How To Be A Rock Star

If Jonathan Richman and Andy Kaufman had a lovechild and that kid grew up to stage a Fringe show, it probably would resemble "How to be a Rock Star". I'd seen Sam Pocker's "Need a friend..." flyer a while back and Googled him wondering what that was about. When I discovered that he had a Fringe show I was really looking forward to seeing it, because I reckoned it would be interesting and it was. Filled with songs, audience participation, laser lights and recipes. I'm glad that I saw it. ... full review

From previous reviews and being familiar with Sam's work, I expected it to be weird, but even I was surprised by some of the antics he had built into this show. Sam presents How to Be a Rock Star as a retrospective of his evolution as an artist, sharing the mundane details behind the composition of seemingly profound songs. ... full review

While the public stands up and praises the Emperor’s new clothes, even though he is naked, this critic will call this show what it truly is – an absurdist vanity project that needs to be labelled as such. If you like this kind of comedy, then have at it. If you are looking for a serious musical show, then avoid this one like the plague. ... full review

Confusion was my overall impression. Yes, he makes fun of how unrehearsed and unpredictable his show is, but it was true to the point that it had me asking what I was watching and why, and how I could be expected to care more than the person on stage seemed not to. I appreciated that he was trying new things and recognized that his humor was wry/dry. This seemed more like a standup routine test where, unfortunately, much of the bits and humor landed flat for me. I was certainly confused by the title. I will agree - this is absurdist.... full review