Show Report: Louis C.K.'s Pilot Taping
Wednesday marked the secret taping of Louis C.K.'s new comedy show, and I was lucky enough to make the RSVP list. The currently nameless FX pilot was shot at The Comedy Cellar in Manhattan, and fans were invited to the taping through Louis's Twitter account.
Before I proceed, I must admit something terribly embarrassing. Prior to yesterday, I didn't know who Louis C.K. was. Correction, I recognized him, but wasn't privy to his act. I had been missing out. Now I know him and have quickly converted to a "CKist." The guy is a true comic talent, and it's easy to see why fans enthusiastically waited outside in cats and dogs weather to see him.
The show had a lot going against it. It started late, people were dripping wet (from the rain, not their bodily fluids), and the bar wasn't serving food or beer. It was a recipe for disaster. Instead, the mood was buoyant. How many men in this world actually have the ability to cause wet, beer-less New Yorkers to be in a good mood? After several minutes of scientific research on Ask Jeeves (We're celebrating "1996 Day" in the office), I've determined that the answer is not many.
Louis's rapport with both fans and crew saved the day. He came off as a genuine gentleman, treating everyone with respect and constantly asking his crew if they needed to rest. While the crew setup their equipment, Louis came out and started conversing with the crowd. Though it was an unscripted conversation, he was still naturally funny. He shared embarrassing stories from his past, an anecdote about his near-death experience with acupuncture from earlier in the day, and also admitted that he single-handedly ruined the film Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins.
Louis revealed that the night's act was a bit that he had been working on for several months, and it ran approximately fifteen minutes in total. The routine focused on many slice-of-life subjects such as plane rides, single life and fatherhood. A joke that elicited a strong audience reaction centered on him wiping his four-year-old daughter's ass. There's a lot of heart in Louis's act, and the love he has for his children is what gives it that.
Throughout the taping, the self-deprecating comic mentioned that he didn't expect the network to pick up his show. Hopefully FX is smarter than that.
-Rocktern Farhan Arshad
[Learn more about Rockterns here.]
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