[Fips Was There...] Punderdome's Last Southpaw Stand

Southpaw's sign comes down Feb. 20 (via flickr)

We here at FIPS spend a hell of a lot of time out and about in Brooklyn, attending outdoor concerts, comedy shows and various other events. So [FIPS Was There...] is where we're gonna' talk about all this shit.

With Valentine's Day here, it's a good time to remember: all good things come to an end. The same goes for everything mediocre or kind of sucky. There's always a finish line. Or a point in the race where your car engulfs you in flames. Which is sort of a metaphorical finish line, anyway. I'm losing the thread...

The old-school (relatively speaking) Slope venue Southpaw dies the death most local businesses face in just under a week (Feb. 20). Being, I think, the first Slope-area music venue I attended during one of my first trips to NYC ten years ago, I wanted to say goodbye to the old, poster-wallpapered, dark, metal-floored dive. So, last night, I caught the final Southpaw incarnation of one of my favorite series of theirs: the revelry of geeky wordplay known as Punderdome 3000.

From the looks of it, there might be some nostalgia for Southpaw afoot. I've been to a couple Punders dome and don't remember a line like this one, slinking from the entry nearly back to St. John's Street.

The likable and wound-up host Fred Firestone, as Dangerfield-esque as always,  acknowledged time's cruel march, announcing the show as "Our last at Southpaw, may it rest in peace."

Behind Fred's floppy-tied torso, a canopy of balloons hung from the ceiling over the stage, with "Big Finish" on a handwritten sign. Co-host (and alleged daughter) Jo, whose no-nonsense rebuttals to Fred's goofiness were a favorite of me and my com-pun-ions (HEY-OH!), shook a thumb at the looming balloons: "You might see a secret balloon drop. Sh. Don't tell anyone."

"Big Finish"
The final Southpaw edition also attracted some local comedy gravitas, with celebrity judge Michael Showalter, who was pretty awesomely mean in the role. Fred and Jo also called up Southpaw manager Stacey to the stage -- and, dear Lord, did y'all know she's gorgeous? Too bad. I'd have been there more often.

As for the puns themselves, they ranged from mystifying to groaners to insulting to awesomely and successfully insulting. Probably inspired by one contestant's fairly ill-chosen nom-de-pun ("Witty Houston" -- I know), one of the second-round themes was "Too Soon." That's a tough one, but the pun-contestants, some of them, got their best puns in on it, riffing on the OKC bombing, Etta James' death, and, of course, America's one untouchable: "Nine out of 11 of these jokes are too soon," said the "Black Punther" (who is, fyi, extremely red-haired and extremely white).

Southpaw shows continue up to close, with four days of roots music this weekend in Americana Pie. Alongside the quirky stuff like Punderdome, roots music has been one thing Southpaw's done well even as Bell House and the like sapped its business. So, check it out, even if it's for old time's sake.