Marco Island Sun Times, May 17, 2007

Recently at Capt. Brien's Off-the-Hook Comedy Club, Pauly Shore was definitely a hit with the audience.

Although he is known for being foul-mouthed and crude, the crowd wasn't as conservative as I expected it to be. The show was sold out.
People came from other towns and to accommodate them, two rows of chairs in between the front and back of the stage area were lined up with guests. There wasn't a seat to be had.
He was funny, dirty, and didn't seem quite comfortable with the Marco crowd.
"The audience tonight wasn't really my type of audience. They were a little older, white and conservative," Shore stated. "Tonight was a little weird for me, I usually play at a younger place, but this area is like older white people and a little stodgy. I started doing some of my dirtier stuff, but it didn't lend itself to a conservative crowd. It just ain't for me," he continued.
"I'll make some adjustments for the next shows. I'm not used to performing in front of older white rich people."
Whether he made the adjustments or not, I couldn't tell you. Being rather conservative, I would have preferred to slide under a chair at times.
From what I could see, though, the younger people just loved him. They were hooting and giving a thumbs up at times. But there seemed to be something missing.
"I know in my heart it could have been way better. So I know that for the rest of the weekend, I'll have to get new stuff for the conservative people," Shore said.
Shore has been around a long time as a stand-up comic, starting at age 17. His mother, Mitzi Shore, started and still owns the Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard, which gave Pauly his start. His father, Sammy, also was a well-known comedian, opened for Elvis Presley and Tony Orlando. So Pauly grew up around comedians his whole life.
He was a star in 1990 when he did the MTV show "Totally Pauly," which was a big hit. The show ran for four years, which opened the doors to other television and film roles. He wrote and starred in a one-hour HBO television special, "Pauly Does Dallas," in 1993.
In his better days, "The Future of America," his first comedy album, was named Best Comedy Album by the college music journalists in 1991, and the National Association of Record Merchandisers nominated his second album for a Best Sellers Award, "Scraps from the Future."
He has a new movie coming out with Viveca Fox and Charlie Murphy titled "Shore's Funked up Sketch Comedy Movie." His other latest bid to the road back to fame is the self-mockumentary "Pauly Shore is Dead," which he directed and co-wrote.
In the meantime, he does a lot of gigs in Austin, Texas, is a recurring guest on Howard Stern's late-night show, as well as David Letterman's and Craig Kilborn's talk shows. He tours the country with his stand-up act, and apparently is comfortable with the non-white, really cool, non-conservative younger crowd.
For what it's worth, he was widely accepted on Marco.
Mark Golden from Naples thought the show was great and very funny.
David Napolitano and his bride from Boston, who were on their honeymoon said, "We enjoyed it and we're glad we came to see it."
Marco resident Patricia Burdette commented, "It was so much fun. I'm so glad I came. My daughter-in-law brought a group down from Naples and we really enjoyed the show."
And Andrea McKinney thought Pauly a genius.
After the show, Shore took pictures with people standing in line waiting their turn. Flash bulbs made it seem like Fourth of July. Shore also signed his T-shirts and pre-printed photographs.
A favorable mention must go to the warm-up comedienne, Carin MacWithey. She looked like a 13-year-old (although she was 22) and did a non-stop gig. A baby in the business for three-and-one-half-years, she was very funny and I expect she'll make it in the business.
The feature act that followed was also quite prepared. Shawn Hilton was very funny and kept his act going without a hitch.
I enjoyed their comedy acts much more than Shore's. I guess it's different strokes for different folks.
Shore concluded with, "It's cool. They all came out to see me and it's nice. I'm very fortunate that people know who I am and want to see me. I just have to keep doing what I do and get better. I'm honored to be down here. The people and the club are really nice."
Capt. Brien's Off the Hook Comedy Club is located at 599 S. Collier Blvd. For information, call 389-6900 or visit www.captbriens.com for upcoming shows.