Louis CK performs surprise shows in Vancouver

Comedian Louis CK is playing two shows at the University of British Columbia's Thunderbird Arena this week. But before those high-profile performances, he played two very low-profile gigs in town.

Lucky, unsuspecting comedy fans were treated to two surprise Vancouver shows, when he showed up, unadvertised, first at the Comedy Mix on Burrard Street, and then later at the Kino Cafe on Cambie Street.

The comedian performed for roughly20 minutesat the Comedy Mix, and then went on for about 40 minutes at the Kino Cafe.

Louis CK fans Oli Maughan and Sam Tonning, who are also comedians, were both in attendance for the first show at the Comedy Mix..

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"We kinda had an idea," MaughantoldOn The Coasthost Stephen Quinn, adding that the opening comedian that night mentioned on Twitter that a 'special friend,' would drop by.

"Then a couple of our friends got bumped from the show, so you start putting pieces together, so we thought, 'Why not risk it and come down and see if he comes? '

"It was roughly the best day of my life."

The two watched the show with the rest of the crowd, then caught wind Louis CK was moving onto Kino Cafe.

So they did the only sensible thing: they ran seven blocks to Maughan's car and drove off to the second show.

"It was the fastest I've ever run," Maughan said.

'Unambiguously amazing to see'

Louis CK had a notebook and was workshopping new material, and for the two comedians, it was a sight to behold.

"I do this every day: I have a notebook, I have my phone, I'm recording my jokes, trying to work on them, and here is the biggest comedian in the world doing the exact same thing," Tonning said.

"That's awesome. Unambiguously amazing to see."

Maughan said the great thingabout Louis CK is the way he connects with an audience: "It [feels] like he's telling you the joke, and nobody else."

For Tonning, it'sthe obscure topics he tackles. Everything from family, to kids, to goats to trash cans.

Both said the sets Louis CK performedwere hilarious, of course.

Maughan liked it so much she went back to see Louis CK a third time with thousands of other people at Thunderbird Arena.

Both of Louis CK's Vancouver shows are sold out.

With files from CBC Radio One's On The Coast

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