RECAP: The Dave Hill Explosion, 12/5

This past weekend, New York City comedian Dave Hill made his triumphant return to the Shubin Theatre during the Philly Improv Theater's week of shows there.

After reading a story from his memoirs about "gay socks", Hill informed the crowd that he wouldn't perform his crowd-pleasing Explosion theme song. Instead, he would perform a new routine that he required a small animal. Luckily, there was one in the crowd: a chihuahua named Zoe.
And then Dave performed the Dave Hill Explosion theme song anyway.







-Dave's first guest was Philadelphia Inquirer columnist and reporter Karen Heller. Over her almost 20 years there, we learned that she's been yelled at by Zsa Zsa Gabor, had Bruce Willis shove his feet into her face and holds the distinction of being the first woman to tour the D.C. sewer system. She was also a 2001 Pultizer Prize finalist for commentary, which Dave certainly had some questions about.

- Dave's interview style usually entails layering question upon question to the point where the interviewee only gives a short response. It wasn't annoying though, everyone was just interested to hear what he was going to say next.

- One standout gem: as the discussion shifted to the time that racist Senator Strom Thurmond asked Ms. Heller to sit on his lap (she politely declined), Karen questioned if Dave was old enough to know who Strom Thurmond was. Hill's reply: "I know enough to be glad he's dead."As the interview drew to a close, Dave played a song he wrote about Ms. Heller. It required the audience to clap along, of course.
- Performing next was Bret Tobias from the defunct Philadelphia band The Bigger Lovers. He played two songs and unfortunately there was no time for an interview. And so concluded The Dave Hill Explosion.