The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Comic Marc Maron to perform at the Englert

Illustration+by+Zebedia+Wahls
Illustration by Zebedia Wahls

Famed comic, podcaster, friend of the president, and garage-dweller Marc Maron will make a stop at the Englert Theater, 221 E. Washington, as part of Mission Creek Festival at 7 p.m. Friday.

Perhaps his most well-known project, Maron began “WTF with Marc Maron,” the acclaimed podcast, -in 2009. It has become one of the most successful comedy podcasts of all time. “WTF” has garnered high praise from publications such as the AV Club, Vanity Fair, and the New York Times, the latter of which labeled the show a “must-listen.”

On the show — which is run out of the garage of Maron’s house in Los Angeles — Maron has interviewed everyone from the Amys — Poehler and Schumer — to Sir Ian McKellen and the late, great Robin Williams.

Maron’s most famous episode, however, is undoubtedly the 2014 interview with President Obama, on which the two talked for hours about — from Maron’s website — “college, fitting in, race relations, gun violence, changing the status quo, disappointing your fans, comedians, fatherhood and overcoming fear.”

Maron’s relentless wit, no-holds-barred comedic style, and acute self-awareness make him one of this generation’s most exciting comics and most unconventional cultural critics. He is unafraid to tap into the dark subconscious of society, and in doing so, he manages to isolate and illuminate what percolates on its underbelly.

It’s a skill Maron sharpened over the years. He first rose to relative prominence in the 1990s as a standup comedian and (to a lesser, now merely anecdotal degree) a one-time actor in Cameron Crowe’s Oscar-winning Almost Famous. He continued his career as the regular host of a series of left-wing radio talk shows, including “Morning Sedition” and later “The Marc Maron Show.”

Over the years, Maron has been a regular guest on a variety of late-night shows including David Letterman’s, Jay Leno’s, Jimmy Fallon’s, Jimmy Kimmel’s, Bill Maher’s, and Conan O’Brien’s. Maron holds the record for most appearances by a standup comedian on O’Brien’s program.

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