The humid weather may not have fazed a lot of Houstonians Saturday as we’ve become accustomed to the sweltering heat, but at least one visitor thought he might not make it through the temperature. Trevor Noah dressed simply in a dark T-shirt and jeans walked across the stage in The Woodlands and joked about how the muggy forecast almost stopped him from making the performance.
“I tried to go on a run earlier today and had to stop after three blocks,” laughed The Daily Show host as he described getting use to a climate that many Houstonians forget can take an out of town visitor by surprise. “I’m from South Africa. South Africa! I’m from there and I’m telling you…Houston is the hottest place on earth. It’s like running through water.”
Noah touched down on the outdoor stage of the Cynthia Mitchell Woods Pavilion with his Loud and Clear Tour, which has the South African comedian and political commentator traveling to cities like Toledo and Bloomington and then moving to international destinations like Japan and Doha, Qatar. It’s a tour schedule that is as diverse as his style of comedy which highlights his growing up in South Africa, experiencing a myriad of cultures, and learning multiple languages.
Noah still managed to be relatable and kept the crowd laughing by hitting them with the humor he is known for on the Comedy Central show which is a mix of politics and childhood stories of a young immigrant being exposed to new cultures. He moved effortlessly from explaining how differently Americans treat the national anthem as compared to the rest of the world to the gravity carried in the inflection of speaking different languages.. He ranged from subjects the audience was familiar with, like the recent NBA Finals, to topics that average attendee may not have been familiar with, like a recent international scandal involving Canada.
“If you ever want to see…just the cutest…international scandal look up Justin Trudeau and India,” he chuckled as he compared what our northern neighbors perceived as scandalous compared to news coming from our current administration.
The comedian left stage to a standing ovation and the fans’ hope that he’ll brave the weather for a future performance. Athough the next time will probably be in the winter.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2019.
