A lot has happened in the time since Grammy and Emmy Award-winning stand-up comedian Patton Oswalt recorded his first comedy album, Feelin’ Kinda Patton, at the 40 Watt Club in 2003. The album, originally released as an unedited version called 222 (Live & Uncut) by Chunklet, was followed by an additional six comedy albums and a handful of EPs. These were of course complemented with a steady stream of filmed specials distributed by Comedy Central and Netflix.
Parallel to his career as a stand-up comedian, Oswalt has navigated an illustrious career in film and television over the last 30 years since his debut as a video store clerk on “Seinfeld.” Famously voicing Remy in Ratatouille, he’s appeared in over 70 films, such as Young Adult, The Secret Life of Pets 2 and I Love My Dad. In addition to playing countless roles on TV series such as “The King of Queens,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” he’s voiced characters on the likes of “BoJack Horseman,” “The Sandman” and “The Goldbergs.” This month, he celebrates the release of conspiracy fiction series “Manhunt” as well as Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
“I didn’t have a physical connection—I’d only visited once—but I had a massive emotional connection,” says Oswalt about recording Feelin’ Kinda Patton. “[R.E.M.’s] Fables of the Reconstruction was one of those albums that laid out a roadmap for how I could get out of my bland suburban wasteland of a town, and maybe find cooler pockets where the weirdos had figured out how to thrive. Athens, GA was this idea before it was a place—I wanted to meet its denizens and see if they received my wavelength.”
Oswalt has toured through Athens on several occasions over the years, but one show in particular forever cemented his popularity among the townie crowd. During a stand-up set in 2007 at the 40 Watt, Oswalt described Athens by saying, “This city is like Willy Wonka’s factory. This is not the real world. You’re living in a weird bubble dream city of goodness… The streets here are made of pot, and leprechauns bring you coffee in the morning.”
He effectively held a mirror up to the town with a characterization that has continued to resonate over time, albeit with a bittersweet undertone as the rising cost of living has curtailed creativity and this carefree, whimsical lifestyle for many.
“Well, I say, jokingly, onstage, how Athenians need to keep it quiet about what a remarkable place Athens is,” says Oswalt. “Austin got too loud—same way San Francisco did in the ‘90s—and got gobbled up by tech douches. All of these wonderful little bubbles of sanity—Madison, WI; Oxford, MS; Asheville, NC—have gotta keep it quiet. Keep it quiet and shop local like your life depends on it.”
Last October, Oswalt returned to the 40 Watt to perform in front of a sold-out room at a show commemorating his first album’s 20th anniversary. Before Oswalt began his set, Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz joined him on stage to honor him with a key to the city.
“Patton is an artist and performer whose work I have enjoyed for quite a while, and I was aware that his first comedy album was recorded at the 40 Watt,” says Girtz. “His short bit about Athens’ mystique is a perfect summary of how damn special this place is to so many of us. The key to the city is a chance to let both local and visiting persons know that their presence is appreciated, and celebrate contributions to Athens’ quality of life. It says, ‘We’re glad you are here, whether you arrived for a brief time, or whether you have been here your whole life.’”
Dating back to medieval times, when a key to the city symbolized the freedom to enter and leave walled cities at will as a trusted individual, the tradition carries on as an ornamental key presented to honor distinguished visitors and residents for their cultural or civic contributions. While Oswalt will likely never be able to use the key to open a Chick-fil-A on a Sunday, as he joked during his set, the symbolic gesture extends an open invitation that he will always be welcomed here.
“Truth in advertising: This is how a mayor alone can wield absolute power,” says Girtz. “No criteria, no vote overriding my choices, just pure unadulterated pedal to the metal. Be careful, since I have less than three years remaining in the seat, and I could go all Oprah in City Hall one of these days…YOU get a key to the city, YOU get a key to the city, YOU get a key to the city…”
Oswalt is in good company among those who hold a key. In February, beloved local artist Harold Rittenberry was bestowed with a key to the city in recognition of his decades-long dedication to beautifying the community with his distinctive, uplifting metal sculptures. Last November, singer Micky Dolenz of The Monkees accepted one during a special appearance at Wuxtry Records, where he launched the release of a new EP called Dolenz Sings R.E.M. Other recipients during Girtz’s term have included Walt Cook, a co-founder of Sandy Creek Nature Center who has built over 100 trails in Georgia; Vince Dooley, who spent 25 years as head football coach at the University of Georgia; Richard Boone, co-founder of the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia; and Lucy Rowland, the longest serving member of the Athens-Clarke County planning commission.
“For a comedian it’s weird because your mind goes to every workmanlike ‘key to the city’ joke you can think of,” says Oswalt. “Can I get free food anywhere? Walk into people’s homes? But Athens is one of those cities that it feels like, when you have been given a key to it, you’ve hit some secret level of cool you didn’t know existed.”
Oswalt will return to the 40 Watt for a two-night run on Tuesday, Mar. 26 and Wednesday, Mar. 27, with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets run $35, and can be scooped up via 40watt.com.
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