It may come as no surprise at this point, but Jim Norton is not a fan of the public. In fact, the pandemic and subsequent time away from the stage has only strengthened that loathing. But, man, when it comes to Boston, little Jimmy can’t wait to be back.
It’s been a long time coming, for both Norton and his legion of fans, but as he returns to Boston’s Wilbur Theatre for two shows on Friday (February 18), the brash stand-up vet and radio personality is excited to finally get back to what he considers his favorite market to perform for.
“I’m happy these shows are finally happening, because Boston is my favorite market to play,” Norton tells Vanyaland. “When the shows got canceled [in 2020], I knew it was happening to everybody, but the Boston shows were really the hardest ones for me to postpone. I think I’ve postponed them twice, and I know it’s easy to say you’re happy, but I am genuinely, legitimately happy to be coming back to Boston.”
While he never actually made it here in 2020 like he was supposed to, there’s a bit of a feeling of resuming rather than returning. On one hand, he feels like he’s picking up where he left off because there wasn’t much going on for a good long while in terms of performing. On the other hand, the frustration surrounding ever-changing guidelines and mandates has him feeling a bit refreshed in his gleeful rage towards the world around him. Regardless, the ability to perform on stage again to a wider audience admittedly has Norton feeling a bit more gratitude towards the art form than before.
“I’m more grateful now if it happens,” says Norton. “Every set you do, you’re more grateful for because you think to yourself ‘wow, man, I remember when this was gone,’ and some places are still making this difficult, so I would say it’s really just even more of an appreciation for every set you have the chance to do.”
Even with the time away, and the ability to stockpile jokes, Norton brings with him a hefty dose of comedy that he’s held onto since before the start of the pandemic. Additionally, while he did have to fill a 30-minute gap in his set following his recording of The Degenerates for Netflix in late 2019, what he’s used to fill that time harbors very little change in perspective for Norton, except for maybe feeling a bit more anger towards the public than he thought was possible before.
“The actual performance aspect of it doesn’t feel any different for me, because I’m still Jim Norton, and I still feel like I sound like myself,” says Norton. “My point of view on anything is very rarely attacking something from a political point of view because I hate what is underneath the politics, which is the people. I think the public is fairly stomach-turning, and so I find liberals and conservatives equally as repulsive, so that’s why it doesn’t really feel any different to me.”
Norton’s outlook on the general public, as mentioned, is not too favorable, especially after all the time away from the stage to sick back and watch madness ensue between three-hundred million narcissists from a distance. So, Bostonians should take it as a compliment that, despite his frustration, Norton has an unmatched admiration for Boston comedy crowds, and it’s because he’s able to be what he sets out to be every single night.
“I love the mentality of Boston audiences, because they can be very harsh, but all they ask of you is that you’re funny,” says Norton. “They don’t ask you to be from any specific point of view, or woke, or from any perspective. They don’t care if you’re dirty or if you aren’t dirty. They just want you to be funny. They ask a comedian what should be asked of a comedian.”
JIM NORTON :: Friday, February 18 at The Wilbur, 246 Tremont St. in Boston, MA :: 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., $32 to $104 :: Wilbur event page and ticket link