I must admit that it was not my intent to schedule back-to-back shows dealing with the Holy Gospel. However, it happened, so I must reside with the fact that it was divine intervention that my second Saturday show brought me to Brother Love’s Good Time Gospel Hour, a tent-revival, musical comedy of sorts that Fresnans will thoroughly enjoy. Tambourines and cash (not real) are given out upon entrance, but Brother Love does accept real cash donations too, of course. Noam Osband (playing Brother Love), delivers a riot of hilarity and musically gifted revival supported by an astounding stamina for the sing-song roar of the preacher voice to Goldstein’s.
As I wrote in my preview piece, I’ve seen Brother Love before, but that did not prep me properly for the cry-laughing I experienced during this new iteration. Brother Love takes his congregation on a journey involving Jesus’ attractiveness, some socially questionable influences, and various interpretations of scripture, which allow Brother Love to run his church in a way he has deemed fit due to his experiencing of sins in order to help cure the sin. He has a gift for having a shock value which does not offend intensely but rather makes you chuckle or, in my case, cry with prudish laughter. He sets an atmosphere of fun and crowd callbacks while never letting the audience run wild with interaction.
If you’re in need of a beer and some repentance, you can catch the remaining shows of Brother Love’s Good Time Gospel Hour at Goldstein’s Mortuary and Delicatessen on Friday, 3/11 at 5:30pm and Saturday, 3/12 at 6:30pm.