For as long as she’s been on the scene, the comedic ability of Liza Treyger has put her on the radar more and more with each passing year, and for good reason. Naturally, that means her first full hour special is quite an experience, or dare we say, simply a “hoot.”
Returning to Netflix with her first hour-length special, Night Owl, Treyger has unleashed a power-packed slate of her time-tested and well-crafted jokes that have made her one of the brightest shining stars in the consistently vast ocean of comedy pouring out of New York comedy clubs. Her comedy veteran status and genuine approach has brought her to stages all over the country these past few years, and granted her opportunities outside the realm of stand-up, as well, like her Law & Order: Special Victims Unit-centered podcast, That’s Messed Up.
However, even as someone who has achieved as much as she has, Treyger can’t help but have a slight case of the butterflies when it comes to presenting a new batch of material to the masses.
“Obviously, there’s a little bit of vulnerability because it’s an hour of you, and you can’t control what people think, even though you want people to like it,” Treyger tells Vanyaland. “I really feel like [this special] is me at my best, so I’m really excited for people to see it, and I also loved recording it. It’s really everything I could have hoped for.”
It’ll be 10 years this summer since the release of her debut half-hour special and album, Glittercheese, but and Treyger is quick to mention that, even with a number of projects added to her credit over that time, this new hour represents the work she’s put in since then. Furthermore, she feels like the stars aligned for her with this opportunity now that she’s back in New York and feeling at her best.
“I was very ready to record this,” says Treyger. ”I knew my material, even though I didn’t have a setlist, and I knew how I wanted to start and end, but I also like to perform in the moment, and what I learned from other tapings I’ve done is that I didn’t want to put on a pageant show with this. I don’t perform like that any other night, so why would I make my special departure from myself like that?”
Treyger’s grind has undoubtedly helped her smash through the ranks over the years, but what has helped her even more is her ability to stay in the moment, both within herself and with her audience, and curate an experience that is, of course, filled with jokes, but also a healthy dose of who she is without adding a punchline.
The ability to stay in the moment is something the Chicago export prides herself on, but as she reflects on how that came to be such a big part of her creative identity, she gives a lot of credit to one of the greats for the inspiration to stay true to her own voice and demeanor.
“When I was a really young comic, I saw Dave Attell at the Lakeshore Theatre in Chicago, where they let comics come in for free, so I got to watch all four shows,” says Treyger. “Each of those four shows were so different and in the moment, and one of them even had material that wasn’t in any of the other three, and I just remember thinking ‘fuck yes, I love that.’ It really blew me away.”
Of course, accenting her generally light-hearted approach to her comedy, Treyger also peppers in a sizable dose of social commentary, but consciously only in ways that are still following that path instead of bringing the room down. It’s no different with the perspective she offers in this new hour, as someone who is fully willing to be “divisive for people who don’t like when women talk,” as she puts it herself.
At the foundation, though, she’s just looking to keep her time on stage real, silly, and enjoyable for everyone living in the moment with her.
“I just want people to laugh and have a good time when they watch this. Of course, there’s always a bit of feminism in there for me, hidden within the rape and cum jokes, because I do try to talk about issues that I’m passionate about in a fun way,” says Treyger. “So, do I hope that some feminist stuff gets through to someone? Yes, but has that ever worked in the history of men learning about how women are actually people? Never, but my hope is to have a good laugh and a feminist lean, and that’s that.”