By May Zhee Lim, Markets Media Life Correspondent 

One of the biggest names in comedy, Aziz Ansari is doing two shows at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden on Thursday, October 9. Best known for his role as the flashy, fast-talking but lovable Tom Haverford from Parks and Recreation, Ansari is also a big presence in the stand-up comedy scene. Only a handful of comedians have had the honor of performing at the Garden, and 31-year-old Ansari will soon be one of them.

A graduate of New York University, Ansari’s stand-up career had its humble beginnings thirteen years ago in the Comedy Cellar in downtown Manhattan. Today, he is named “the funniest man under 30” by Rolling Stones and his comedy routine Buried Alive is a worldwide hit on Netflix. He is currently filming the seventh and final season of Parks and Recreation and writing a book about dating in the age of technology.

Much like his fictional counterpart on the show, Ansari is a big fan of rap music, keeps up with celebrity gossip, and is a technology junkie, all of which he covers in his routines. But he is not afraid of using comedy to explore deeper subjects like love, relationships, marriage, and parenting. Ansari tells The New York Times that he is working on material for the Garden set that compares his parents’ courage to migrate from India to South Carolina years before he was born, to his own courage of flying from New York to Chicago without a functioning iPad.

This gig could help secure Ansari a place among the ranks of comedy giants like Louis CK, Sarah Silverman, and Amy Schumer, whom he was on tour with this summer. Ansari’s commitment to his craft deserves nothing less, and his performance this Thursday will mark a milestone for both the comedian and his dedicated fans.

Tickets ($35-$65) and can be purchased online here.

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