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Maria Bamford's comedic style ranges from unique storytelling of her acting out many personas with quirky voice impressions from her family members to describing funny or awkward moments of other people.
Also an actress and writer, the standup comedian has been critically acclaimed for her sets on dealing with depression, anxiety, dysfunctional family and mental illness.
"Standup was great for me as I had difficulty connecting with people on a social level due to OCD-intrusive thoughts — the controlled environment of the stage is very calming to me and that remains to this day," Bamford told Livermore Vine in a recent interview. "My act isn't for everyone, so please YouTube 'Maria Bamford'. I have gotten feedback that I'm odd and wordy, so let that be your guide."
Bamford, who is performing in Livermore next weekend, started in standup comedy at age 19 at Stevie Ray's Comedy Cabaret. Now she has done voice acting for numerous characters for cartoon shows, starred in her semiautobiographical Netflix comedy series "Lady Dynamite" and has appeared on several late night shows such as "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and "Late Night with Seth Meyers".
Over the years, Bamford's approach to comedy has changed as she grew and became more experienced in the industry.
"My time is done in terms of feeling like I need to be heard. I have already made it a thousand times over and hope to support the next generation. I love performing and creating, but there is less drive in a lovely way," she said.
Bamford's material for her latest tour is a culmination of work since 2020. During the pandemic, she would hold performances over Zoom working from home.
"It is such a rush of joy to perform in person after a long quarantine. I still love a Zoom show, however," Bamford said.
"I have just taped a special for Comedy Dynamics, and so my current tour is the result of three years of writing and performing. I hope to gradually start replacing material — but safe to say that the topics of family, relationships, mental health done with several character act-outs will be covered" she added.
Bamford will be performing at the Bankhead Theater in Livermore next Saturday (Aug. 5) at 8 p.m. This will be her first performance in the Tri-Valley area.
"I have not been to the Livermore neighborhood. I assume it will be lovely," Bamford said. "You have a poet laureate, Peggy Schimmelman, who mentions wild turkeys! You have a periodic element, Livermorium! You have a public library with a cafe and Shakespeare productions! My god, I might have to move."
Tickets are on sale now. For more information, visit livermorearts.org or call 925-373-6100.
