It's rare that I really take part in the Philadelphia nightlife but once in awhile I do. On Saturday I had one of those rare moments and I have to say it was a lot of fun.
Michael Che from Saturday Night Live paid Philly a visit for the first time and gave the crowd a very unexpected set. From the beginning he explained that his show wasn't going to be like what he does on SNL. He said he talked about real topics, to which a Philly crowd member asked “Like what!?”
That little outburst threw Che off but he laughed about it and continued to interact with that same crew member. He asked a joke and improved a small rapport between him and the crowd member. It was really funny seeing him interact with her. He did this several times throughout the night which was one of my favorite things throughout the show. At one point, he was talking to a couple in the front about their relationship and some of the things they do together and the way he asked the questions had me dying of laughter.
Something about comedy that I've always enjoyed and admired is the ability to talk about real world problems and point out certain cultural beliefs and twist them into a joke. Some of the best comedians sets are based on things like and Che's followed the same structure. He talked about prejudice, biological taboos, male envy and so much more. This kind of humor is why so many people love Cards Against Humanity and it probably why I couldn't stop laughing during Che's set.
Not only was he real and funny, he was also honest, something else I admired about him. When he came on the stage you could see that he was a little out of it and not too far into the show he admitted to being a little drunk and even apologized! It takes courage to admit that kind of thing to your audience, I think a lot of celebrities would have denied that fact.
Che wasn't the only good part to the show though, the acts before him were also great. My favorite was probably Reggie Conquest's set though. We got to hear all about lunch lady boy and how he likes to steal-- from stores that is! It was hilarious how he explained everything, my cheeks hurt a lot after his set!
I think my favorite moment out of the whole show, was when Michael Che brought the other comedians on stage with him at the end and they all went back and forth together and with the audience. It was so casual and led to some very interesting stories. I didn't think it was possible to improv about a trip to Wawa but they managed it!
Overall I thought the show was pretty good and I'm glad I got to attend, especially in a nice, intimate venue like Punchline Philly. I hope to see other shows there in the future.
