Tim Robinson’s live I Think You Should Leave show was in Austin this week, and I went, and I enjoyed it. We’ll have some very mild spoilers below (also known as a description of the show), but the bottom line is that if you like ITYSL, you’ll probably like the live show.
Before we get to what the show is, two observations:
First, I don’t know why I was unprepared for this, because it feels obvious in hindsight, but I was struck by how many people were dressed like they were going to an ITYSL show. Again, this should have been obvious ahead of time. But the quantity of Hawaiian shirts, ITYSL/Detroiters costumes, “55 burgers 55 fries…” hats, and all the rest were a sight to behold. There were three kinds of ITYSL fans there, from appearance: People who look like they listen to indie music, understated middle-aged folks with a mischievous glimmer in their eyes, and guys who look like they belong to a fraternity. This last group arrived in packs, but thankfully did not harass any silent actors or driving crooners, at least while I saw them.
Second, people love Tim Robinson. It’s a personal love. It’s beyond liking his work. We like him. He, himself. It was a warm crowd.
**Very mild spoilers below here**
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
There’s no need to go too deep into this, but the gist of the show is that you watch some unreleased ITYSL content—cut sketches, extended versions of sketches you know—and then Tim Robinson brings out more and more of his friends, many of whom have appeared on the show, to talk about the sketches and generally hang out with one another. The show is a mixture of 1) Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin taking you behind the scenes of the show and 2) Tim Robinson hanging out with his friends. It’s not a scripted extension of ITYSL or a stage production of ITYSL or an improv show. It’s a few thousand people watching a little extra ITYSL together and enjoying being in the presence of Tim Robinson and his friends. You’re not missing out on some big addition to the ITYSL canon if you don’t get to go. But it’s fun. I’m glad I went. There is not much more to say than that. So, we’ll leave you with one specific story from the show:
