Fil-Am comedian Jo Koy. en.wikipedia.org photo
LAS VEGAS, Nevada—By the time, FilAm comedian Jo Koy finished his set, the nearly sold out crowd at the Treasure Island had a hard time breathing.
From all the laughing throughout Friday night, most of the near capacity crowd of 1,400 inside the Mystere Theater had a hard time getting up to give Koy an immediate standing ovation, after his latest performance.
For more than an hour, Koy was at his very best. It’s safe to say the crowd was lively entertained and once they finally took a breath, they gave the Fil-Am comic a rousing five-minute standing ovation.
“I always love performing here,” said Koy after the show.
After all, Vegas is Koy’s hometown—the place where he started his career at an open mic inside a local coffeehouse. From such humble beginnings, he’s worked his way up the mainstream comedic ladder—from the Laugh Factory, BET Comic View, Carlos Mencia’s Punisher Tour and an appearance on the Tonight Show, to now two Comedy Central one-hour specials and enjoying a regular stint on E! Network’s Chelsea Lately while also performing in his own “Jo Koy: Lights Out!” comedy tour around clubs and theaters nationally and worldwide.
On Friday night, it was vintage Koy.
Warming up the crowd was Koy’s regulars in his tour James Ponce, Nick Guerra and Michael Yo. Once Koy came out, he brought down the hammer.
Koy interacts with the crowd, tells tales of growing up with a Filipino mother, and what it’s like being a father to a nine-year-old boy. He also sang some 1990s throwback R&B, mixing it into his set.
With his mother and sisters in the audience (part of his routine), he brought intense energy and laughter the only way he could— with exuberant physical energy and enthusiasm.
In one joke, he talked about how his Filipina mother lectures him to be careful in accepting drinks from strangers after shows.
“Mom say it. What do you mean? Why shouldn’t I accept these drinks?” Koy explains, goading his mother because of her inability to say the name of the drug rohypnol better known as rufies or the date rape drug.
He explains Filipinos have a hard time pronouncing words with “F’s” often using P instead.
“RuPees! There I said it,” he says, speaking like his mother with a Filipino accent. “Go ahead and get those drinks Josep. And get raped.”
“Mom, why do you always tell me to be careful?” says Koy, quickly switching back to his character. “Do you ever talk about this with Rowena and Gemma (his sisters)?”
“Because they are not stupid,” he says as he switches again as his mother. “You are stupid Jo!”
He switches characters so effortlessly, it’s scarily believable.
After the show, hundreds of fans line up for a picture with Koy.
Koy said this is his way of giving back to the crowd.
The night was over, but not for Koy.
Koy will continue the Lights Out Tour. In this month alone, he’ll be performing in Florida, and Kentucky before coming back to the Brea Improv.