It was only a few short months ago that I wrote about my favorite comedian, Louis C.K. Last night I finally got the opportunity to see him live and he did not disappoint! I was a bit bummed that our seats weren’t as close to the stage as I initially thought, but my line of sight wasn’t bad; I just had to keep readjusting when the girl in front of me would move her head (she seriously could not sit still).
It’s been seventeen years (half my life!) since I’ve set foot in the Chicago Theatre, the last time being when I worked for Gallery 37 and we were treated to an afternoon showing of Jesus Christ Superstar. Suffice it to say, I don’t remember the interior at all, but it’s really beautiful. The women’s restrooms are really bizarre, however. There’s only four stalls and they are above the regular floor level which makes for interesting shoe-watching when you’re waiting in line. It’s tough to explain, but if you’ve ever been there you’ll know exactly what I mean. Plus the entire bathroom is coated in Pepto-Bismol pink. The concessions are what you’d expect – overpriced. $4 for a small bottle of water and $6 for a can of beer, but we got something anyway.
I wasn’t exactly thrilled about Louie sharing the stage with “three very special guests”, but at least the way they did it kept things interesting and gave us enough of Louie to keep the audience satisfied. Louie came out first and told some jokes, then introduced his first guest whose name I don’t recall because he’s not a comedian I’m familiar with. That was a bit disappointing, but his ten minute act was alright. Afterward Louie came back out, did some more jokes, and then introduced his next guest which was Richard Lewis! I remember watching him on HBO at my grandparent’s house back when having cable was rare, so that was a nice surprise. After his ten minute act, Louie came back out, did some more jokes, and introduced his final guest – Steven Wright! I was very excited because I didn’t know he still did stand-up and I’ve always liked his dead-pan demeanor. Once again, after Steven’s act, Louie came back out and then closed the house with more jokes.
In all, we got over an hour of Louie and a half hour of the other guys combined, so it was good. Louie was the funniest, of course! And the best part is that 99% of his act was entirely new material I’ve never heard before, and believe me, I know his material backwards and forwards at this point. It’s one of the reasons why I admire him so much. There are several comedians, including Nick Swardson and Aziz Ansari, whom I really do love, but who rarely introduce new material. It takes a brilliant mind to throw out all the stuff you know has gotten laughs and start anew, but Louis C.K. does it every time he tours and that’s why I plan to see him every time he comes to town.