Seeing Bill Burr at the Altria Theater

Shawn Kochhar, staff writer

upfront attitude, angry approach and impeccable style brought the house down on Sept. 20 at the Altria Theater in Richmond. On tour after having just released his fifth comedy special, Bill Burr showed no sign of stopping or slowing down.

“I hope it’s just like the last one,” I heard one audience member exclaim before the show, which speaks to why Burr’s unrelenting style has been working with audience members over the years.

It is to be expected that when you go to one of his shows the atmosphere will be a contentious one, especially in a state like Virginia.

Burr’s transparency can call for booing from an audience at times, but his relentlessness always wins over those who are pulling back. His use of anger to drive a point home riles people up, which energizes the crowd and leads to a unique experience.

Whether it is about sexism, race, or politics, Burr seems to push the envelope on what is funny. He always tests how far he can go with a crowd and then pulls back just enough to get everyone back into it. This style makes his shows especially exciting to attend. He is truly a veteran of his craft, and it shows through the emotional roller coaster he is able to put the audience through.

The Altria Theater was a special place to house Burr’s performance. Converted from an old mosque, the beauty of the building even drew commentary from the comedian. “I’m not telling my friends in show business about this place. This feels like a Netflix comedy special building,” Burr said. It seemed as if Burr was as excited to be in Richmond as much as it was excited to have him, and from the looks of the sold out theater, he should be back fairly soon.