Bill Burr June 27, Mirage.

No stand-up this side of Louis C.K. has ridden a wave of momentum more than Bill Burr the past few years. His style is so conversational, you feel like you could as easily be listening to him talk over a few beers as seeing him in a big theater. He covers the topics of the day, everything from politics to sports.

His rant on openly gay football player Michael Sam kissing his boyfriend when he was drafted was one of his best, searing the people disgusted by the same-sex kiss. “That’s what you get for watching the draft. That was three days into the draft. That’s like going to a graduation ceremony, and you don’t know anybody graduating. I’m glad he kissed him. He should have blown him. With birthday cake in his mouth. And a Santa Claus hat on. And the flag behind him. Just ruin every holiday.”

His quick hitters walloped just as hard. On the current DJ music trend: “I put it on. I lasted 90 seconds. Then all of a sudden I just turned into an old man.” (In an old man voice,) “This isn’t music. When I was a kid you dressed like a woman and you sang about the devil.”

Most thrilling was his commentary on the current state of the audience/comic relationship. When the crowd went cold on him as he called Hitler a “first ballot hall-of-fame evil” member, Burr quickly acknowledged the awkwardness and pivoted: “I don’t understand this age of taking jokes seriously.” (In a perturbed audience member’s voice,) “The first 50 minutes he was joking around, and then it took a serious turn. And I can tell. I know what he meant even if he doesn’t.”

Burr takes risks and clearly is onstage for himself as much as he is for the crowd. Las Vegas could use more true comics like him coming through.