I love stand-up comedy. I grew up during the time when stand-up exploded and you could find comedy specials all the time on HBO. Thankfully, I didn’t have uptight, super-restrictive parents, and because of that I was able to listen to the unfiltered routines of guys like Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Sam Kinison, Andrew “Dice” Clay, etc. Looking back at the performances I realize that much of the raunchier material flew right over my head. Even as a kid, the one thing I always understood was that these comics were funny. I’m thankful for getting to watch those shows because all of them gave me an early course on developing a sense of humor.
Despite my enjoyment of stand-up, upon reaching adulthood, I never went to comedy clubs. It was like out of sight, out of mind. Well… it was that, and a more than a little bit of avoiding the drunken atomosphere. Movies filled my stand-up void until two things happened at nearly the same time. The first was my final breaking point of dealing with the sloppiness of the modern moviegoing experience. The second was that an Improv comedy club happened to open near my house. Seeing names like Robert Schimmel, Dave Chappelle, and Jim Norton on the calendar meant that it was time to go to the comedy show.
The first thing I noticed about seeing someone live is how much easier it is for them to make you laugh – even without any alcohol in you. It is almost like you’re rooting for them to be funny, and when they land the first punchline you just let go with laughter. If the comic can get that going you can get a high from it all. I was hoping for that feeling when I noticed that Louis C.K. and Bill Burr would be in town just a week a part from each other. Thankfully, neither comic let me down.
If you don’t know who Louis C.K. is, don’t worry you’ve probably heard one of his jokes. The man is a comedy machine. In fact he’s so full of material that other comics (ahem, Dane Cook) have been caught “borrowing” some of his material. Louis has a long list of writing credits that include: Letterman, Conan, Chris Rock Show, and Saturday Night Live. If you had/have HBO you may have seen him in his own cable sitcom Lucky Louie. Apparently not too many people did as it was sadly canceled after just one season.
His humor is brutal, observational, self-deprecating, and funny to the point where you almost feel guilty for laughing. He has unflinching honest and embarassing stories about being a father raising two little daughters, as well as bits on how jaded we’ve all become with technology. His act is not for the easily offended, or for people that can’t follow humor down a dark path. His overall tone is that of a hopeful, cynic – a man both oddly enjoying what life has brought him, and bracing for what it may have in store. Plus… he’s just damned funny. See for yourself:
About the only place that you’re likely to have seen Bill Burr is on the Dave Chappelle show. If you remember the skit about the racial draft, then you saw Bill as one of the announcers. If you’re still drawing a blank, that’s a shame because Bill Burr is unbelievably funny. I saw him a week to the day after Louis C.K. came to town, and I left the comedy club with my face hurting from laughing. Bill’s comedy is built on his rage and idle thoughts. Watching his act is like talking with a conspiracy-loving friend who is prepped to go off on a rant as soon as a subject hits the air. He lets his mind fly off on hilarious tangential rants that last until he has talked himself out of subject matter. Often times he won’t let a punchline sink in, and instead powers ahead with multiple shots like a boxer going pulling off a three punch combination. Here’s a clip, that while funny, doesn’t do his live act justice:
If you can take anything from this post let it be this – go see some stand-up. Whether it is on Netflix, or on TV, or in person, just go laugh your ass off. If you happen to hit the clubs, take note of how nice the comics tend to be after the shows. Yes, they are nice in the meet and greet because it helps sell DVD’s and CD’s, but they don’t have to be THAT nice. Louis C.K. stopped and thanked every fan that crossed his path, and Bill Burr took time out to actually converse with the people lining up for signed goods. Now get out of here and go watch some comedy.