Jason J. Brown. (Courtesy Photo)
Early in to his debut standup album, Jokes Through the Bathroom Door, Jason J. Brown shares his story of being set up on a high school date by a magician and a nun. He reckons that is religious or spiritual approval fail, at least there is a magician involved.
"Our relationship is bonded by magic. This IS her card!"
The resulting howls of laughter set the tone for what ends up being a very funny, and strong, debut from the Bethlehem-based comedian.
Brown seamlessly moves from bit to bit, as he covers a broad range of topics -- including losing and then having to look for a job, drafting a living will based off of (Amazon) Alexa's definition, layaway at dollar stores, using elf-checkout machines, getting kicked out L.L. Bean, and working at a candy factory. "It's not at all like the movies. The first day I chipped my tooth on a stapler," Brown cracks. "They should put signs on things that aren't edible."
He also recalls during the time when he stumbled upon an unattended prosthetic leg at a casino and wondering if its owner forgot about the attachment or purposely left it behind. "It's not like he can trace his steps," Brown deadpans.
Like other comedians in founder Glen Tickle's Circus Trapeze Records stable, Brown's funniest bits are when he relies on self-deprecation for laughs. On his "crippling" fear of vampires and marrying a vegetarian, he jokes, "I just assumed a vampire wouldn't be a vegetarian and if there was vegetarian vampire, I'd be safe."
Brown closes out his recording with a terrific bit on never having dropped a cell phone in the toilet, instead losing a sandwich in the commode. "I can tell you the rice trick works every time. It's like a brand new sandwich every time," he jokes. "If you learn anything tonight, it's don't eat toilet Reubens."
One of the album's strong points is the pacing of the material. Brown smoothly transitions from setup to setup, landing each punchline with precision and impeccable timing.
Jokes Through the Bathroom Door is yet another terrific release from the Circus Trapeze Records label and a must-have for any fan of standup comedy.
"Jokes Through the Bathroom Door" is available digitally through Circus Trapeze Records' Bandcamp page.