www.montereycountynow.com SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 29 ON STAGE Over the past three decades, no other comedic actor has been quite as good as remaining both under and above the radar as Fred Armisen. His current tour, Comedy for Musicians But Everyone is Welcome, makes a stop at the Golden State Theatre. For anyone unfamiliar with Armisen’s brand of humor, a quick scan of the track names from his upcoming album—100 Sound Effects— might offer a better idea: “Band Sound Check Sound Guy and Band Agreeing For Too Long,” “Sparsely Attended Show Encore with Someone Shouting ‘Where’s Jim?’” or “Fake Applause.” In a recent television interview with Stephen Colbert, Armisen credited the inspiration for the album to that of Halloween sound effect albums (creaking doors, organ riffs, wolf howls, etc.). “I sort of miss those,” Armisen said, then added: “I should make one.” A kind of spokesman for his generation—and perhaps succeeding ones too—the SNL alum, Portlandia co-creator and one-time Blue Man Group performer has made a career of poking holes in societal norms. Known for performances that range from deadpan to the absurd as well as from the big screen to the small, Armisen has built a lasting reputation as a true funny man. But surprise—or not—he also plays drums. And yes, he’s very good at that, too. Drumming was Armisen’s first endeavor into the performing arts. In the late 1980s, after attending the School of Visual Arts, he moved to Chicago to help form the punk act Trenchmouth. In between recording and performing, Armisen made his way into acting. He is one of the longest-tenured members of Saturday Night Live—and located his pitch somewhere between taking subtle jabs at eccentric characters while celebrating those characters. Making music, however, remained key. Armisen merged his acts to produce the 2018 Netflix comedy special Fred Armisen: Standup for Drummers. “I saw [the Netflix special] as two different things,” Armisen told Rolling Stone. “I was like, ‘I’ll just do a regular stand-up special, even though I like doing this one that’s just for drummers.’” Armisen’s trajectory has been consistent. He is here to make you laugh… to the beat. Fred Armisen: Comedy for Musicians But Everyone is Welcome 7pm Saturday, Sept. 20. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $57- $138. 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com. COURTESY FRED ARMISEN Drum Line Comedian Fred Armisen combines beats and humor in his current stand-up tour. By Jesse Herwitz Fred Armisen was playing music—mostly on drums—before he became a comedic actor, including a stint in a punk band. TRY OUR NEW Tapas Happy Hour & Mid-Week Specials 4:30 - 6:00pm daily #Tapas! A Happy Hour Beyond Compare. Adjacent to the Casa Munras Garden Hotel & Spa | 700 Munras Avenue, Monterey Reservations Recommended | 831-375-0176 | estebanrestaurant.com DELIGHTFULLY ALFRESCO Cornucopia Community Market offers quality nutritious and environmentally safe products, free of artificial additives and preservatives. Your Local Health Food Store OPEN MON-FRI 9AM-7PM SAT & SUN 10AM-6PM 831-625-1454 26135 Carmel Rancho Blvd, Carmel (at the mouth of Carmel Valley) Happy & Healthy Your Source for Local and Organic Food for a Healthy Lifestyle • Natural, Organic Produce • Fresh Bakery and Deli • Olive Oil/Vinegar/Local Honey • Wine, Beer, Juice, Coffee and Tea Selections • Fresh, Organic Dairy Products • Healthy Snacks • Vitamins and Nutritional Supplements • All Natural Bath and Body Products
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