Jon Glaser Truly Loves Gear
October 20, 2016 was a night for many things: Sports, (both the NFL and MLB—the Cubs and Dodgers were at it again for the National League Championship—were active), Politics (the election is only a few weeks away), and food. But more than anything else, October 20th was a night for GEAR.
That’s right—a select few were invited to the premiere and reception for the new series on TruTV, Jon Glaser Loves Gear. We previously honed in on the funny and surreal new show from the Parks and Recreation and Girls scene stealer at New York Comic Con, and were gladly in attendance on Thursday night at the Metrograph on Ludlow Street. Among those also in attendance were the entire cast of the series—including Glaser, John Hodgman, Eva Solevig, Miriam Tolan, and Steve Cirbus—as well as a variety of stars of the comedy world, such as Wyatt Cenac, Julie Klausner Scott Adsit, and Henry Zebrowski.
After an opening cocktail party and before a reception, two episodes of the new series were screened for those invited—largely cast and crew—ahead of its official October 26 debut. Glaser gave an introduction, thanking those in attendance for helping to get the show made, before saying that he did request a TV for the baseball game (there was not one in sight), and taking his seat in the back row of the theater. The episodes were much in the nature of Glaser’s other series, Delocated and Neon Joe, with an absurdist sense of humor and tongue-in-cheek zingers. Glaser plays an alternate reality version of himself; in this world, he’s still an eccentric comic actor—his role on Girls is even referenced—but he’s outlandish, immature and, as you can deduce from the title, obsessed with gear. Only that last part mirrored the delightful writer/actor who was pleasantly greeting guests, co-stars, collaborators, and friends throughout the night.
When the two screened episodes wrapped, all in attendance applauded loudly, and turned to Glaser, following his lead from the back row. The Park Slope native stood up, without much else to say, and told everyone the plan for the rest of the night. As the show made its refrain—Glaser yelling “GEEEEEAR” into a megaphone randomly shoved into his face—familiar to all through its debut episodes, those present listened to the star’s command as he delivered a different lone word to christen the new series: “Party.”
Jon Glaser Loves Gear
debuts Wednesday, October 26 at 10 pm on truTV