If you are a regular listener of the Howard Stern Show, or have been for the last eight years or so, then you know of the raw genius of comedian Artie Lange. He has shared his storied life and how he has managed to ride on the very edge of it, with honesty, and dark humor, all the way to the top echelon of stand- up comedy.
On his second live comedy DVD, Jack and Coke, filmed at New York's legendary Gotham Comedy Club, Artie solidifies his reputation as a rough and rumpled everyman with an irreverent and mercilessly dirty take on everything and anything. It appears that his material is endlessly toxic, but endless. There are tales of his own "degenerate" journey that are as funny as they are terrifying. There are hilarious and shocking hits to celebrities, sports figures and characters from a shadier side of life not often experienced by the fans that love him. This is the high life of low blows. There is brutal self -deprecation blanketed in layers of lawbreak and heartache. There is laughter throughout..Lots of it. Be afraid, be very afraid. But be prepared to bust a gut while running for cover.
To watch Artie's live show is to partially feel his pain, but to also witness it being soothed by the punchline that follows. Those punchlines hide tears and pain that have recently filled headlines and left many questions for all of Artie's fans and family. But on the night that this set was filmed, he was on top of the comedy heap, and not struggling from within. This DVD is a reminder of how bright that faded laugh track in Artie's brain can shine. There is pain within us all, and Artie Lange reminds us of how important, revealing and entertaining the companion of laughter can be.
Look for Artie Lange: Jack and Coke in stores everywhere now.
You can see the sadness in his eyes sometimes, it hurts. I hope he can find peace with his life.
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