By Michael Paskevich
Las Vegas Review-Journal
5/12/1995
Comic John Caponera has a clever way to inject some excitement into the dreadfully dull America's Cup yacht races currently being staged off the coast of San Diego. "Put cannons on the boats and let the crews wear pirate costumes," he told an early-week crowd at the newly improved Riviera Comedy Club. He figures TV ratings would soar the first time a skipper unleashes a broadside blast that blows a hole through a competitor's sail.
In one of the strongest and strangest comedy shows of the year to date--support acts include a guy who starts his show with a coffee break and a crusty 75-year-old chap who will tell you aging is "a crock." Headliner Caponera capped off a quirky evening of comedy with a deadly funny set that further heralded his status as one of stand-up's brightest lights. The host of "Jocks" TV show on Comedy Central, Caponera certainly knows about the weird world of sports.
His solid impressions of the late Howard Cosell and the forever-befuddled Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray highlighted his flair for odd voices--his own stage voice ranges from a whisper to that of a demented drill sergeant--and his running gag about golfer Kim Williams playing a round with a bullet in her neck, a true story, is an instant classic.
Yet sports play only a small portion of Caponera's wide-ranging if often dark-spirited comic journey through life. He conducts a symphony of familiar gestures while driving ("these days they'll throw a pit bull in your car"), questions the motivations of white guys who act black and wonders with deadpan disbelief just how a woman let a tumor grow to 156 pounds before finally seeking medical advice.
Unafraid of letting a room grow quiet, Caponera sets his own intentionally erratic pace, pausing to perfection to complement his oddly timed but rewarding comic insights. The jokes are further bolstered by his talent for facial gestures that range from goofy to arrognat, making Caponera arguably the hottest club headliner going at present. Count on seeing more of him in the future as word of his immense talents spreads further.
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