Final Engagement

Marc Maron knows there€s no sense in pussy-footing around. Life is nasty, brutish, and short, and you might as well get a laugh out of it. Punchline magazine calls it €œheartbreaking comedy,€ but at Stand Up! Records we prefer to think of Maron as a ridiculously funny and insightful observational comic who€s just not afraid to show his tender underbelly. On his new, 2-CD live album recorded on his €œScorched Earth€ tour, Maron owns up to the sad realities of his personal life, admitting that he finds comfort in living with four things that don€t even like him (his beloved cats, including PTSD-ridden LaFonda) and had a little €œGood for you!€ moment when his second wife left him. At the same time, he happily engages his audience with the shrewd, story-based comedy that€s formed the backbone of his previous records, taking on absurdities like the internet culture that might actually like him better if he just stood on the stage, crying and peeing. A seasoned performer who€s already had a one-man, Off-Broadway show, made two CDs, and been the most frequent comic guest ever on Late Night with Conan O€Brien, Maron knows how to approach an audience, expertly keeping them suspended somewhere between €œThat was so f*cking funny!€ and €œI hope he€s okay.€ Like a latter-day Woody Allen, Maron embraces his insecurities, but always stops just short of the tortured artist. He doesn€t seek pity, only commiseration, laughter, and an honest acknowledgement of the absolutely ludicrous human condition-oh, and maybe a girl without daddy issues, if it€s not too much to ask.