Sweet and Sour

In a clever bit of self-reference, singer-songwriter and Denver native Jill Sobule opens the Jill and Julia Show with the story — in song form, of course — of her first awkward meeting with comic and Saturday Night Live alum Julia Sweeney. Clearly a mismatched pair from the start, the...

By Jason Heller

June 24, 2010

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In a clever bit of self-reference, singer-songwriter and Denver native Jill Sobule opens the Jill and Julia Show with the story — in song form, of course — of her first awkward meeting with comic and Saturday Night Live alum Julia Sweeney. Clearly a mismatched pair from the start, the laid-back-musician-plus-hyper-comedian duo have parleyed their complementary talents into a stage show that's not quite like any in recent memory.

As Sobule strums an acoustic guitar and sweetly sings her stinging little barbs of social satire, Sweeney — whose monologue and live DVD, Letting Go of God, brought her lots of attention over the past few years — laces the spoken-sung numbers with breathless yet charming diatribes against things like bad new-age books, Oprah, and organized religion. But rather than coming across as abrasive, the two whip up a warmth and easygoing self-deprecation that feels more like an intimate living-room chat — with harmonies and gorgeous guitar-playing, of course.

The Jill and Julia Show takes place tonight and tomorrow at 8 p.m. at Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret, 1601 Arapahoe Street; admission is $35. For tickets and info, call 303-293-0075 or visit www.lannies.com.
June 25-26, 8 p.m., 2010

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