STAND-UP TUESDAYS: Louis C.K.

May 15th, 2012

Angie Frissore

Stand-Up Tuesdays is a weekly comedy spotlight written by the wonderfully talented Angie Frissore. Covering both known and unknown comics, Stand-up Tuesdays is your new source for all things funny.

This week, Angie puts a spotlight on Louis C.K. If you or your comedy troupe would like to be featured on Stand-Up Tuesdays, please email utgjames@gmail.com.

It’s official: I am madly in love with Louis C.K.

The Boston native and comedian extraordinaire has released yet another amazingly cheap special via digital download available through his website, Word – Live at Carnegie Hall, only a few months after breaking from industry norm with his December 2011 release, Live at the Beacon Theater.

Unlike Beacon, there was virtually no fore-warning about the release of Word, making this past Friday’s announcement all that more exciting as C.K. stays true to his promise of putting out a new special every year. While some of the material on the special may sound familiar, Louis C.K. explains the reasoning for this to fans on his website:

“This is material that I was performing two years ago (about) on a tour that was called “Word”. Some of this material was on my FX show “Louie” in pieces but the entire show in one piece was never released. This show was recorded at Carnegie Hall on November 4, 2010.”

Word offers fans an hour of C.K. at his best, performing for a 3,000-strong audience at the famed Carnegie Hall, hilariously beginning his set with, “Let’s talk some shit.” He then takes a moment to point out to the crowd that, if the fancy should strike him, he has the power to single-handedly ruin their evening, offering up a scenario that would not only succeed in that mission, but could also be a highly-watched special on its own.

“I have the potential to ruin your night in a way that will resonate for weeks,” C.K. states. “Like if I just came out here and said hi, and then just shit my pants. And then I just leave.”

In typical C.K. fashion, Word features the veteran comedian ranting about the younger generation, being an unhealthy father, marriage and near-death experiences. His comedy stands out above and beyond other comedians in that you pretty much get the sense that everything he says is pretty honest and true to himself. Rather than singling out any one demographic to rip on, C.K. weaves hilarity into much more empathetic stories which make him seem like the superhero of the everyday man.

“I think it’s arrogant to save money,” C.K. states. “You shit it out. It’s like oxygen; it’s not my money, it’s the money.”

Aside from being one of the most hilarious comedians currently performing, C.K. is also a straight-up nice guy. Not only is he determined to provide new specials on a consistent and easily-accessible basis for his fans (as well as donating a huge chunk of his profits to charity), it’s the little things about C.K. that endear him to me not just as a comedian, but as a person. He recognizes that his fans are his customers and works diligently to meet their needs – and he’s certainly not shy about showing his appreciation for them. After reading his latest update on his website, one simply cannot help but adore this man.

Skip that afternoon latte and head over to Louis C.K.’s website today to get your copy of Word: Live at Carnegie Hall. It’s only five dollars, and is more than worth every penny spent. And thank you, Mr. C.K., for doing your job so well.