I lived in Huntington Beach, California and saw Martin at the Golden
Bear. I had his musical comedy albums and I play guitar, so I
appreciated Martin's guitar playing and weird songs. His back up
band was Maria Muldaur's band that night. Maria was in the audience.

After he was introduced, Martin took the stage. He started talking
to the band with his back turned to the crowd. He kept talking, and
kept talking. A few times he looked like he was going to turn around
and start the show, but then he would turn around again and start
talking to the band. A few people in the crowd started chuckling at
how absurd it was that they had showed up to see MM and he was
ignoring us. The chuckles turned into laughter and finally there
were people who were crying they were laughing so hard. MM had
broken up the whole room without saying a word!

The music was great...and funny. He played a blues number on a uke
and used a baby bottle as a slide (like on slide guitar). It
actually sounded pretty good.

When he and the band took a break he borrowed a five dollar bill
from the guitar player and sat it on a stool on the stage. He said
that they wouldn't come out and play again until someone from the
crowd came up on the stage and took the money. After a while he
showed up at the side of the stage and saw that no one had taken the
money. He went right back to the dressing room for quite a while.
Finally someone came up and took the money and the show started
again.

His opening act was a chick comedian who I liked and I think a lot
of people would recognize. She has a big mouth and I believe she had
something to do with Madonna in later years. She was just starting
out and some people gave her a hard time, which she handled well.

Oh yeah, He called the Band "Martin Mull and his Fabulous Furniture"
and had living room furniture up on the stage. He noted that Bob
Dylan stole his idea and was using it on his Rolling Thunder tour.
He was really sarcastic and everyone was cracking up that he was
going after Dylan. He ended by bringing a piece of paper out with
the name and address of his taylor, in case Dylan would like to
steal his wardrobe as well. (I am old, and don't want to talk down
to anybody, but some of you may not know that it is an old showbiz
insult to give someone the name of your taylor. It implies that you
have stolen everything in your act from them and may want to finish
the job by dressing like them too.)

It was a great night. In my mind Martin Mull has it all. A truly
great performer.

Thanks for listening.

Your fellow fan,

narwalace