Jim David Live from Jimville

Now out on Stand Up! Records, Jim David's “Live from Jimville” is a chance for the casual listener to reconnect with his inner curmudgeon. When you begin to lament the youths and their inability to navigate a library with its books and papers and librarians and whanot, David's got a riff on Beowulf that'll have you ready for knee-slapping good times. Dismayed at Britney Spears, less for her outfits and more for her inability to carry a tune in a paper bag? Jim David's your man. And still tickled pink by the droning pronouncements of a train announcer on the commuter line (not drowned out by your iPod, because you've never figured out them thingamijiggers)? Hop on, next stop's Ronkonkoma! But just when you've been lulled into thinking you're in store for a series of hilarious but accessible one-liners to share with friends and family, Jim David will take a sharp left turn and shock your knickers right off—it's just one of the many joys of Jimville. With a slow, charming North Carolina drawl, David nudges you right up to the edge… and then pushes you off with nary a warning. Handling even his missteps with aplomb, David skips right through a derailed joke with a blithe, “What? I think I just had a stroke!” Perfectly, charmingly aghast and declaring that he doesn't care, David even requires three takes on one joke, but manages to keep the audience laughing long enough to segue into a new routine so deftly you'd never have noticed the mistake in the first place. Clearly in command of both his repertoire and his audience, Jim David's both a skillful comedian and a welcoming host here in Jimville. Now if it weren't for these damn kids these days…