Comedy review: Game Bang Bingo is the best new thing on Monday nights
Things in my life I never expected: watching a 1960s Batman-themed porn in a group setting. And that’s precisely what happened last night at the Vulcan Gas Company. And that was just one of the moments drowning in the sleaze that is Game Bang Bingo, possibly one of the best things to do in Austin.
Kicking off at the Vulcan, Game Bang Bingo is a sexy, interactive game of real bingo, but instead of just one person hollering when they’ve hit their numbers, five winners go up on stage and are thrown to the lions to play a series of perverted games that more than once crossed the moral line. Your grandmother’s bingo, this ain’t.
Hosted by Grace Kirk and Thai Rivera, Game Bang Bingo started by playing the best of Mr. Skin, showing clips from everything from American Pie to Titanic. (Side note: I forgot Blink 182 makes a cameo in American Pie.) Both Rivera and Kirk worked their improvisation skills as they worked constantly to keep the jokes coming and the people engaged, which wasn’t hard considering they’re both experienced pros at talking shit. The games are well-paced, with the crowd being a part of the action, complete with props and someone dressed in full-blown bondage gear. Kirk and Rivera kept things moving, so nothing seemed stale, but instead, Game Bang Bingo felt like a horny Price is Right.
As the inappropriate jokes flowed, the games saw contestants spitting out mouthfuls of whipped cream, throwing greased-up dildos, and acting a fool. As the night wore on, you can see why the concept works: it’s stupid fun. You don’t need to be a comedian to get on stage, just willing to potentially wear a ball gag playing a game called “safe word.” (Yes, this did happen.) The mind wanders like, “They could totally get some strippers, rent an escort, feature porn stars, etc.” If you’re a degenerate like me, the vibe is loose, and the concept can only grow. The games write themselves because look around any sex shop, and there’s plenty on the shelves to create games.
For Kirk and Rivera, this could be the vehicle that serves as their breakout – the show has the potential to be that good. What serves as a mile marker for the show is that it’s not gross. Women run it, so it doesn’t feel predatory like anything involving sex tends to be when run by men who aren’t involved intrinsically with sex work. Women won most of the games, women got the lap dances, and drove the pace as contestants. Men were obviously there, too, but the feeling of an intimate space, allowing adults to be open about who they are, what they’re into instead of throwing dollars at a stage to find that place of sex and culture.
Kirk issued a warning to the crowd, “Everyone take a deep breath, this next game is going to be a lot.” And with that call, the crowd laughed and saw plenty of body parts doing what body parts do when two humans are in the mix.
Suppose you’re looking for a fun way to spend a Monday night down on 6th Street. In that case, Game Bang Bingo delivers the laughs in an entertaining and outgoing environment and could only get gnarlier from here. That’s a fantastic possibility, given we all have sex, so why not laugh about it? If you can’t howl at a kooky Bat-penis, this probably isn’t for you. Those folks need not apply because who doesn’t want to see the Joker get his butt licked by Batgirl? Head out to Game Bang Bingo on a Monday, and you’ll probably find out.
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