“I don’t understand how he does it,” was just one of the thoughts that passed through my mind as I watched Louis C.K’s brand new special, “Live At The Comedy Store.” Covering everything from his native Boston accent to the sexual habits of rats, Louis C.K. manages to highlight everyday occurrences and unmask their shitty, yet simultaneously hysterical roots.
The hour-long show was released on his website for $5, following the cancellation of his fourth Madison Square Garden show in light of the recent “historic”-ish storm. It began with a snippet of the opener, Jay London. While at first I was a bit confused, I did find some of his jokes funny eventually. And while I found that choice of an opener to be odd, C.K.’s rationale made sense. In an email to his fans, he described his choice to film in a comedy club, and how such places are the birthplace of stand-up comedy. On his website, he described London as one of his “favorite club comics going way back to the late 80s.”
Then he walks onto the stage, and it’s an entirely different ball game. His command of the stage makes something so difficult look so effortless. Perhaps it’s his decades of experience, or perhaps it’s just natural talent, but he manages to make magic out of the most mundane. And while in this special we hear brand new jokes, it’s still coming out of the same crass, sarcastic, self-deprecating mouth — in the best way, of course.
Once again, Louis C.K. brings humanity to a world that needs it, whether it’s found in his musings of stress and death or parenthood and everyday life. He allows us to laugh at him and at ourselves. Underneath each joke lies a nugget of truth, and it’s pretty easy to find them if you’re listening. Bottom line: It’s worth the watch. I didn’t find every second funny, but it’s worthwhile alone for the really funny bits that had me awkwardly laughing in public. If nothing else, watch it for his use of the phrase “blizzard of bad dicks.”
As Jerry Seinfeld once said “There is no such thing as fun for the whole family,” and this applies here. Don’t watch it with your mom (unless your mom is really chill), as it’s pretty NSFW. Watch it by yourself, or watch it with your friends with whom you are comfortable enough to listen to the words “rat orgasm.”