DO NOT READ THIS POST if you don’t like or otherwise have issues with filthy words…
David Sedaris survived the hotel fire in Dallas and made it to Austin safe and sound. To my knowledge his hotel stay in Austin was uneventful. His show, on the other hand, was not.
David’s popularity in Austin has grown over the years to the extent that hosting him at the Paramount is no longer an option. We just don’t have enough seats. The PAC and Long Center were not available on the date he wanted to be in Austin so we rented Riverbend Church with its 2,300+ seats and crossed our fingers (if not ourselves) and hoped that the idea of presenting David in a church wouldn’t be too odd for his fans. Turns out, not an issue. The show was sold out.
Now introducing celebrities like Carol Burnett, Shirley Maclaine, Hal Holbrook and Lyle Lovett at the Paramount has been a surreal experience for me as I do not have an arts background and never aspired to be in the entertainment business. That said, never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine I would be standing in Riverbend Church introducing David Sedaris. And even though my Programming Director, Lietza Brass, assured me that the church was well aware of who would be “preaching from the pulpit”, I remained skeptical about whether or not the microphone would be cut off and the house lights brought up to end the show prematurely.
David, as usual, wowed the crowd, but he didn’t seem phased by being in a church. Fuck, shitter, asshole and other David Sedaris favorites words were in good supply. After the lecture, David did tell me that he had changed his presentation a bit out of respect and instead gave his “clean” version. Really David? Really? Because you used the word “cockmaster” so I am curious what your filthy version sounds like?
David, ever generous with his fans, stayed until midnight signing books. On the car ride back to his hotel he asked if I could take him to a fast food place so we went to the only one I knew was still open – Taco Cabana at Lamar and Riverside. Something tells me a fire of anther type happened in his hotel room here in Austin because I convinced him to order the Super Mexican Dinner with a Banana Chiller.
While waiting in the drive-through lane I asked him if he was surprised by his popularity. “Shocked,” he said. “I just don’t understand it at all.”
David heads on to Detroit next as part of his 30 cities in 30 days tour where sold out venues await him in almost every city.
, from David Sedaris
