Long before Jeremy Piven the performance was cutting deals and belittling assistants as Ari Gold on Entourage, the New York native was honed on stage. He grew up in a theater family and cut his teeth as an improv performer at Second City, racking up dozens of film and TV appearances before breaking out as a supporting actor with turns in John Cusack movies like Grosse Pointe Blank and Old School.

In an era when allegations of sexual misconduct have become the norm, Piven has had to find a way to make himself relevant again and it seems that stand-up comedy might be his answer. He has been touring and performing in clubs throughout the country since 2018, and last week he stopped by Punch Line, a comedy club in Philadelphia, for his first show of 2019.

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Piven’s performance was solid, though it took him a while to get his legs under him. He wore a brown cowboy hat, jean coat, and white T-shirt as he hit the stage after local comedian Kenny Kinds killed his set. He was pumped and ready to entertain, but it took him 15 minutes to really find his groove.

The audience loved it, though. The place was bursting with people who were cheering and “whooing” with the desperate fervor of pilgrims seeking to be touched by a Pope. They were all there for Piven and it seemed that the man himself enjoyed being in their presence.