On Monday, I posted on Facebook a “Happy Birthday, Tom Lehrer” message.
Though it was Lehrer’s birthday, I was the one to receive a gift.
Within minutes of making my post, I got a response from the Santa Claus of Comedy Music- the great Dr. Demento himself. Dr. D. told me to make sure I check out the newly discovered video of Lehrer’s concert in Copenhagen from 1967- and he posted a Youtube link.
Now I assumed the Youtube link was an ad for a new DVD set that features the concert, or maybe a clip from the concert- a single song or such.
Nope. It’s the whole 50 minute concert!
Such an unexpected delight! It’s a great concert. The crowd loves him. It’s interesting to see just what they laugh at. Lehrer opens the concert explaining that he realizes everyone in Denmark speaks English, but that he is not sure how well they speak American. Still, he goes right along with his contemporary American references and the jokes that miss miss but there are plenty of jokes that cross over. He expresses some bewilderment as to how he ended up booked for a show in Copenhagen and speculates that he may be expected to act as revenge for Victor Borge.
Live concert in “Studenterforeningen” in Copenhagen, Denmark 1967