Louis C.K. Stand-Up In 1987: Dolphin Jokes & Crappy Car Humor (VIDEO)

Before he became one of the funniest stand-ups of our time, made one of the funniest shows on television, or made Donald Rumsfeld very uncomfortable, Louis C.K. was just another young comic trying to find his voice.

This clip of C.K. doing stand-up at Catch A Rising Star in Boston circa 1987 has been around for a while, but had a big resurgence online this week and we can totally see why. If you haven't seen it yet, get ready for what one YouTuber says looks like "Watching a kid do a Louis C.K. impression."

After starting things off with a couple of "dolphin jokes," C.K. moves on to talking about a few things everyone can agree on: the worst parts of owning a crappy car and the pitfalls of smoking. It's safe to say C.K. has perfected his craft over these last 24 years, but what do you think of him then? Tell us in the comments.

WATCH:

Comments

[waldopepper]

12:42 PM on 06/12/2011

Practice makes perfect.

http://tv.gawker.com/5714388/louis-ck-on-pig-newtons

[mojo filter]

04:41 AM on 06/12/2011

Sounds like him, but doesn't look like him at all.

[Mikey Pullman]

12:08 PM on 06/10/2011

There are few things more tortuous than making a performance artist watch his old material. I ate the stuff I wrote only four years ago, I can't imagine how much different I'll sound in another 20.

[cameron d]

01:21 AM on 06/10/2011

Smoking is delicious.

[YeahDonkey]

12:48 AM on 06/10/2011

For 1987 that was great, do you realize how bad most of the stand up was back then? It was bad.

Still slightly edgy even back then. His delivery slightly off on some of the material, and very off on one bit but other than that it was pretty solid......for 1987.

24 years of comedy clubs and night clubs, the man has paid his dues.

[-swift]

09:38 AM on 06/10/2011

It wasn't 1987, necessarily, although the 80s were a cultural black hole. It's just that this is how most young comedians start.

[thewirah]

07:42 PM on 06/12/2011

Eddie Murphy's Raw is from 1987.

[YeahDonkey]

09:55 PM on 06/12/2011

One of the few bright spots of the time.....goonie goo goo.

[Johnny Exchange]

11:08 PM on 06/09/2011

A story about another comedian...... I saw Jay Leno in a small comedy club in OKC in 1983.... a group of us decided to heckle him and he handled it better than any comedian I have ever heard. His entire routine was 'destroying us' in front of the crowd. He brought the place and us, down! He's was and is one sharp dude.

[YeahDonkey]

12:38 AM on 06/10/2011

I have to admit I have talked $hite about Jay Leno on the Tonight Show for years, but when you get him in a club with people who really love comedy he is a great comic. It's almost like watching Bob Saget, you have seen him as the "Full House" dad and now you are listening to him talk about really dirty stuff, Jay isn't that dirty but his stand up is night and day from his Tonight Show monologues.

[getoffthecross]

09:46 PM on 06/09/2011

I wonder if I'll still be happy with this in 20+ years...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJOkyf9iIQM

[GeneParmesanPI]

10:05 PM on 06/09/2011

shameless plug

[getoffthecross]

10:47 AM on 06/10/2011

You betcha! God bless, America! :)

[cameron d]

01:21 AM on 06/10/2011

#Humble Brag.

[Alice Radley]

08:41 PM on 06/09/2011

It's amazing how far he's come. And, it really does tell you that you never know who you might be seeing when you head to The Improv on any random Friday night.

[Daniel Latham]

08:09 PM on 06/09/2011

You know what? I would have been his gay husband in the 80s too.

[chaallus]

07:44 PM on 06/09/2011

I couldn't get past the first 20 seconds! SHEESH!!

[TheOuroborus]

07:28 PM on 06/09/2011

Who knew he'd grow up to be Louis CK? His jokes kinda sucked. Actually... really sucked.

[PygmyTwylyte]

10:43 AM on 06/10/2011

Why do they suck? If you're a fan of standup I'm curious to hear what you think doesn't suck.

[SLivermore]

11:24 AM on 06/10/2011

He was what, 20 in this clip? Comedy is not a kid's game.

[Max Shaw]

04:54 PM on 06/09/2011

Amazing. Looks like a combination of Dave Coulier and Bob Saget back then.

[JaxReader]

06:41 PM on 06/09/2011

Hahaha, good call.

[jlab]

04:31 PM on 06/09/2011

That's fascinating. It's like putting the greatest comedian of our time in that Jeff-Goldblum "fly" contraption together with Jay Leno, and on the other hand, an 80s hack with some potential emerges. I'm glad he lost the hair and gained his genius.

[Brandon Carrol McKimmons]

04:12 PM on 06/09/2011

I laughed... he's better now of coarse but judging from just that 3-4 minutes, I'd be very happy having seen him in '87. Louis C.K. is just greatly awesome ;)

[dmsdzinr]

03:57 PM on 06/09/2011

WOW! He sure did look different then.