Full disclosure, I did get a press ticket and entrance into the photo bay in exchange for writing this article.
This past Thursday, Jim Gaffigan presented new material for an audience of thousands at State Farm Center. Champaign was the latest stop in Gaffigan’s Secrets and Pies tour. While there wasn’t any mention of secrets or pies, the stand-up comedian went over extremely well with the crowd and never failed to keep laughter from stopping.
Opener Ted Alexandro told lots of jokes about being old, something that got a better reception than I anticipated. It was then, in the opening act, that I realized that the makeup of the audience was somewhat older, mostly comprised of middle aged people. I have to admit, when Alexandro joked about the struggles of being old, I thought to myself, “Is this going to be me when I’m 50?” Nevertheless, Alexandro kept a smile on my face the entire time.
I’d known Jim Gaffigan from seeing a few of his specials when I was younger. I hadn’t heard any of his material in a while, so on the way to the venue, I listened to some of his older material on Spotify. It was a good trip down memory lane hearing those jokes again, as I was chuckling all the way to the venue. Gaffigan’s Thursday night appearance brought those chuckles up to full on laughter. He’s changed a bit since I’d last heard him. For one, Gaffigan has five children now, something that inevitably worked its way into his material. Those jokes about his family were very personal yet still funny and intimate.
While Jim Gaffigan is known for his cleaner comedy, his new material does seem geared towards an older, more mature audience. It didn’t feel like he was telling jokes to high schoolers. This isn’t to say that younger people couldn’t have enjoyed this stop on his tour (I know I did), but Ted Alexandro as an opener seemed to be somewhat strategic: they both have a similar audience base. Needless to say, whether you’re older or not, Jim Gaffigan is a great comic that I’d recommend literally anyone to see if they get the chance.
Originally published at pizza.fm on October 21, 2019.
