The world is spinning faster and faster, technology is taking communication capabilities to new heights, and Louie Anderson is just trying to keep up.
That’s the crux of the comedian’s new stand-up tour, which will swing through Concord with a performance at the Capitol Center for the Arts on June 24.
Anderson has been delivering laughs on television and stage for more than 30 years, making his rite of passage into mainstream entertainment performing stand-up on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show in the mid 1980s.
From sitcoms (live-action and animated) to game shows, Anderson has maintained relevance as the comedy world changes around him. Comedy Central named him one of the 100 greatest stand-up comics of all time, and he now plays the role of Christine Baskets on the new FX comedy series Baskets.
In the show, Christine is the mother of two grown sons, Chip and Dale Baskets, both played by Zach Galifianakis. The dark comedy-drama wrapped up its first season in March and was received positively by critics, with the cast often being pointed to as the driving force behind the show’s success. After the first five episodes aired, the network renewed the show for a second season.
“I thought it would be (renewed) for no other reason than to see where this family was going,” said Anderson, calling from Las Vegas, where for years his act was a continuous attraction but has been put on hold due to commitments to the TV show.
“I’m excited we’re coming back for another season,” he continued. “I just really enjoy it, wondering what Christine will do, what mischief she can get into.”
Anderson’s portrayal of Christine, a California mom who constantly drowns her sons in the love only a mother can provide, is an homage to his own mother, the late Ora Zella Anderson.
Growing up on the younger end of 11 brothers and sisters in Minnesota, Anderson, now 63, describes his family as “dysfunctional at best” with an alcoholic father and a mother who was always trying to keep their house in balance.
“She was the applesauce to his sauerkraut,” Anderson said. “My mom was an angel, the sweetest person. She treated us splendidly and is the reason we survived our father’s wrath.”
Anderson draws characteristics and nuances from his mother and five sisters when he steps in front of the camera as Christine, like the small wonders she could find in seemingly simple things, such as curly fries (“How is that even done?”) or getting excited about the flavor of a mango drink.
“I’m a detailed person being a comic and nuance is my favorite thing in stand-up,” Anderson said. “Finding things people don’t expect that are universal in some weird way. . . . I try to make the simplest things seem exotic.”
Family has long been a theme in Anderson’s comedy and fans can expect to hear his thoughts on today’s “new family” considering the effect of electronics and technology.
Innovations in technology and media have not only made their way into Anderson’s comedy but have changed the way comedians promote their personal brand. YouTube and podcasts in particular have taken stand-up out of the comedy clubs and are on-demand for consumers to watch wherever and whenever.
“The comedy business has evolved,” Anderson said. “It is more sophisticated, and with social media it has become more ingrained and a part of everybody. . . . I have to work every day with keeping up with electronics so I’m not irrelevant.”
Despite the success Anderson is enjoying with Baskets, stand-up is still his first love. Anderson said he has improved in front of the camera over the years, but he prefers to be on stage facing the audience in the same room.
“I don’t have a director, writer or producer,” Anderson said. “It’s just me and the audience, leaving a little breath between laughs.”