It is no secret that my favorite comedian is John Mulaney. In fact, I even have a sticker of him on my phone case that says “Yes, you heard me, an English major” from his special on Netflix, “Kid Gorgeous.” When I heard he was coming to Philadelphia for his “From Scratch” tour about a month ago, I made a probably bad financial decision and bought myself a ticket.

That is how I found myself sitting in the family circle section of the Kimmel Cultural Center’s Academy of Music on Oct. 8. Before going, I already had high expectations for the show. Very quickly after walking into the building, I had to put my phone into a secure bag to prevent leaks. My social media had been ablaze with praise for Mulaney, which is interesting considering his fall from grace.

This was Mulaney’s first tour since his reputation took a hit from going to a rehabilitation center in December of 2020, getting a very public divorce with photographer Anna Marie Tendler and then very quickly, starting to date actress Oliva Munn. In fact, they recently announced they were having a baby which, as Mulaney himself put during the show, garnered “mixed reviews.” He hilariously mentioned his rival comedian and recent Emmy winner Bo Burham and said all the teens like him now because he’s somehow less problematic. All this controversy has him put in what I like to call his Joker phase.

Needless to say, Mulaney had an abundance of material to talk and joke about. Something I loved about his performance is that he is very much aware of his status in the public eye and does not wish to glamorize any of his mistakes. At one point during the show, he asked the audience if any kids were present to which a 14-year old boy responded. He made sure to tell the kid to not follow down his path, even if it does make him more interesting.

Mulaney knows that for the past several years in his private life, he has made some of the worst decisions he could have made, and it was refreshing to hear someone admit that they were wrong. Towards the end of the show before his final bit, the entire atmosphere of the room changed when Mulaney got serious about his time in rehab. I do not remember hearing a single sound. It was definitely a surreal moment as he talked about how grateful he was to be performing again and that he did not think he would ever have this opportunity again. This only lasted a few minutes, but it may have been the most impactful moment of the show.

I think it is also important to give a quick shoutout to Seaton Smith, Mulaney’s opening act. I had never heard of Smith before and did not think I would be laughing as hard as I did during his set but laugh I indeed did. Immediately after I got my phone back, I went to Instagram and followed him. I am very curious to see where his career takes him, and if he ever did a tour where he was the headlining act, I would not hesitate to buy a ticket.

This night was a lot of firsts for me: the first time I went to Philly, the first time I saw a professional comedy show, and the first time I laughed so hard my voice was gone for the next two days. From the second Mulaney stepped on stage to the moment he left, I was almost crying from laughter. If you ever get a chance to see Mulaney in person, do it. You will not regret it.