I was lucky enough to score tickets to see Arj Barker at the Enmore theater in Newtown last Sunday.
I went in with no expectations, as I have been disappointed by many other comic events in the past.
For those who don’t know, Arj Barker is a comedian from the US who was performing as part of the Sydney Comedy Festival.
The Enmore theater in Newtown was packed despite it being a Sunday night.
The opening act, Joel Ozborne from Balmain, had good storytelling skills, but lacked punchlines, so I hardly laughed at his skit.
However, the rest of the crowd chuckled here and there.
In my previous write-ups, I’ve mentioned that the Sydney crowd is great when it comes to comic shows. They are always supportive, even if the jokes are not that funny.
Although Ozborne’s jokes were rather clean, most Australian comics tend to tell sex jokes that can be disgusting at times.
But the good news is that Barker’s act did not involve any sex jokes, except for maybe one or two that crept in.
He talked about his health and gave live advice on why one should live in the present and not worry about the future.
Barker’s opinion about Australia is that it’s a great country but is marred with too many rules.
I wholeheartedly agree with him on that.
Barker’s act was better than Ozborne’s, and I found myself laughing once.
His jokes were narrated well, and I loved his American accent.
It reminded me of the voiceover played by the grandfather in The Simpsons.
His voice made me feel relaxed and sleepy for some reason.
Overall, I thought Barker should be a voiceover actor instead of a comic.
He could potentially make more money in that field.
After the show, I rushed back to my car, which I had parked in a nearby housing area, only to find a ticket perched on my wipers.
I had to pay a hefty amount to watch Barker, but it was worth it.
Would I recommend the show to others? It depends.
If you’re an uptight person who finds it hard to laugh and let loose, then maybe give this a miss.
But if you’re curious to see what the show is about, then go ahead.
Just keep in mind that taking pictures or recording the show is not allowed, and you risk being kicked out of the venue if you do so.
The good news is that Barker is going to be around for a bit more and has shows in Australia until October 28th.
June Ramli is the editor of DailyStraits.com. To stay in touch with June, look her up on Twitter @junesairaramli