For those who are not yet of a certain age, it’s easy to forget that Steve Martin was once the most popular comedian in America. His stand-up appearances filled baseball stadiums, and his guest-host appearances on Saturday Night Live were must-see appointment television events that routinely added a million viewers to the show’s ratings. After only a few years of such unprecedented success, however, he quit stand-up comedy for over three decades to make movies, write, and make bluegrass music with his trademark banjo. Fortunately for those of us who didn’t get to see him during the first go-around, he came back to stand-up comedy a couple of years ago and is currently on tour with Martin Short and his Steep Canyon Rangers bluegrass band. Last Friday night’s stop was in Sacramento, CA, and I made sure not to miss him this time. No need to go into the show’s details, since anyone with Netflix can watch a film version from his stop in Greenville, SC, but I will just say that he’s still got it, and seeing him in person was a childhood dream come true. And he plays a mean banjo.
