Louis CK- Live At The Comedy Store
Louis CK released his new special "Live At The Comedy Store" yesterday for download from his website for $5. CK first introduced this model for distributing his live shows in 2011 with his "Live at the Beacon Theater" special and it has been imitated by many other comedians since. It's an intelligent move that has paid off (the Beacon Theater show grossed $1.1 million in downloads in 2011), allowing fans to support their favourite comedians at a reasonable price level.
The announcement of this release was accompanied by a long message to CK's mailing list recounting his history as a stand up comedian and the clubs he used to play. In the week where he cancelled a 4th performance at Madison Square Gardens in New York due to the inclement weather on the East Coast, he considers this special a return to his roots as he tested out material in small clubs around the country prior to this performance at LA's Comedy Store.
It sees CK in a provocative mood, as he immediately claims that the Boston accent is "people pronouncing words incorrectly". Louis is not exactly a stranger to filthy material but seems to relish pushing the envelope in front of a smaller crowd, with mixed results. A routine essentially comparing toilets to women is a bit too far on the strange side of the scale, although a section on rat fucking proves much more entertaining than the premise suggests. This performance also demonstrates CK's strong physicality, acting out the disappointed reaction of a former lover to amusing effect.
I enjoy CK the most when discussing the pains of middle age and there's plenty to enjoy here in that regard, from his hopes for personal fitness to feeling emasculated by a bat exterminator whose occupation is confused with that of a famous comic book character. Many will sympathise with his encounter with a young woman on the subway, while his fantasy response to a businessman asking him to deal with a crying child is hilariously bleak.
"Hilariously bleak" probably sums up this special as a whole, with a stand out routine on the development of CK's nihilism from a young age. This along with a subversive story about racism are the show's highlights. "Live At The Comedy Store" isn't CK's best performance but it's a solid addition to a fine body of work. At £3.50 for the video and audio downloads, it's also excellent value.
The announcement of this release was accompanied by a long message to CK's mailing list recounting his history as a stand up comedian and the clubs he used to play. In the week where he cancelled a 4th performance at Madison Square Gardens in New York due to the inclement weather on the East Coast, he considers this special a return to his roots as he tested out material in small clubs around the country prior to this performance at LA's Comedy Store.
It sees CK in a provocative mood, as he immediately claims that the Boston accent is "people pronouncing words incorrectly". Louis is not exactly a stranger to filthy material but seems to relish pushing the envelope in front of a smaller crowd, with mixed results. A routine essentially comparing toilets to women is a bit too far on the strange side of the scale, although a section on rat fucking proves much more entertaining than the premise suggests. This performance also demonstrates CK's strong physicality, acting out the disappointed reaction of a former lover to amusing effect.
I enjoy CK the most when discussing the pains of middle age and there's plenty to enjoy here in that regard, from his hopes for personal fitness to feeling emasculated by a bat exterminator whose occupation is confused with that of a famous comic book character. Many will sympathise with his encounter with a young woman on the subway, while his fantasy response to a businessman asking him to deal with a crying child is hilariously bleak.
"Hilariously bleak" probably sums up this special as a whole, with a stand out routine on the development of CK's nihilism from a young age. This along with a subversive story about racism are the show's highlights. "Live At The Comedy Store" isn't CK's best performance but it's a solid addition to a fine body of work. At £3.50 for the video and audio downloads, it's also excellent value.
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