The Night I Saw Bridget Everett in New York City I Became a Super Fan

There's a new TV show that I am in love with.  Before I tell you about the show, I want to tell you about its star and my chance encounter with her that turned me into a super fan over a decade ago.  If you don't know the name Bridget Everett, you should.  Admittedly, there was a time when I didn't know who she was either.  But, now I do and I can tell you that she's a freaking force of nature.

About ten or twelve years ago (I can't remember and, yes, I quit counting), I flew to New York City to attend an Oscars party at Joe's Pub.  Murray Hill, Manhattan's Hardest Working Man in Show Business, was hosting the party and the evening featured an interactive simulcast of the Academy Awards, trivia, a few special burlesque performances and more.

Here's a pic of Murray and me at a different event.

My friend Beth and I went to Murray's party together and loved it.  It was an absolute off-the-wall riot.  And, fun fact! That's back when I co-hosted The Screening Room, my movie review radio show, so I knew virtually every random thing about cinema.  Needless to say, Beth and I really racked up some prizes in the trivia contest.

After the party ended, somebody on the Joe's Pub team made an announcement to the crowd that we were invited to stay for the show that was coming up later that night.  It was Bridget Everett and she was supposed to take the stage around 11:30pm. Now, full confession.  This Kentucky boy didn't have a clue who she was, but my friend Beth, who lived in Brooklyn, did.  She said, "Oh we've gotta stay! You'll love her."

I had flown in the day before and there was an annoying Delta Airlines-induced fiasco with my luggage. We eventually drove to Queens and pulled my luggage out of a warehouse where it was waiting for a courier to pick it up.  The whole ordeal was exhausting and I was seriously considering hopping on the Q Train and heading back to Brooklyn. But I sucked it up and stayed for Bridget. I am so glad I did.

That night, Bridget was paying tribute to the songbook of the rowdy, raucous and raunchy Millie Jackson. It didn't take long for her to shed her clothes (if you've ever seen Bridget perform live, you're aware that her wardrobe is a study in less is more) or for her to unleash that powerhouse voice of hers.

She was raw, sweaty and sensational and I was hooked.  I go to New York City a lot.  I have seen more Broadway and Off Broadway shows that I can count.  THAT performance was one of my all-time favorites, by anyone anywhere.

And that brings me to Somebody Somewhere. Bridget has the starring role in a new HBO Max comedy series that debuted a couple of weeks ago.  It's your chance to see and hear her in action.

Here's a look at an official trailer for the show.  By the way, this is hilarious.  I was trying to find a trailer that I could share here on the station page.  I did my Boy Scout best to find a PG trailer. It took some doing, but I found one.  From HBO Asia.  LOL!

In the series, Bridget stars as Sam, who's struggling with the loss of her sister, feeling like an outsider in her own family and skin, and to regain her figurative and literal voice.  By the way, Sam gets the chance to step to a microphone at the end of the series premiere and it's exactly what I expected. Vintage Bridget Everett.  Emotional. Powerful.  Rough.  Raw.  And I can't wait to hear more.

New episodes of Somebody Somewhere air each Sunday at 9:30pm CST on HBO Max. I won't lie to you. Not a whole helluva lot happens on the show. But, that's the point really. For most people, life is a slow and steady process of self-discovery and fulfillment. That "somebody somewhere" is really anyone anywhere. I guarantee you'll see yourself or your family in the characters on this show.

And, oh yeah.  Tune in and you'll see Murray Hill in action too.  He and Bridget have a long history together.  Much of that history has been spent paying their dues (a ton of them) in small bars and venues around New York City.  It's true that hard work certainly reaps reward and this dynamic duo, who spent endless nights entertaining audiences off the beaten path, just took a turn toward the mainstream.

This particular fan loves them wherever and whenever he can find them.