"Don't take any flash photography and don't be an a**hole." These were the words that came over the speakers of the University of North Florida Arena before two powerhouses of comedy took the stage. About two weeks ago, February 13th, 2016 I saw one of my heroes live and better than his T.V. specials. That night I saw two of the best comedians in the world with John Mulaney accompanying Nick Kroll. The result? An absolutely incredible, side-splitting, hysterical evening that made me laugh my a** off.
John Mulaney described Jacksonville as a "flood on fire." And boy, were John Mulaney and Nick Kroll on fire and did the audience flood the UNF Arena with laughter. Nick Kroll opened the night with a 45-minute set accompanied by non-stop laughter from beginning to end.
I personally did not know much about Nick Kroll and wasn't familiar with any of his material. However, after tonight, I left a fan. I can honestly say that Nick Kroll is easily one of the most underrated comedians I can think of. From a perfect, and I mean perfect impression, of Arnold Schwarzenegger to a story about the most recent time (yesterday) that the comedian pooped himself, there was never a dull moment. Towards the end of his set, Kroll held back telling an extremely vulgar joke until the audience egged him on to tell it. It was one of the most hysterical, vulgar and shocking jokes that I have ever heard. However, it put the audience in tears with laughter
I brought my absolutely incredible girlfriend to the show and I have never seen her laugh as hard as I did at Nick Kroll's set. I myself have never laughed as hard as both comedians did tonight. Nick Kroll could have done his set and ended the night and I would have been perfectly content. But no. My hero, John Mulaney, followed up and brought even more laughs!
I've been a fan of Mulaney for years now. When I heard John Mulaney was coming back to Jacksonville, I knew there was no choice. I had to go. Having recently introduced my girlfriend to Mulaney's genius Netflix specials, there was no other choice. I wasn't going to to let the two of us miss this evening for the world. John Mulaney walked out on the stage and both our faces lit up. There we were, sitting 50 feet from the man who has been a source of our laughter and bonding about to do it again.
Mulaney talked about how his old college was asking him for money and how ridiculous that was. He also discussed how absurd college is in general. Kroll and Mulaney did a great job interacting with the audience making for some hilarious improvised bits. John Mulaney even read a few stories out of the UNF publication, "The Spinmaker," and just kind of reminded us all of how interesting things really are here in Jacksonville. The best part about Mulaney's set was that none of it was material I had seen before. It was a unique blend of new material and audience interaction based improvisation. His improvisation skills are just as great as his writing skills. His physical comedy and silly voices made his set feel familiar to the fans. One of the best jokes of the night was the connection he made between Family Feud and why Donald Trump is doing so well in the presidential race. All in all John Mulaney absolutely killed it.
The night did not end there though. After Mulaney finished his set, he invited Kroll back onstage so that the two of them could conduct an open Q-and-A.
The two worked magnificently together in answering questions from the audience in a comical, yet honest way. I had my hand raised the entire time in hopes I would get called on, but their view of me would have been obscure. However Kroll was kind enough to respond to my question via Twitter.
The two discussed how they would get pranked at restaurants. This was called being 'Tuna'd'. The duo ended the night by asking an audience member to look under his seat only to find nothing. They declared him officially "Reversed Tuna'd", gave the audience the bird, and ended the night on a very high note. Two very different comedians took the stage that night and created a perfect array of jokes that covered almost every topic on the spectrum. Kroll and Mulaney are currently doing a limited tour of their off broadway show "Oh Hello". Unfortunately, the show is not coming anywhere near Florida this time. However, if Nick Kroll and John Mulaney ever come near Jacksonville again, you will most definitely see me there. Both my girlfriend and I left with sore cheeks and ribs from laughing and smiling so hard. Thank you John Mulaney and Nick Kroll for a wonderful, laugh-filled evening. Also if you find my tushie, please contact the lost and found.