Bill Cosby

[faceless]

For Bill Cosby, live comedy means living room intimacy
By Andy Downing
Special to the Tribune
November 17, 2008

Before starting his performance at the Venue at Horseshoe Casino in nearby Hammond, Indiana, Bill Cosby gently instructed the mixing board engineer to remove the echo from his microphone. "I want it to sound like I'm sitting with them in the living room," he explained.

That homespun feel pervaded the 80-minute set, with the legendary comedian spinning tales that drew on everything from the evening's setting to his struggles with a certain little blue pill. Dressed casually in dark pants and a plain gray sweater (a far cry from the nightmarish knit creations he sported during "The Cosby Show's" eight-year run), Cosby looked and sounded like a jovial grandfather as he eased into the first of two Saturday performances.

Although he was appearing just a stone's throw from the president-elect's hometown, the 71-year-old refrained from commenting on politics in any form. Indeed the only mention of current events came as he discussed the show location itself. "This is my first time playing a casino when I know that half of you don't have jobs," he said in reference to the recent economic downturn. Then, like a parent doling out advice, he reminded the near-capacity crowd that the house always wins ("You'll see somebody hit the jackpot. Somebody. Not you.") and that faith can't help at the tables, so "this is not the time to ask God to give you a hard six."

That said, Cosby conducted more a master class in storytelling than a typical stand-up set, bringing his material to life with a number of well-worn mannerisms: an impish smile, a roll of the eyes, a bug-eyed double take. When discussing his childhood he seemed to return to his 6-year-old self while recounting a particularly momentous hissy fit.

The comedian sounded charming as he talked about recent health episodes (including the numerous side effects of erectile dysfunction medication) and dispensed relationship advice culled from his 31 years of marriage. "There's nothing wrong with saying, 'Yes, dear,' " he noted. "Sometimes I'll say it when she hasn't said anything. I just don't want any trouble."

[pirtybirdy]

I like Bill Cosby. He cracks me up and he doesn't have to do it with filth, though mind you, I don't mind filth per se.