Aziz delivers standout stand-up

There’s a chance you might recognize Aziz Ansari from his performance at Tulane Sept. 23 as the Indian guy from MTV’s “Human Giant” or as the funniest part of NBC’s “Parks and Recreation.” If you saw Judd Apatow’s tribute to stand-up comedy “Funny People” however, you know Ansari as “RAAAAAAAANDY,” a foulmouthed shock comic whose hyperactive persona plays foil to Seth Rogen’s calm, stoner-guy demeanor.

In his first stand-up album, Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening, Ansari’s material ranges from stories of a bad roommate to antagonizing his 14-year-old cousin on Facebook to a night out with Kanye West. His style is clearly observational, and while he visits such clichés as Craigslist and gay marriage, his thoughts manage to come off as fresh and original. He makes his love for indie rock obvious, namedropping TV On The Radio, M.I.A. and Modest Mouse at various points throughout the set.

Some bits fall flat by sheer over-enthusiasm, as Ansari sometimes resorts to Dane Cook’s technique of “premise-over-punchline,” pandering to stock subjects and references he knows the audience will laugh at easily. Some of his best work, however, comes when his jokes trail on a bit too long and lapse into absurdity, à la Mitch Hedberg. In a routine about a father leaving his son with Ansari while taking a phone call, Aziz questions the father’s lack of responsibility to predictable laughs. But as soon as the applause dies down, Ansari pauses a moment before adding, “…I’m just saying that I could have fucked that kid.” It’s the risks he takes that lead to the most memorable moments on the album; as he matures as a comic, he’ll come to recognize that signature absurdity as his forte.

The highlight of the album, by far, is the eight-minute encore, in which Ansari adopts the “RAAAAAAAANDY” character. He is accompanied by a DJ who adds Hip Hop sound effects to Randy’s punchlines, most of which involve him getting blowjobs in various locations. The humor here is how well Ansari understands the parody he’s performing and how out of control it becomes.

For all its glorious humor, Intimate Moments is a solid debut album from a promising comedian and a fine kick-off to 2010’s stand-up catalog.