When Mitch Hedberg died on March 29, 2005, his cult following mourned the loss. And then, as if it were a miracle, “Do You Believe In Gosh?” was put on the racks on Sept. 9, giving his fans one last taste of his one-of-a-kind comedy.
Hedberg started his career in the late 80s in small clubs. “Strategic Grilling Locations” got Hedberg a Comedy Central Presents special that made him a cult classic. His second album, “Mitch All Together,” spread his comedy to even more people. In the liner notes, Hedberg’s wife Lyn Shawcroft wrote a note explaining that there was a new album in the works when he passed away. Recordings made in January 2005 from two shows Hedberg did at the Ontario Improv in Los Angeles were used to make this latest album.
The liner notes are full of pictures of Mitch and some copies of his original writing from his notebooks. These jokes, some of them unfinished, are hilarious, nonetheless.
Shawcroft said that the title of the album was a line Hedberg had written in one of his notebooks. She found it soon after his death and loved it enough to choose it as the title for his final album.
Hedberg’s comedy had a very unique style, consisting of a lot of one liners and non sequitur bits. “A fly was very close to being called a land because that’s what it does half the time,” said Hedberg on one of the tracks. That is a perfect example of his style of comedy.
Aside from the jokes, Hedberg’s style of delivery was the selling point for many of his fans. Because of his stage fright, he wore sunglasses during most of his acts and rarely looked at the audience. Using a very distinct and odd voice inflection, some of his jokes tended to get laughs simply because of how he delivered them.
When a joke would bomb, Hedberg was the first to acknowledge it. “See some of these jokes need work. They’re like half there,” said Hedberg. “Unfortunately, you fuckers had to miss out on the good half.”
Hedberg’s crowd interaction makes for some great jokes on this album. When an audience member asks Hedberg what he is drinking, he replies, “NyQuil on the rocks. For when you’re feelin’ sick but sociable.” It is that type of improvised humor that makes his shows unforgettable.
Being a huge Hedberg fan, I was extremely excited to hear of a new album. It is just as good as his previous works and is a final glimpse at a comic genius.