Jim Gaffigan, the self-deprecating and noticeably pale comedian, had the audience in stitches during a pair of dynamite shows at The Egg in Albany on Saturday. The comic roamed through entertaining bits on his own complexion, laziness, food, and Hot Pockets, complete with his trademark internal voice that represents how the audience might react to some of his stranger material.
He mixed old material—pieces from his Comedy Central specials and his latest album/DVD—with new routines.
But before Gaffigan took the stage, Rich Brooks warmed up the crowd. Brooks, a Tennessee native who resides in New York, came out with a garish suit, wild hair, and massive sideburns. “My name is Richie Ray Brooks,” he began in a thick Southern accent. “And I’m from Tennessee! I’m gonna sing you a little song and it goes like this … 1, 2, 3 …”
Then his accent lessened: “Nah, I’m just messing with you.” After a few minutes making fun of himself, his background, and his relationships, he yielded to Gaffigan.
Gaffigan, a protégé of Dave Letterman, has also appeared in TV shows like “That ’70s Show” and “Ed,” and movies like Super Troopers and Three Kings. In 2000, he had his own show on CBS, “Welcome to New York,” that only lasted half a season.
He took the stage and immediately went into his side-voice. After a few lines, it became: “Is this voice all he does? Ridiculous. This is all he’s doing. He’s not gonna do any material!” His side comments were often hilarious, since he hit the nail on the head more often than not. Occasionally, though, he strayed too far before getting back to his act.
“I wish I was Korean,” he pined. “Because then my interest in Asian women wouldn’t seem so creepy.”
His material quickly moved into his favorite realm—food. “You ever get hungry watching a commercial? Then you realize it’s a commercial for dog food. ‘Those are savory chunks of beef, and rich, creamy … why are they giving it to the dog?’”
“I bought some peanut butter a while ago,” he added later. “There was creamy, chunky, extra chunky, and now, extreme chunky. I bought the extreme chunky, I opened it up, and it was just peanuts.”
The food bits continued, with a smidgen of laziness for good measure: “Delivery is a combination of my two favorite activities: eating and not moving. The worst part is getting up and answering the door. … What am I, the butler?”
He also gave his most popular piece, about Hot Pockets. “How about we fill a Pop Tart with nasty meat?”
Pulling no punches with the microwaveable snack, he continued: “They have a warning on the side: Warning! You just bought Hot Pockets! I hope you’re drunk or heading home to a trailer!”
Gaffigan’s unique take on life complemented his unique appearance and presentation. His act rarely offended—he used almost no profanity—but amused from start to finish.
