LaughStub

A Rainy weekend with Doug Stanhope

It was a rainy weekend in Los Angeles but that didn’t stop Doug Stanhope fans. Crowds lined-up in the drizzle and packed the Main room to see the controversial comic and we were there. Warning: his comic styling is not for everyone. His best selling album ‘No Refunds’ might have been the first clue. He is shocking, uncensored, and sometimes just plain vulgar, but the genius in his delivery has been admired by greats such as Louis CK and Ricky Gervais. He announced his arrival at The Comedy Store on Twitter and you could tell he was already on a mission to have a good time:

“Dear 80’s comics… did you leave any blow in the Comedy Store green room? Been doin some day drinking” @DougStanhope

The show kicked off with his new opener Junior Stopka, and we’ve never seen a comic kill with such an unstructured set. Had this been any other crowd, most would have walked out. “I have been fired from every comedy club in the mid-west” he boasted. But he found his perfect match in Stanhope and had the crowd laughing to the point of tears.

Finally the main act clumsily hits the stage. Stanhope bantered for about 20 minutes before beginning his actual set. “Jesus I’m drunk” he began and immediately asked the waitress for anything of alcoholic substance. His fans were elated to hear him speak, admiring him like a drunk prophet that came to enlighten them with the harsh truth of this world. His set was a beautiful mess that detoured and took constant sharp turns, but somehow always came full circle. Normally the abrasive and brutal honesty would cause a disconnect with the audience, but his own self loathing made you feel one with him.

The show ended after 90 minutes as disappeared behind the curtains to continue on his journey of inebriation. The audience made their way out, with not one disappointed fan in the crowd.

(Source: laughstub.com)