Photo by Media Commons

Louis C.K. delivered his new material to a hungry audience on Wednesday night at the Johnny Mercer Theatre. And I must say, I was well-fed once he walked off stage.

His jokes were new but with touches of the comedic flavors that he has always been known for. Comic Todd Barry also served as an incredible appetizer as Louis C.K.’s opening act.

When excessively familiar with a performer, fans can go into shows with the mentality that they are going to see something they’re already familiar with. Sure, that is all well and good in a concert setting, but when talking about comedian performances, there is pressure for funnier material than their past work.

Vulgarity, cynicism and awkwardness are Louis C.K.’s specialties and expertise. Expletives are never in short supply during his acts. His performance Wednesday night did not disappoint in those subject areas. But he didn’t get to those jokes quickly. His performance started off a bit timid in nature.

Comics adapt a sort of character throughout their careers. But he did not step onstage in his well-known character, he stepped out as himself. There was a raw tone in his voice; almost a sort of nervousness. But that vulnerability was endearing and human.

Kicking off his act was a joke about an old woman who had fallen while he was at the airport. This was considered tame by me. What I was really waiting for was for him to push the envelope. He did, and he did it well.

About 15 minutes into his performance he requested the lights to be turned off in the audience. And his filter went out along with them. He had the audience laughing about dead children.

The brilliance that lies in Louis C.K.’s jokes, along with other great comics, is the truth. The painful truth. After his first standing ovation he came back on stage to share his “Of Course…But Maybe…” bit. The bitter reality of thoughts that many people have had, whether they are brave enough to share them or not, were exposed.

An example from the last portion of his act was “Of course, of course! Men and women are equal. Of course they are! But maybe … maybe … if you are a man and get a divorce and you have your ex-wife pay you to keep up your standards of living, maybe you are a d***less piece of ****. Seriously, get a f***ing job.”

His talent is genuine and his erratic, inappropriate humor is based on honesty. His talent, like eating, is something every human can relate to. Louis C.K. brought a smorgasbord of new material. And I ate it up.