REVIEW: Kevin Smith @ the Keswick, 4/2

Kevin Smith should feel right at home in Philly. He's amassed a legion of deeply devoted fans - the type of people who have named their dogs Brandi Svenning and Loki, or own a closet full of Silent Bob trench coats. It's only natural that his Philadelphia fans would be just as loyal to him as they are to, well, everything else.

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REVIEW: Kevin Smith @ the Keswick, 4/2

POSTED: Wednesday, April 6, 2011, 1:30 PM

Filed Under: Comedy | Events

(Getty Images for AFI)

Kevin Smith should feel right at home in Philly. He’s amassed a legion of deeply devoted fans — the type of people who have named their dogs Brandi Svenning and Loki, or own a closet full of Silent Bob trench coats. It’s only natural that his Philadelphia fans would be just as loyal to him as they are to, well, everything else.

Before the big guy (actually, not so big anymore, as he’s shed 65 pounds) even took the stage, watching the boozed-up crowd of fan boys and girls was already worth the trip in entertainment value. Batman and Superman tees, replica Mooby’s uniforms a la Clerks 2, “Jay” wigs complete with fake blond tresses, and an assortment of Flyers jerseys littered the 1,300-seat Keswick. As soon as Smith walked on stage, he quipped that the Devils beat the Flyers, and all hell broke loose.

Smith is known for his easy-going sensibilities and everyday-man persona. He sauntered comfortably around the stage wearing a jersey and jean shorts (really, Kev?) and spent the first hour or so discussing his new film, Red State, which is inspired by the so-called villainy inherent in many fundamentalist religious organizations, particularly the Westboro Baptist Church. Smith was never haughty or even particularly fervent about the background of the film and the adventures of filming or promoting — he just talked about what happened along the way. And the things that happen to him along the way are often funny as hell.

After his Red State spiel, he opened up the floor for audience questions. The first came from a guy who asked Smith how his dogs were doing (so enveloped in Smith’s life that he knew the dogs weren’t doing so well). Instead of seeming fazed by such a personal question, Smith launched into an almost-15-minute account of the health of each of his dogs. There was the distinct impression that we were watching two buddies talk over beers. That’s just the kind of guy Smith is.

And then we saw the softer side of the dick- and fart-joke director. An audience member asked Smith to talk about some of the stars he had worked with, and he responded with story after story about the late George Carlin. He mentioned that Carlin was exceptionally detailed in his acting approach, more so than Smith could ever imagine was necessary on his type of movie. He said that Carlin taught him that it was OK for intelligent people to curse, and that above all, the man “didn’t just execute, but elevated everything he did.” Then, Kevin Smith got choked up.

It was a surreal moment, watching an acclaimed director begin to cry on stage when minutes earlier he mentioned that he once tested the theory that you can’t piss and sneeze at once (he said you can, but it hurts). That sort of honesty and ability to let down one’s guard seems to be rare in Smith’s line of work. But Smith is a rare breed in Hollywood anyway. He mentioned that he doesn’t really think of himself as a director; he enjoys the writing and editing aspects much more. For him, it’s so much more about the stories and the hard work of making a film.

After the Q&A, Smith revealed that Jason Mewes would be joining him onstage in a segment they call “Jay and Silent Bob Get Old.” Much of the time was spent by Smith and Mewes discussing the hilarity (in hindsight, of course) of Mewes' various stints in rehab for heroin addiction. Smith took a backseat to his friend, allowing him to run around the stage imitating fellow patients at rehab in his raspy, mile-a-minute voice. The two played off each other perfectly, and where Smith possessed a laid-back wisdom in his stories, Mewes possessed insatiable energy and enthusiasm.

By the end of the evening, I really got the sense that Kevin Smith is more than just a hockey-loving man-child. He’s a sensitive guy who values his family, his work and, perhaps most of all, his fans. He was truly in his element while he spoke to the people who adore him, and didn’t really seem to care when he talked about the people who hate him. He mentioned that members of the Phelps family (of the Westboro Baptist Church) picketed against Red State viewings, holding their typical “God Hates [fill in the blank]” signs. At the protest, one of Smith’s friends, in classic Smith form, really, showed up to retaliate with a sign that simply said “Dick Tastes Yummy.”

“That’s how you combat hate,” Smith said. “With comedy.”

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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