Big Jay Oakerson – Live at Webster Hall

Comedy Central Records has released the latest stand-up comedy download or video from Big Jay Oakerson, “Live at Webster Hall,” on June 21, 2016.  video download link at Amazon: Big Jay Oakerson Live at Webster Hall

Those familiar with my reviews will note that I often (perhaps, too often) refer to comics as “one of my favorites.”  I suppose that when you refer to so many different comics as one of your “favorites,” that word begins to lose a bit of its meaning.  In my case, though, I am just a huge fan of the art form, and I do have a lot of favorites.

So, with that … is Big Jay Oakerson one of my favorites?  No.  He is, without a doubt, and by a fairly wide margin, my absolute favorite comic working today.  There truly are no words that can do him justice, and therefore no written review can honestly and accurately capture just how brilliant Big Jay Oakerson is, but I will try.

First, no living comic (I was going to write “no comic ever,” but I will hedge my words a little bit) can tell a story quite like Big Jay Oakerson.  Every single word is masterfully chosen, and he pulls you into the story like no other.  Every bit, every joke, every tag – perfect.

Second, he is also, no doubt, the king of crowd work.  In 2014 he released an album called “The Crowd Work Sessions: What’s Your Fucking Deal?”  That album was entirely crowd work, and hilarious from start to finish.  But, what makes Oakerson and “Live at Webster Hall” so unique is the way he seamlessly intertwines his prepared material with crowd work.  Everything is so spot on, you would almost think his audience interactions were cleverly planned in advance.  They are not.  Big Jay Oakerson is just that good.

Third, like the late, great Patrice O’Neal, Big Jay Oakerson shines when interacting with the audience about relationships and sex.  He asks questions so direct that, in the hands of a lesser comic, most audience members would probably be more than a little hesitant to answer.  With Big Jay Oakerson, the audience willingly and openly goes along for the ride.

So, with all of that, will you like Big Jay Oakerson, and will you like this comedy download album?  Absolutely, with one caveat.  If you’re expecting clean, family comedy like Brian Regan or Jim Gaffigan, look elsewhere.  But, if you’re comfortable with comics who work blue, you literally cannot do better than Big Jay Oakerson, and “Live at Webster Hall” is hilarious from the second he takes the mic to the moment he says goodnight.

As for the actual content, you’ll have to hear it for yourself.  Nothing I write here with do the album justice.  To give you a taste of what you can expect, Big Jay Oakerson spends over 20 minutes (spanning four album tracks) talking about dicks.  His step dad’s dick, his real dad’s dick, black dicks, and small dicks.  Then, lest you think he might move onto something a little cleaner, he moves right into bits about “butt stuff” and “black chicks.”

This comedy album clocks in at just under an hour and 10 minutes, which is about 20 minutes longer than the version to be aired on Comedy Central.  Go purchase this album.  You won’t be disappointed.

Live at Webster Hall
Big Jay Oakerson
Comedy download album or video
Comedy Central Records 2016

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