Visitors of Kleinhans Music Hall are usually exposed to the soothing sounds of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. But on Thursday night, spectators heard a different kind of symphony - one filled with expletives, self-loathing and most prominently, laughter.
Louis C.K. performed his consistently offensive act in front of approximately 2,800 people.
Instead of starting with the typical comedy-show introduction of praising the city in which he was performing, the three-time Emmy winner took the opposite approach. Seconds after taking the stage, he let out a long, droning sigh, and said "Buffalo isn't that bad of a place for the first 45 minutes, then it sucks for the rest of your life." The audience roared with laughter.
"His comments on Buffalo are spot on," said Emily Bradley, a senior English major. "If anyone else said it, I may have had a problem. But because it's him, it wasn't offensive at all."
That seemed to be the theme of the night. The crowd fed off each line no matter how offensive the joke. In fact, the more offensive bits got the most laughs, and Louis C.K. used that to his advantage.
In one of his bits, which he titled "Of course, but maybe," Louis C.K. told a joke about a child with a peanut allergy. He said: "Of course" we should label products with peanuts in them to protect children with allergies, "but maybe" if a child would die from touching a peanut, he deserves to die.
People were laughing uncontrollably. He followed the joke up with one about a wounded soldier, saying "of course" we should support our veterans, "but maybe" it isn't a surprising outcome if a soldier gets shot. The audience became a little apprehensive. Louis C.K. then pointed out how the crowd laughed at a "dead child" but couldn't laugh at a wounded soldier. The audience reignited in laughter.
"He doesn't seem to have boundaries in his jokes," said Caroline King, a 23-year-old communication major at Buffalo State College. "I know a lot of comedians have those elements as well, but I particularly enjoy his style."
Bradley agreed, but she also enjoyed his honesty. She was surprised she was able to find humor in some of his jokes. She said Louis C.K. points out things she has thought about, but never was able to attach humor to.
"It was one of those situations where you feel guilty for laughing and not sure if you should, but the fact he's making these jokes in front of 2,800 people made it OK to laugh out loud," Bradley said.
Amanda Vanderwerf, a 29-year-old D'Youville College graduate and long-time fan of Louis C.K., said she was laughing the entire show. She said Louis C.K. said the things most people think but are afraid to say.
"His jokes are funny because they're true," she added.
Louis C.K. has made a career of taking risks and pushing the envelope. Even after more than 25 years as a stand-up comedian, his approach remains the same.
In addition to poking fun at dead children and wounded soldiers, the biggest victim of his jokes is himself. Whether it is his recent divorce, his children, his age or his weight, Louis C.K. lets the audience in with barely any filter.
He talked about how much he appreciates sitting down. He said as a 45-year-old, 240-pound man, he now needs "more information" if someone is calling him into another room because standing up takes too much effort.
He added he would rather do nothing sitting down than have sex standing up.
"He's comfortable talking about his flaws that everyone has but are afraid to admit," Bradley said. "Some comedians think talking about their alcoholism or drug abuse wouldn't be funny, but Louis talks about his flaws as a dad and a person so the audience can relate to that more and not feel like a horrible person for laughing about it."
Some of Louis C.K.'s other topics in his routine included the question whether murder is only wrong because it is illegal, what animals are really thinking and even a 12-minute discussion about breasts - a feat even Louis C.K. was surprised to have accomplished.
The entire set, which lasted roughly two hours, had the crowd laughing consistently throughout the show. It also left members of the audience more than satisfied.
As the audience anticipated the end of the show, some wondered if there was going to be an encore - a notion Louis C.K. quickly put to rest.
He informed the crowd he hates encores, saying they are a stupid formality, because the audience and the comedian both know the show isn't over. To compensate, he told the audience he was going to do three more bits and then he and the crowd could both go home.
"The entire show had a very casual, intimate feel despite it taking place in a large venue," King said.
Louis C.K.'s routine may have touched on life's most difficult questions, but his outlook on these topics left fans laughing with no regrets and a new appreciation for their own self-hate.
Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
