Las Vegas Sun

May 1, 2024

The latest Smigel spectacle

Jacob Smigel

Laura Davis

Jacob Smigel (and his brother, Jesse) stayed up all night.

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"Hope This Passes the Secretary..." MP3s

Hand puppets, found-sound enactments, coffee bongs and spam-poetry readings—components that make up the variety show that is Jacob Smigel. Oh yeah, and songs too. Saturday night’s Yayo Taco CD release for rarities collection, Hope this Passes the Secretary... pulled out all the stops fans have come to expect from the former Las Vegan, along with some new additions.

During the Flaming Lips-y “Grumpy Pill Bugs,” Smigel dug out his own pill-bug hand puppet. “Eight times,” Smigel said, thinking back to the exact appearance count of his new friend. “And four of those were with a brown sock puppet.”

Smigel’s performance of the digital rap “I Stayed Up All Night” was a tour first, thanks to the presence of Jesse Smigel. “This is the first time I’ve ever toured with my brother,” Smigel explained. “He’s loosened up. He got over some stage fright.”

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If there was lingering hesitation on Jesse’s part, it wasn’t apparent to Friday’s audience. The crowd packed in and soaked up the energy, marking another milestone for the eclectic tour. “This was probably the biggest show I’ve ever played in Las Vegas,” Smigel said. “I knew maybe one sixth of the audience.”

Smigel’s new CD is available at Zia Record Exchange and through jacobsmigel.com.

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