MINNEAPOLIS — Plenty of comics these days are reflecting on the coronavirus. But it's hard to imagine anyone is doing it better than Jim Gaffigan.
The veteran stand-up showed why he's a cut above the rest this weekend at the State Theatre where his weekend performances were being taped for a Netflix special.
The 55-year-old comic filled much of his 70-minute set Friday with familiar topics: obesity, raising five kids, his pasty complexion. But what really stood out was material about the pandemic.
He compared the ongoing crisis to a TV show that you thought was canceled, only to discover it had picked up by Netflix. Discovering which friends are anti-vaxxers has been like a "gender reveal party for insanity." The fact that his kids went to school using the same device they play Minecraft on is the same as holding a Weight Watchers meeting in a Wendy's.
As usual, Gaffigan kept his material clean — although he did make some members in the sold-out crowd a little uneasy when he went after marching bands.
For the most part, audience members ate it up. Their reaction helped explain why more and more top comics are choosing to record TV specials in Minneapolis; Jeff Foxworthy will also be using the State Theatre for a Netflix taping on Oct. 30.
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