Arts & Life, Film & Television

Portlandia goes on tour

Fred Armisen made a name for himself with SNL and The Tonight Show band, but now he’s touring as an actor, drawing a fan base just as quirky as his hit show “Portlandia,” which is currently in its fourth season.

Armisen said he went on the nationwide tour to watch new episodes of Portlandia the week before they air with his biggest fans across the nation. He has been to Rhode Island, Minnesota and Colorado, and on Saturday, he visited The Observatory in Santa Ana.

Directed by Jonathan Krisel, “Portlandia” is the brainchild of Armisen and his co-star Carrie Brownstein, and is often condemned — or celebrated — as a satirist take on the hipster fad. In each episode, the show pokes fun at the multiple niches found throughout the city of Portland.

The cast is predominantly made up of Armisen and Brownstein, who play not only the characters of Fred and Carrie, but also the recurring favorites including Peter and Nance, Spike and Iris, Nina and Lance, and Toni and Candace, the prudish owners of Women and Women First bookstore.

Through flawless costuming and impeccable acting, Armisen and Brownstein are able to embody the diverse subcultures that comprise the city of Portland.

On Saturday night, Armisen showed episode 8 of season 4.

Like every episode of the one-of-a-kind sketch comedy show, the new episode makes a statement by poking fun at different subcultures that we all recognize in our society.

The new episode comments on masculinity in gay culture, pun business names and adults that want to experience the psychedelic drug culture they missed out on.

While many would guess that the show is a dramatization of life in Portland, Armisen said that the show is truly representative of the city, where Brownstein grew up. He said that they simply wanted to exaggerate the very specific lifestyle that is found there.

After the viewing and a hearty applause, fans scurried to line up along the stage and the perimeter of the pit-turned auditorium for the Q&A.
He answered all questions asked, while encouraging attendees to take photographs.

As revealed in the Q&A, “Portlandia” is also well known for its medley of guest stars that have included fellow SNL veterans and other stars, including Kirsten Dunst and Jeff Goldblum. Armisen said that guest stars are vital to the show, and for he and Brownstein, they are just a text message away.

Not only are the guest stars easy to recruit, but the Portland police even made a guest appearance in the new episode.
“That city is so laid back,” Armisen said.

While recruiting guest stars is a breeze, Armisen said that the toughest part is making sure the sketches will draw laughs.

“Why do we treat pasta like a drug?” Armisen asked after an audience member recalled one of the best known moments with Peter and Nance in season 3, episode 1, in which Peter quits eating pasta and experiences withdrawals.

Armisen said that like many of their sketches, this one came from a real situation that occurred while he and Brownstein were eating out.

He said that the sketches at the Women and Women First Bookstore are his favorite as a duo with Brownstein, as they have fun trying to keep their sexuality as ambiguous as possible while being ludicrous at the same time.

He said “the editors are the secret weapon of ‘Portlandia,’” as he revealed that he and Carrie are simply having a great time on camera.

Armisen said the majority of conversational dialogue is improvised to keep scenes as natural as possible. After all, the natural feeling of the interactions on “Portlandia” is what make the show such a hit.

Armisen is one of few celebrities comfortable enough to watch his show in the audience with his fans and hold a 30-minute Q&A session afterwards. In fact, the Q&A was so full of action and character that it truly could have made its own 30 minute episode of “Portlandia.”

Some of the guests were emotional, some were nervous and others were just plain bold.

A fan holding a tall can of Pabst Blue Ribbon asked him to reenact the popular “Cacao scene” from season 1, episode 2. She put her lipstick on him, watched him starry-eyed as he resurrected the character, then grabbed his face and planted a sloppy one.

When an audience member told him that she had driven ten hours to see him, he jumped off the stage to give her a hug.

His advice for aspiring screenwriters was as laidback as he was with fans. When a mother and her sons approached him, the mother thanked him for making her laugh for years and years, and asked for screenwriting advice for her son, quivering with excitement and on the verge of tears.

“Surround yourself with people that make you laugh,” Armisen said.

Episode 8 of Portlandia’s fourth season is set to air tomorrow at 10/9c.

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