Ethan Switch - Friday, March 18, 2005
Cosy, at the knee-knocking insistence of the seats of the Everest Theatre, the audience jolly into position at the The Labradorian Retreat with Arj Barker as the Leader. Latecomers make a fool of the usher who, only moments before, order those with seats at the back to fill in those down in the pit.
With nothing more than a simple "Hi," everyone is already in the joyous love of Arj Barker. After a simple preface and explanation on the title, Ego No Amigo and some "simple Spanish," it's all on. Mixing and mashing more than one angle of a show and reality, Barker oozes the familiar charm of a regular cult leader.
Talks on the aspect of yoga and meditation feature heavily in an act about spiritual enlightenment; their take on society's ills and woeful discourse crashing into pain, fodder for the comedian/guru.
Arj wraps a wonderful weave of warning on a section about the rights and purity of poetry; the core essence of what is and what claims to be, there but for the intent of rhyme and reason. Language is nuts.
Coughing is rampant throughout the night, the laughs doing best to keep them under control. It's a hard fought battle. Air seems to thin and dry at certain points, making it all the more difficult to keep that tongue down and away from the uvula. Suppression is key to breathing with any sense of normality between the insane amounts of laughter that just ripple on through, even during the quieter, more reflective moments of the show, thankfully a man respectful toward the power of silence.
One man has trouble, snorting and bringing the attention to himself, but stays well clear of any attack. Nobody is in harm's way here at the retreat. Each of those under the yellow light with Barker share in the beauty of happiness. Warm, gentle, this is a sect worth signing up for.