Charm City native and radio morning show co-host Jess Hilarious returned to The Theater at MGM in Oxon Hill for the fourth time on Saturday, June 10th. Despite cancel culture, comedy has evolved into a unique art form in 2023. The days of grinding in the comedy clubs are now replaced with TikTok views and Instagram followers becoming household names. Jess Hilarious is one such comic who got her start in comedy with the latter.
While I was familiar with her name, had seen her in movies & tv, and knew about her grind, Jess Hilarious is a comic I needed to familiarize myself with regarding stand-up. Her recent appearances on The Breakfast Club won me over, so I decided to check out her live game on a whim.
After a solid set from an opener, Jess took the stage. Rocking a fresh jean outfit, the Baltimore native began her set playing some Baltimore house before humorously admitting she was close to D.C. and had to play some Go-Go which quickly won over the crowd. For the next seventy-five minutes, Jess was on fire with a confident moxie that alluded black girl magic.
The vibe I took from Jess's set as she has found a niche that works for her and has put in the work to get where she is today. While Jess was on stage, I saw sprinkles of absurdist humor, sharp sarcasm, and even anti-jokes. The comedian pointed out to the audience that the show we were attending was for an upcoming special, so I will only spoil a few of the jokes out of respect for her craft.
However, I have to give Jess props for the monologue where she humorously detailed her fandom of the film Set It Off while pointing out some of its fallacies. Her stories about her brand rising, meeting celebrities she grew up watching, living in New York, and dating all had me in stitches.
No longer a rising comic, Mrs. Hilarious has arrived and can count on my support in her future endeavors.
Final Grade: B+
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