RIP Peter Bergman, comic genius of Firesign Theatre
Peter Bergman passed away today due to complications from leukemia, according to a post on the Firesign Theatre web site. One of the founding members of the troupe, Bergman had an instantly recognizable voice and a brilliant comic mind. I went through high school listening to Firesign Theatre on LPs, laughing uncontrollably and marveling at their inventiveness.
Bergman was also a wonderful, warm, exuberant, genuine person. I got to meet him in 1995 at the first Digital Storytelling Festival, the late Dana Atchley's amazing un-conference that brought together spoken word folks, image and video people, and us pixel-stained wretches. I still remember wandering down the main street of Crested Butte, Colorado, riffing off random stuff with Bergman, just talking and laughing. I got over the feeling of terrified awe in about a minute. He was just that kind of guy.
Think I'll spend the evening celebrating Bergman by playing one of my favorite comedy albums of all time, "Nick Danger, Third Eye." If you feel similarly inclined, you might listen to his last podcast, from Tuesday, at Radio Free Oz.
Our thoughts are with Peter's family, friends, and fans on this sad day.
Comments
Len Katzman
Sat, 03/10/2012 - 5:23pm
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A sad passing.
My brother being 6 years older than me, I was exposed to Firesign Theater as a 6th grader when he went off to college and came home to visit with a few of their records. Their work was so creative and initricate and multi-layered that it is hard to describe. "Comedy albums" doesn't really fit, although they were without doubt comedy. I'd compare them to the Marx Brothers at their ad-libbing best, but with much more cultural references and hidden (or not) political content. You couldn't get all the meanings on a single listen and through high school I spent literally countless hours listening to their records over and over.
I never understood how it was that they remained so obscure and had but a cult following. Bergman's passing feels to me like as great a cultural loss as John Lennon. The passing of a singular voice, and the passing of a era.
Viking
Sun, 03/11/2012 - 9:44am
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Firesign
Thanks for your comments, Len I could not agree more. I met Proctor (& Bergman) when they were on the road and appeared at (of all places) the old "Paul's Mall/Jazz Workshop" on Boylston St. in Boston. A very small venue, I saw them up close and simply walked up to them after their act and though they were highly revered by me I found them surprisingly approachable... I introduced myself as "Dwight Yeast"... I have their autographs... I've gotten most of their materials on CD now.
P.S.: Katherwood???