Bill Maher, Tommy Smothers -- And Big Bird Make A Lively Saturday Night in Rohnert Park

In case you missed it, the legendary comedian Tommy Smothers was onhand to introduce the irreverent HBO "Real Time" comic Bill Maher at Sonoma State University's Green Music Center on Saturday night.  

The full-house crowd gave Smothers a standing-O as he spoke about his own program from the late 1960's, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and how he and brother Dick Smothers had been fired from the show by CBS for providing comedy that mocked the Nixon Administration and that called or an end to the Vietnam War. Maher, Smothers said, shared the commonality with him that Maher's former program, "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher" had been pulled off ABC after the host made comments against the Bush Administration in the weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Maher also noted that the terrorists were "courageous" in their beliefs for following through on crashing jet airplanes into buildings.  

Smothers , who lives in Kenwood, and Maher shared banter onstage before Maher got the show underway. Those that do not favor presidential candidate Mitt Romney, and other right-wing personalities, got an evening of comedy along the lines that they like to hear. An occasional conservative could occasionally be heard offering up a counter-opinion to the comedian. 

While the show was great, the real star showed up in the lobby of the Green Music Center's Weill Hall shortly before the show began. It was Big Bird, stopping by to pose with patrons of the arts on what was a fun and memorable Saturday evening at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park.