A month ago, we happened to be driving past the Fox Theater in St. Louis when I noticed that comedian John Mulaney had 2 shows advertised on their billboard. I had completely missed that he was coming to St. Louis, so I jumped online (after finishing the drive) to see if tickets were still available, and I fortunately found a group of 4 together. We invited friends Trevor and Laura to join us for a night of food (Mainlander) and comedy.
While we frequently watch stand-up comedy specials, it’s very rare that I go to see comedians live–our last show was Jim Gaffigan in 2019–so this was a real treat.
Despite the frigid temperatures in St. Louis, the huge theater was packed to the brim (aside from 2 front-row seats, as Mulaney pointed out with a joke as the show started). No ones were allowed inside, presumably because this show will eventually be a Netflix special.
I can’t find the name of the opening comedian, but he was very funny. Then Mulaney took over, leading with a few bits about his childhood, parents, and grandparents (including my favorite joke of the night about how his grandfather mistook young Mulaney as a rival businessman). He also had some funny stories about becoming a father himself and about his tour driver.
It was a little surreal to be in a room with so many other people under any circumstances in the world of Covid, but it was also really nice to laugh together. I look forward to watching the special when it’s recorded and airs, just to see if any of the jokes changed.
Who is the last comedian you saw live? Is there a comedian you’d like to see in person?
Kama and I got to see Mulaney at Enterprise, during his Baby J tour. Was fantastic, of course. A while back, though, we saw Mike Birbiglia in Chicago, which was an absolute treat. His storytelling brand of comedy is best in class. Highly recommend seeing him live if you have a chance.
That’s awesome! We love Birbiglia too, and I’m hoping he visits St. Louis sometime.
Over the years, I’ve seen a number of comedians her in Philadelphia, but no real headliners. That was true until a few weeks ago, when a group of us went to see Ronny Chiang playing at the MET, a huge, beautiful venue, curiously placed in North Philadelphia, an area that has seen quite a few changes in the past few decades.