God’s Pottery
Fri.-Sat. Jan. 16-17, 8:30 p.m.
$12.50
The Music Farm
Since God’s Pottery first visited the Holy City in 2007, the faux-Christian acoustic duo have been semi-finalists on NBC’s Last Comic Standing and released a live comedy record through Comedy Central.
To say they’re coming back for a victory lap is hardly over-selling it — fans can even get GP T-shirts with sayings like “What happens in Vegas stays in God’s memory for all eternity” and the now-famous “Virginity Rocks.”
New Yorkers and improv veterans Wilson Hall and Krister Johnson play it absolutely straight as Bible-thumping slow-wits Jeremiah Smallchild and Gideon Lamb. They think their original music speaks to today’s youth. But it actually speaks to adults reminded of that one time at Bible camp when the youth group leader warned them about the dangers of Lionel Richie.
One of their hits is an abstinence anthem “The Pants Come Off When the Ring Goes On,” and “Jesus I Need a Drink” returns spirits to their holy roots with lyrics like “get stupid drunk on Christ.” Last time, they played out short scenes amounting to the best of the worst of the ABC After-School Specials.
Part of the appeal of God’s Pottery is its strict adherence to the act. Some of the songs are so spot on — and Hall and Johnson’s delivery so earnest — that the audience will inevitably wonder if the pair is actually in on the joke.
Confused by their apparent sincerity, judges quizzed the God’s Pottery guys on Last Comic Standing, but they never broke character. Meanwhile, Christians across the country were confounded and forced to wonder whether they should embrace these Good-Book troubadours or stone them.
At Beliefnet.org, pop culture blogger Kris Ramussen wondered, “Is God’s Pottery really a faux Christian comedy team — or are they truly a pair of believers who are slyly working their way to the top?”
To which one commentor responded, “Even if they are not really Christians, little do they know they are still speaking truth.”
Yeah, but when that “truth” is wrapped in songs like “A Brand New Start with Christ,” which seemingly encourages their Jewish friends to convert, you know you’re not looking at fellowship — you’re looking at pure comedy.
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