Reggie Watts To Give VR Comedy Performance Thursday Night

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The weird and wonderful Reggie Watts becomes futuristic and digitized on Thursday when he performs stand-up through virtual reality social media site AltspaceVR. The past co-host of “Comedy Bang! Bang!” and current bandleader on “The Late Late Show” joins AltspaceVR’s running stand-up comedy program for an on-line performance that can either feel intimate or stadium-sized, depending on an individual viewer’s desires. The upcoming performance isn’t Watts’ first foray into the new realm of VR; his short film “Waves” debuted this year at Sundance Film Festival using VR tech..

Anyway, according to theverge.com, the young website expanded into entertainment through a program called FrontRow. Using FrontRow, an infinite number of rooms are created as viewers log on and more avatars join the event. Viewers are automatically placed into a public room, but retain the option to make their room semi-private or solitary. While this virtual cafe technology isn’t new, it’s extremely recent that single performances could be broadcast to all these virtual rooms.

Audience members can’t interact with Watts, but virtual heckling will look a little different than the original in person version. The system can temporarily bump a viewer up to a performer if they were to make a comment or ask a question. This could be why people opt for private rooms, where groups of friends can keep up commentaries of the show without disturbing the performer.

We don’t know exactly what to expect, but the use of the term “avatar” implies a cartoon of Watts may be performing, as opposed to a video version of Watts which may affect the ability to make use of subtle body language and facial cues.  While the site argues their technology makes the show more accessible to a larger audience, this is all dependent on ownership of expensive, new technology. But as befits the surreal beat-boxer, this is quite the experiment with comedy.

AltspaceVR may be the most well known VR platform for the year it’s been on the market. It’s available as a free app on Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Samsung Gear VR. If a viewer chooses to watch without a VR headset, the show is also available on flat-screen televisions.

Sign up and watch the event, tonight, Thursday May 26 at 11pm in the East.

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Rachel Crowe

The most notable lies Rachel Crowe has ever told were that she has 10 children (no twins), she’s running a marathon retracing the path her ancestors took to evade the IRS and that she found childcare for 10 on a Saturday night. She’s also a stand-up comedian and dog walker living in Los Angeles. Follow Rachel on Twitter @Racheddar or on Instagram @thelma_and_disease. Or don’t, but at least appreciate those fresh hot puns.
Rachel Crowe
Rachel Crowe
The most notable lies Rachel Crowe has ever told were that she has 10 children (no twins), she’s running a marathon retracing the path her ancestors took to evade the IRS and that she found childcare for 10 on a Saturday night. She’s also a stand-up comedian and dog walker living in Los Angeles. Follow Rachel on Twitter @Racheddar or on Instagram @thelma_and_disease. Or don’t, but at least appreciate those fresh hot puns.