Louis CK Does Standup to Benefit Veterans with PTSD

Shelter Island resident and comedian Louis CK is headlining the An Amazing Night of Comedy benefit concert for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder on Saturday, April 30. The show will be held at the New York City Center and will also feature standup performances by Russell Brand, Vanessa Bayer and Jim Gaffigan.

The benefit is organized by the David Lynch Foundation, a foundation focused on the teaching and benefits of transcendental meditation for people suffering from trauma and illness. Through this event, the foundation seeks to bring “stress-reducing, evidence-based meditation to veterans suffering PTSD,” a practice that founder-director David Lynch (Twin Peaks, Wild at Heart) has been an avid supporter of since 1973.

CK’s reverence and efforts to benefit veterans isn’t new territory for the comedian. Fans of CK’s FX show, Louie, will recall the comedian’s two-part episode shot and filmed in Afghanistan during a USO tour, which he has participated in several times over the past few years. He has also dedicated a bit in his standup shamefully describing how he fails to honor veterans sitting in coach on airplanes while he flies first class.

With the benefit show set for the end of next month, CK has had an extremely productive year so far and for the foreseeable future. In January, he debuted his new show on FX, Baskets, starring Zach Galifianakis, which has received overall positive reviews. CK also recently surprised fans with the sudden release of his online show Horace and Pete, which features the talents of Steve Buscemi, Hamptons fan Edie Falco, Sag Harbor resident Alan Alda and Jessica Lange, among many other comedians and faces who have appeared on Louie.

Last week on Jimmy Kimmel Live, CK presented his new show to the public for the first time since it quietly debuted in late January. He agreed with Kimmel’s description of the show as “Cheers if everyone was depressed.”

Tickets for An Amazing Night of Comedy benefit show are available on davidlynchfoundation.org.