Carlos Ballarta at McAllen Performing Arts Center

A native of Mexico City, Ballarta had spent only a few years in the comedy circuit within Mexico’s capital before he got his big break. Comedy Central Mexico, along with one of the country’s biggest late-night personalities, Adal Ramones, launched a TV show called Stand Parados. The show was literally a showcase of some of the country’s top stand-up talent. Ballarta made it on the show, and truly, that’s where he got his big break! His set on the show went viral on YouTube, and a lot of the jokes that people still remember him for are from those early years, circa 2014.

This show not only launched Ballarta’s act but also helped others like Franco Escamilla become household names. It also helped the stand-up comedy genre as a whole in Mexico go from shady bars to concert halls! Carlos Ballarta is one of those guys who’s still riding that wave, and that’s why he’s being chosen to bring his show Tlatoani to the McAllen Performing Arts Center in early September.

The show highlights Ballarta’s signature comedy style, in which he points out some of society's incongruences while discussing personal situations. There are a few spoilers from the set available online already. Ballarta’s probably going to alter the show, though, to touch on some points that are more relatable to the Chicano audience north of the border. He has a set on American gun violence, for example. It’s not that he delves too deep into touchy issues through his comedy.

One of the things he frequently references is how he’s sometimes treated poorly because of the way he looks. In a recent set, he talked about being asked if he was a dog walker because he took his dog outside in the nice neighborhood he currently lives in. It’s really his delivery without any major screams or anything like that, which his audience loves.

You really don’t need to worry too much about your seat at the McAllen Performing Arts Center on September 6th. You’ll hear the jokes perfectly from wherever you’re sitting on the night. What you may need to worry about is having the tickets run out! Click the get tickets button now to make sure that you’re ready to go come September.