Photos and Review by Chris Besaw
It was a cold and blustery night in the quaint and charming little town of Ithaca, New York. Despite the brisk wind, the line outside the State Theatre of Ithaca kept getting longer and longer. Fans were waiting to get in for the near sold-out “Jay and Silent Bob’s Aural Sects Tour” starring Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes.
For those who are not familiar with the duo, Kevin Smith is an actor/director best known for the Clerks films, Jay and Silent Bob, Mallrats and of course Dogma. Smith’s good friend, Jason Mewes was in every film with Smith and the two became known for their characters “Jay and Silent Bob.” Now they are on tour offering fans a unique opportunity to see them talk about the films, their lives and the future of Jay and Silent Bob.
The crowd was incredible. Many were decked out in costumes and clothing with nods to Smith’s movies. There was even one fan who was dressed as Silent Bob’s version of Batman from the cult classic Mallrats. The line for the merch was insane! I overheard a theatre employee saying that they had never seen a merch line that long before. The energy and excitement was palpable as Smith and Mewes took the stage to thunderous cheers and clapping.
Nothing was off the table for these two. Topics ranged from parenting, to filming movies, touring the country and all sorts of shenanigans that ensued. Jason Mewes talked about how his oldest daughter tricked her mom into telling her the naughty word for vagina and somehow, he got blamed. Kevin Smith described himself as a codependent people pleaser. He described some wild interactions he had with fans when he was unable to say no including one time when he got Mewes to pretend he was Ben Affleck just to make a fan happy.
What would an evening with Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes be without a little audience participation, right? They polled the audience looking for someone to do the “perfect” impression of the late, great Alan Rickman with the caveat that they also had to be able to read big words. Damien, the fan who was ultimately selected, was the perfect choice. He was from the UK and did a near-perfect impression of Rickman causing Kevin Smith to just stare at him in awe.
After many laughs and a few sneak peaks at what’s next for Smith and Mewes, the evening came to an end. The duo thanked everyone for coming out and for supporting them and their work. They even teased that they may be back soon and to keep an eye out. It was an intimate experience to get to see Smith and Mewes as themselves and to hear them share personal stories. Thank you, Kevin Smith, and Jason Mewes, for a memorable night of laughs and fun.
Please check out my photo highlights from the evening.
Click Photo Below for Gallery
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