"Funniest man under 30," as Rolling Stone called him, is quite an understatement - Aziz Ansari is one of the funniest men, period. Gracing the Charlottesville community with a performance at John Paul Jones Arena Monday, Ansari's performance had fans reeling with laughter.
The University Programs Council-sponsored event, "An Evening with Aziz Ansari," filled JPJ with students eager for Ansari's brand of energetic impersonations and timely witticisms. As the lights dimmed and the evening began, a packed JPJ waited in anticipation as this comedic genius laid some basic groundwork for the night through a voiceover. He explained his two rules for the evening: do not use your cell phone and do not storm the stage and whip any appendages out - a perfect way to set the raunchy tone of the production. Ansari then announced his opening act, up-and-coming comedian Joe Mande, who treated the audience to a short skit which covered stories of collegiate debauchery and an anecdote which advised against the mixing of spicy juices and touching one's genitals. Finally, the much-awaited feature of the night returned to the stage for his main act.
In a true display of showmanship, Ansari allowed the audience to snap pictures as he pretended to tell jokes before proceeding with his routine. The first half of his performance showcased a polished string of extended jokes. Ansari exposed the humor of marriage, babies and dating, poking fun at those around him in his life and even those in the audience, but never at their expense. After this first half, which boasted seamless transitions and energy, he proceeded to the second part of his performance. Less clean and more a collection of jokes, he jumped from one topic to another, all the while delivering great comedy. Ansari took serious subjects and turned them into jokes which remained hilarious without offending anyone. This latter branch included a extended monologue about the Internet in which he shared his opinion on racial slurs and other sensitive topics.
Following the formal end of his routine, Ansari asked the audience for requests. I had already been impressed when he included the audience in his regular routine, which inevitably demanded improvisation on his part. But this heightened level of interaction was a big risk - what if it fell flat? My fears were unfounded. Someone screamed out, "Harris!", referring to Ansari's cousin who often serves as inspiration for some of his best jokes. Ansari proceeded with a brilliant and tear-inducing improvised routine which had me laughing uncontrollably. To top the night off, Ansari also resurrected another frequented favorite, his R. Kelly impression.
In a great piece of comedy, Ansari played with the audience and delivered his material with a finesse usually found in older and more experienced comedians. At the age of 28, Ansari is already a comedic giant who put on a memorable show which kept the audience laughing from the opening moments until the lights announced the end of the night's entertainment.
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
