Here is what I knew about the biggest star in comedy circa 2012, Louis C.K. before last nights 7pm stand-up routine at City Center:
1. I'd seen him in an HBO special about comedy with Jerry Seinfeld and Ricky Gervais.
2. I'd seen him a fave movie, "The Invention Of Lying" though he had made zero impression.
So what am I doing here? I'd heard all seven shows, two a night , at his City Center gig had sold out and figured I'd figure out what it was all about. Plus it was a 7pm show, and I had a 9pm show later so I figuyred it was a good way to kill a coupla hours.
He was hysterical.
The American Mexican Jew didn't play off any of that while spinning stories about the joys of life (you get to stick chocolate in your mouth) and divorce ("you never ever anybody saying 'the divorce, it isn't working out'") and the life of middle aged misery guys who isn't so quite as miserable annymore.
But first there was an excellent Jewish comedian whose name i can't find but had a hysterical riff about thousands of Hitler going back in town to kill Hitler when he was a child.
Come to think of it, they were both Jewish comedians, but Louis doesn't riff on life, what he finds most amusing is man's unbelievable inhumanity to man even when they are being pretty damn humane. This is especially clear on an excellent riff about helping an old woman at an airport. And less clear in a not much riff about killing children.
The latter was a nadir though whether it would've been one if it stood alone is another question entirely. The only problem with Louis excellent routine was that it went on maybe 20 minutes too long.
Louis has been evolving from a bitter 30 something married man to a less bitter 40 something divorced man. Over this period of times, his ten years are so as a start comedian, has grown into his act and his body. There is a kinda funny saying what everybody thinks but doesn't want to stay. He compares it to somebody who has just been fired from her job, "I never liked you much" she tells another employee in her line of fire.
And there are logic codas: scoring girls who are too good for you comes down to this equation: Pussy + Time over income squared. Which isn't simply funny it's is true. And if that has no moral ring, how about how it is not enough, not nearly enough to love yourself?
With his tummy and his schlubbyness, graying red hair, and middle class scruffiness, he is a sort of Larry David character, but with even more self-loathing. Playing 16 sold out nights at City Center, maybe it is enough to love yourself once in awhile.
Grade: A-