The introduction for Richard Jeni at the Icehouse Friday night said he was Number Five on Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups list. Actually, he's not. Chris Rock is. Jeni is number 57. Perhaps the confusion was because Rock has said good things about Jeni.
The HBO Comedy Hour is the most important showcase there is for comedians. Nobody is more deserving than Richard. I think Richard Jeni is one of the best comics who ever lived.
Actually, it doesn't matter if he's #5 or 57. I just wanted to get the Chris Rock quote in there. Jeni is good. There's a huge difference between one of the best and the usual level of stand-up. Don't get me wrong, I love stand-up and at a club the caliber of the Icehouse, it's rare to get an act that completely bombs. Still, even with an expectation of good comedy, Jeni steps it up and turns it on, delivering a performance of rare quality – hysterically funny, from start to finish.
Like any good comedian, he's a story teller and he's got an, apparently, unending supply of stories. He tells them slowly, almost lovingly, dragging the listener along from one hysterical vignette to the next, eschewing the type of punchline that would end the tale. He embellishes his tales with faces and accents. One starts to think you'd recognize his wife or father if you passed them on the street because you'd already met them in his act.
I tend to have a soft spot for working class Catholic boys from Brooklyn. The cadence and much of the life view is familiar. Jeni's imitation of a New Yorker as a cruise ship captain is dead on. "This is your captain speaking, Get the f*** up." (The Catholic part of me demands the stars. Jeni uses the real swear words, being a standup comic and all).
Article comments
1 - DJRadiohead
Well done, Justene. The bit about tobacco reminds me of Bob Newhart's routine about introducing tobacco to the world back when he was doing standup several years ago.
2 - Eric Berlin
The Ice House is just down the block from where I live. I've only managed to get down there once, and the wife and I found the comedy to be very Tonight Show, very middle of the road. Pleasant, but not overwhelmingly funny. Might have been the particular night, of course.
3 - mike morris
I have been watching your HBO special, a big pile... and I must say that I love the Punkfaggot. When can we look forward to you doing another special or maybe getting down to Tamapa/St. Petersburg area?? Great show, love your style of humor.