Comedy Review: Robin Williams – Weapons of Self Destruction tour

They say things get better with age and having had the pleasure to attend the Ottawa, Canada portion of Robin Williams current tour – Weapons of Self Destruction I know that statement is true.

I have been a long time Robin Williams fan and have CD’s (and DVD’s) of every major tour he has done, some of them are upgrades from VHS tapes and albums, you probably get the picture. While the topics, look, environment, and age has changed, there is one constant: Robin Williams is one of the funniest men alive.

One of the best things about Robin is his old school nature, he actually researched Canada and Ottawa specifically and the first 20 minutes of his show was local flavored. In light of the recent Canadian election, he was sure to mention that, unlike the United States, when we have elections nothing in the government changes. He proceeded to discuss our close proximity to Quebec and their separatist nature and how incredibly boring our Prime Minister is.

This opening segment really pulled the audience in and for the rest of the nearly two hours none of us stopped laughing. Nothing is safe from Robin’s sharp wit, he of course focused on Obama winning the recent election and wondered if he would surprise us all and get all gangster at the inauguration. Hillary and Bill Clinton, George W Bush, John McCain, Dick Cheney and especially Sarah Palin were speared, roasted and eaten on stage in Robin Williams’s classic style.

Moving with the times and his age Robin also focuses on technology, Viagra, prescribed drugs, and his experiences in the past. A few of his jokes were from previous sets, but he always added a new twist, a new dimension that made it even funnier then the past versions.

I was constantly amazed by his sheer energy and animation, many comics are very static on stage but Robin puts his entire body and mind into his act and it is apparent. I don’t think I have ever seen (except for his previous shows) water used as such an effective prop when performing jokes.

I cannot recommend this current tour enough, Robin Williams is as funny as he has ever been; his comedy is fresh, timely and full of belly laughs. I will definitely pick up the DVD when it is eventually released and relive this great night. If you have the opportunity, do yourself a favor and catch one of his shows, you will not regret it.

The Robin Williams – Weapons of Self Destruction Tour is continuing across Canada and the United States for the next 4 months, details can be found at his official site.