick-ass evening. I highly recommend going if a taping is scheduled for your area, or anywhere within a reasonable driving distance. Gen and I are already planning a road trip to see it again - maybe we’ll see you there!

~Lindy