That said, there is some funny stuff on the new album even for a non-pot smoking septuagenarian who watches the stopwatch ticking away during the breaks on 60 Minutes. The bit about the older woman who offers him a joke is hilarious, as is a story which he explains is likely to bum out the audience. The comments on the "N-word" and the "C-word" and the use of symbols to disguise profanity work well. The bit about the airport massage gives him a nice leitmotif, especially, it seemed, in the second show. "Richard Skipper," as it's called on the disc, is one sweet pun.
I must say I was less than thrilled with the tweeting, which I think is getting a little stale. However, it should be noted, both audiences in the club loved it, if you can judge from their reaction. It seemed to be something they looked forward to, and they would have been disappointed had he left it out, as if a rock star didn't sing his greatest hit. My own reaction is probably more a sign of that ticking stopwatch. Benson knows his audience, and it isn't me. Although I have to say the story of the woman and the joke had me laughing out loud.
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