![]() He said “Sup, Neruda.” I was caught off guard for a second then I said “what up Kev.” He asked me how I was and what was going on with me and was just genuinely interested in my life. Kev noticed, like I think he did all the time. I never wanted to be an annoyance or a hanger on., so I always just kept my head down and did my thing. As usual I had a scowl on my face and as I was entering the show room I see Kevin sitting at one of the dining tables with Ben Kissell and the rest of the Round Table of Gentlemen, probably after recording an episode of the podcast. I had just sat around the open mic downstairs trying to kill time until the show I was on upstairs started and I was going up. I was walking up the steps of the Creek and Cave headed into the upstairs show room. I remember vividly my last interaction with him. And that was the fun of being in his presence-you thought for a second maybe you too were in on this cosmic joke. He always seemed to be in on a bigger joke that we were all missing. You could see the nerves in everyone waiting to go up, not sure if what they’re about to say on stage is well thought out or even makes sense. When I first met him I was intimidated, not just because he was taller than everyone at the mic but also because none of it seemed to phase him. He was already making a name for himself, I believe originally starting in Florida before moving to New York to pursue a career. I met him in NYC, in 2010, when I first started doing stand-up. Kev grew up in Florida originally and was a graduate of FAMU. He was one of kind-a big kid, silly and unapologetically Black. The name Bird Luger was born in New Orleans, when he was wearing a bird shirt, standing next to a bird painting, while holding a giant bird book. ![]() He was a brilliant comedic mind behind some of the funniest and most compelling work on television over the last few years-he co-created Rel, wrote for Broad City and The Carmichael Show, was a cast member on Friends of The People, and did so many other things. You may know Kevin Barnett or you may not. So I had to use Paste’s media credentials as cover to get in. But unfortunately Kevin was such a good god damn person both Bell House shows were sold out. ![]() I actually just wanted to celebrate my dude’s life and be with those of us who knew him. I really didn’t want to write this article. Neruda Williams, a friend and colleague of Barnett’s, wrote about the memorial and Barnett’s life for Paste. Memorial fundraiser shows were held at the Bell House in Brooklyn on Jan. Stand-up comedian and comedy writer Kevin Barnett, also known as Bird Luger, passed suddenly on Tuesday, Jan.
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