Jay Leno, the former host of “The Tonight Show,” performed at the Gallagher Bluedorn Center for Performing Arts on Saturday, Sept. 12. After hosting the famous NBC talk show for over 20 years, Leno made a special appearance in Cedar Falls for a night of standup comedy and storytelling.

“What’s special about this show is that it’s Jay Leno’s return to standup comedy, which is how he got his start,” says Blake Argotsinger, the Associate Marketing Manager at Gallagher. “He hasn’t toured a comedy act like this since before he started hosting ‘The Tonight Show.’ The show [featured] something that most people don’t think of when they think Jay Leno. There [were] a lot of stories about when he was growing up.”

The show Saturday was sold out, with over 1,600 tickets sold. Tickets went on sale to the public in June and sold quickly. According to Argotsinger, older comedy lovers are not the only ones who were thrilled to see Leno.

“As far as demographics for the tickets holders go, quite a few of them are older, but there are also a lot of younger people attending,” said Argotsinger. “His influence is so huge, and he hosted a late night show for so long that our show here has attracted people of all generations.”

Gallagher Bluedorn has been seeking out larger acts for the venue’s artist series, with the hope that more students will attend. The idea is that if students react to big name acts like Leno, they may also come to appreciate the smaller acts that come through the theatre every year.

Daniel Pfaltzgraff, senior English education major, appreciates the GBPAC’s efforts in bringing big names to the community.

“I think it’s great for UNI and the community,” said Pfaltzgraff. “These artists draw more people into the area and help put Cedar Falls on the map.”

While attendance among the student population is small, that doesn’t necessarily mean that students aren’t paying attention to Leno’s performance.

“I remember watching “The Tonight Show” all the time when he was hosting,” recalls junior criminology major Zach Thomsen. “I thought he was hilarious.”

Jay Leno started hosting “The Tonight Show” in 1992. Prior to succeeding Johnny Carson on the show, he made his mark in standup comedy and in some small acting roles. Towards the end of his run on “The Tonight Show,” it was revealed that Leno had been doing standup in a club in Los Angeles every Thursday throughout his time on the show. Leno stopped hosting “The Tonight Show” in March of 2014 with Jimmy Fallon taking over. Since then, he has been touring his comedy act around the country and Canada, as well as performing for members of the armed forces at USO shows.

There is a big difference between the desk that Leno usually sat behind and being alone on a stage with only a stool and a microphone, but 1,617 people were excited about his return to traditional comedy.

Allie Kroeger, senior elementary education major, enjoyed what Leno brought to the table.

“I thought Jay Leno provided a nice variety of comedy bits to appeal to everyone in the audience,” said Kroeger. “He did a great job of reading his audience, adjusting the type of humor he was targeting to get as many people laughing as possible and making it an enjoyable experience for all.”

“I was surprised at how personable and laid back Leno was,” said Pfaltzgraff. “It felt more like a conversation than a comedy show. […] He had the same comedic style he possessed while on ‘The Tonight Show.’”