If you’re one of the 18 people who saw Last Comic Standing last summer, you probably recognize the name Tommy Johnagin, who placed second in the competition.
Typically, LCS contestants have been only been mediocre talents with high ceilings for potential, only to go on to have average careers at best, with Ralphie May being the biggest exception. This last season, however, had some genuine comedy talent in the top 10. Tommy Johnagin is one of those talents. His Comedy Central MP3 Album Stand Up Comedy 2 proves it.
Tommy Johnagin has a very unpredictable, wild card approach to comedy that is very reminiscent of Daniel Tosh. He’ll talk about anything he wants, however he wants, and somehow it’s all funny. There’s never a dull moment in his set, as he like to tell jokes almost at the same pace as Groucho Marx. He hooks the audience within the first five sentences and has them for the rest of the set, thanks to his very consistently funny material. There are four minute tracks in this album that will keep you laughing from start to end. He doesn’t let you stop laughing before he continues the joke. The first few tracks on Stand Up Comedy 2 make up one of the best openings to a CD I’ve ever heard. Even in his weakest bits, the joke is still better than most other up-and-coming comedians’ best stuff.
He makes the audience feel comfortable no matter what kind of joke he is telling. Listeners may not even realize how hard they’re laughing at a joke about injuring babies or sadomasochism until after the fact. Along with his quick tempo, this is probably because, despite the subject matter of the jokes, Tommy Johnagin doesn’t make the jokes feel like they are dirty or profane. They are merely other things to laugh at.
The only negative thing I can say about this comedy MP3 album is that the bonus track has some repeated material from the normal set. That’s it. Take away the BONUS track, and I can’t find anything wrong with this.
If you enjoy stand-up comedy, you need to buy this album
Comedy Central CD and DVD Reviews Page:
Stand Up Comedy 2
Tommy Johnagin
Stand-up Comedy MP3 Album
Comedy Central Records 2011