Come on down to Harmontown

Last week was quite a busy one, so let's catch up! Since my last post, I went to see the Harmontown Tour. Dan Harmon, the creator of Community, and his good friend Jeff B. Davis, improv extraordinaire, have a weekly show in LA, called Harmontown, where Dan Harmon goes on a hour long self-loathing ramble. Atlanta was their third stop in the tour, and we got to see them at the Laughing Skull Lounge.

Spencer (the Dungeon Master), Dan Harmon (Mayor of Harmontown), Erin McGathy (Dan's girlfriend), and Jeff Davis (Harmontown's Comptroller)

 Me with Dan Harmon

 Me and Dan with Jeff Davis

Jeff Davis was every bit as charming and gracious as I thought he would be. Sure he might be a ladykiller, but you'll enjoy every minute of it. Eric complimented him on his tie clip, and then Jeff told a story about he and Drew Carey went to Tiffany's and got a tie clip engraved with something un-classy. They settled on Federal Bikini Inspector. Sadly he lost the clip ages ago in some hotel during the Whose Line tour.

 Try not to fangirl out, but it says "Your parents really went out of their way to make you cute!"

One of my favorite things about the tour, other than the brutal honesty, is that Dan Harmon decided to play Dungeons and Dragons during the show one day, and asked for a Dungeon Master volunteer from the crowd. That was Spencer, just a regular audience member. Now he is a beloved character of Harmontown. He was just a 23 year old guy, living in his parent's basement, and then he took a month off work at the Apple store to tour the country. We all secretly (not secretly?) dream of being picked from obscurity to live the life of an adored star. Or at least be friends with funny famous people.

Obviously, there are unexpected consequences of that situation. Spencer wrote a very moving tumblr post about the alienation he felt halfway through the tour. First, he was weirded out that all these strangers liked him for no real reason other than he DM'd the show. How can you love someone that you don't know? Especially because most of the fans don't know anything about Dungeons and Dragons.

Loneliness isn't being alone. It's being surrounded by people who don't understand you.