For all the comedy aficionados out there, it’s common sense that stand-up routines begin with light humor before easing into their more personal bits. This Thursday at Union Hall in Brooklyn, a handful of comedians came together to put a new spin on this traditional format. “I’ll Leave You With This,” a hilarious comedy show hosted by comedian Jordan Carlos, asked performers to get out of their comfort zones and “start with their closer.” The results, while sometimes unpredictable, were across the board hilarious.

The show opened with a performance by Jordan Carlos himself. His first bit was about his past as a childhood bully with scoliosis. Most comedians wouldn’t open their show by telling the audience that they were a bully — or mention it ever — but it worked, and his jokes kept the audience laughing throughout his set.

The second performer of the night, Tom Thriveni, started his segment off with a light topic: porn. He talked about how his porn experience is very technical, with him switching between screens and tabs. It was not only informative, but also very funny.

Following Thriveni was comedian Justin Cappa, who, not wanting to disturb the thread of the evening, also began with porn. His take was different from Thirveni’s but equally amusing. Cappa also talked about how his landlord forgot to mention that someone was murdered in his apartment. Not only did he have the audience roaring with laughter, he probably had a few people calling their landlords, too.

The talented Will Miles took the stage next, and, taking a break from porn, started off discussing the OJ Simpson trial, and how he and his girlfriend had very different reactions to it due to their race. His bits were extremely funny and personable.

Brendan Fitzgibbons followed after, giving some very good advice to the ladies in the audience about receiving unsolicited explicit pictures. His tip: simply retaliate by sending back a picture of a bigger one.

Taking the spirit of the show to heart, Ricky Valez performed while clearly intoxicated. Instead of beginning with his closing bit, he rambled on about a bunch of different things. He discussed how weird it is that people spend money on pajamas, and about his time on the Larry Wilmore’s Nightly Show. Still, the majority of his performance managed to be hysterical and honest.

Last to perform was the headliner, Michelle Buteau. Buteau’s set was explosively funny and engaging. She spent half of the time poking fun at the other comedians, and the other half making fun of other things, such as her husband’s family’s Dutch names. While it wasn’t clear whether or not she opened with her closer, all her jokes stuck, and her take-no-prisoners comedy style kept the audience laughing.

While the show didn’t always follow its inverted model, every comedian brought a new, fresh routine to the stage. Their repartee and interaction with the audience made for a fun and easygoing night, leaving the whole audience replete with chuckles.

Email Lily Dolin at [email protected].