Comedy CD Review: Jim Gaffigan - Mr. Universe

This article was first published at Blogcritics

August 28^th marks Comedy Central's scheduled CD release of comic Jim Gaffigan's standup special Mr. Universe recorded in a live performance at the Warner Theatre in Washington.  The comedian had previously made the special available as a DRM-free download back in April for five dollars, one dollar of which was to be donated to the Bob Woodruff Foundation which aids wounded servicemen and their families. 

The 75 minute set is vintage Gaffigan—precisely honed observational comedy delivered with spot on timing.  Gaffigan finds his humor in highlighting the absurdities of daily living.  He talks about kids and Disney vacations, the multiplication of athletic shoes for any possible occasion and then some, and the creepiness of hotel pools.  He talks about body building and the love of McDonalds French fries.  He mentions the dangers of indulging in Indian food.  He never has to stray all that far from the beaten path to find something funny. 

He speaks to us all. There are those comedians who seem to dwell in the obtuse. Cult figures, they talk to an audience of insiders. This is not Gaffigan. If you've eaten at Subway or bought one of Domino's concoctions, he'll have you laughing out loud.  And if not, you'll just have to agree with one of those little self-deprecating critical asides he habitually tosses into his act over the course of the evening.  "Can you believe it? A diarrhea joke."  Diarrhea and a closing riff on ExtenZe, by the way, are just about the closest he comes to working with anything offensive, and in this day and age you'd have to be living on some other planet to find that offensive. 

Mr. Universe is the comic's fourth album for Comedy Central. His first three--Doing My Time, Beyond the Pale and King Baby--have combined to sell over 500,000 copies. His TV appearances include shows like Flight of the Conchords, Bored to Death, Conan and The Late Show with David Letterman.

Comedy Central has been releasing a stellar collection of stand up albums from some pretty funny comics in recent months: Reggie Watts, Doug Benson, John Mulaney, Hannibal Buress.  Jim Gaffigan's latest is an impressive addition to the catalogue.  Check out a sample and see for yourself.

Todd Barry's TV Special Available on CD and DVD

This article was first published at Technorati

In recent months Comedy Central has released a tide of top flight comedy CDs and DVDs: Hannibal Buress' Animal Furnace, Reggie Watts', A Live At Central Park, John Mulaney's New in Town, and Doug Benson's Smug Life to name a few. Well they've got another one coming later this month with Todd Barry's Super Crazy, an extended uncensored version of his world premiere one hour TV special scheduled for July 21 at 11:00. 

Recorded live at the Gramercy Theatre in New York, Barry's set includes observational bits about tourists and travel directions, the real value of eating Italian food in a restaurant, and fraternity sales pitches delivered with his patented  laconic deadpan.  From the very beginning with his rant on bartending in the wilds of Montana to his finale about the fan who confuses him with another comic, Barry has the audience in the proverbial palm of his—well, you know where the palm is, and you don't sit on it, and neither does the audience.  This is funny stuff.  It has the audience roaring; it had me in stitches, and more than likely it will have you laughing too. 

Not only has Barry made the rounds of the late night shows—Letterman, Conan, Jimmy Kimmel—with his stand-up routine, but he has also appeared on TV shows from Sex in the City to Sesame Street.  His movie credits include Wanderlust, Road Trip, and Pootie Tang.  He was Mickey Rourke's boss in the deli in the 2009 Academy Award winner, The Wrestler. 

The DVD will contain more than 15 minutes of material omitted from the TV broadcast. 

Bonus features include his performance at the Friars Club roast of Chevy Chase and the video of Todd Barry on Giggles, Wiggles and Giggles with Gordy.  You can check out this video of what is supposed to be Barry interviewed by a student working on a dissertation on comedy from his dorm room on the Comedy Central website.