It was a sold out crowd at the Salle Pierre Mercure last Saturday night (June 3) that witnessed what Montreal comedian Sugar Sammy had to say in his new bilingual show “You’re Gonna Rire 2”.

And amongst the torrents of laughter that emitted from this bilingual, multi-cultural audience – and a few groans (but hey, that’s to be expected) – you quickly realized that Sugar Sammy is a shining example of the stand-up comedian as social observer and critic, especially when it comes to the raw nerve that is the state of unpredictability and absurdity in the province of Quebec.

Needless to say, Sammy was in top form and certainly did not disappoint. His quiver was full of pointed arrows and hit the target with every arrow he shot when it came to tackling a number of relevant topics, such as the controversies and angry emails that have resulted from his shows so far, racism, comedian Mike Ward, diversity, Paris French vs. Quebec French, Quebecois TV talk shows, and the Quebec “vedette” scene. And the two major strengths that are associated with a Sugar Sammy show – his ability to smoothly transition from French to English and vice versa, and his charming way of interacting with members of the audience – were in full force, much to the delight of the massive crowd in attendance that night.

“You’re Gonna Rire 2” certainly lived to its billing, and helped to reinforce Sugar Sammy’s reputation as the comedian as social critic, which ranks him up there with such contemporaries as Steven Colbert and Bill Maher. Finally, I have three more words to add to this review: don’t miss it!

By the way, tickets for the show’s Montreal run in June, July and September are sold out, but are available for shows starting this October; just go to www.sugarsammy.com to buy yours.