Master of his domain: Jerry Seinfeld reminds Perth he’s still a comedy crowd-pleaser
What do you get when you put one of the most influential comedians of all time into an arena brimming with adoring fans?
Ask the thousands of Jerry Seinfeld followers who turned up to see the poster boy of 90s television and observational comedy legend at RAC Arena on Saturday night.
Enduring backlash and walk-outs of late due to his pro-Israel views, the 70-year-old New Yorker drew an inter-generational sea of comedy enthusiasts to the first leg of his Aussie tour with little signs of protest.
Although there was a 15-minute delay to proceedings due to a surging crowd flooding security checkpoints outside the gates.
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Jerry Seinfeld seen stopping for a fan before going for a walk around the Perth CBD. Credit: FAMO/FAITH MORAN / BACKGRID
Fans waiting to enter RAC Arena as crowds surged. Credit: Supplied
Spotted strolling through the CBD hours earlier in a familiar blazer and cap combo, the seasoned performer literally ran onto the stage sporting an all-black suit beckoned by American comic Mario Joyner who warmed up the room.
Ingratiating himself with the local audience in a return to Perth following his 2017 gig, the filmmaker and affable cynic gave his endearing appraisal of our “cute” city.
“Perth is short for perfect,” he joked, before reminding us Taylor Swift opted out of the West Coast and we should be grateful he chose us.
Jerry Seinfeld waves to the crowd on Saturday night at RAC Arena. Credit: Supplied
Citing the ‘flat white’ as one of Australia’s proudest exports, the self-proclaimed coffee lover and car collector revved up the crowd from the word go as he clicked his Porsche 911 1970 energy into fifth gear and barely lifted his foot from the gas.
Famously crafting ‘a show about nothing’ with pal Larry David, the mononymous maestro shared anecdotes, opinions, theories and musings on the shared human experience despite an unrelatable net worth thought to be approaching the $1 billion mark.
While fans of his show fell in love with his laissez-faire, non-committal bachelor role, almost three decades later the family man has embraced his daggy dad complex.
Joking he relaxes and self-actualises at work so he can evaporate into an unimportant “fog” at home, the father of three — who married in his forties — suggested family is the ultimate equaliser where public reverence holds little weight.
Not that he’s asking for respect from his wife and kids, he just wants to avoid an argument and be left alone.
Dancing seamlessly between existential topics such as Artificial Intelligence — and frivolous thought-starters like the lifecycle of a kitchen sponge — Seinfeld walked his paradoxical tightrope of neurosis-meets-carefree abandon as he delivered high-speed punchlines.
Though such was the frequency of his jokes and stamina of his stage presence, it mattered little where one hot take ended and the next began. The destination was in the journey.
With brief flashbacks of his previous life, the effervescent storyteller identified The Soup Nazi as his favourite Seinfeld episode, before claiming the hit show Friends copied his formula and upgraded it with a “good looking” cast.
Jerry Seinfeld in Seinfeld. Credit: Unknown/Supplied
Cast members of the NBC TV comedy series Seinfeld, from left, Michael Richards, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander. Credit: UNKNOWN/AP
Delivering a delightfully funny display arguably worth the steep price of admission, the crowd crawled out of the Arena to the theme song of his latest flick Unfrosted feeling like they’d experienced something special.
No anti-wokeism, no cancel culture, just good old-fashioned family fun.
The biggest joke of all was on those who believed a man who brought joy into the homes of so many may have forgotten how to entertain an audience.
To them I say: No soup for you.
Rating
5 stars out of 5.