On Jan. 24, actor and comedian Aziz Ansari performed two sold-out stand-up comedy shows at Denver’s Bellco Theater. These performances were part of his “Aziz Ansari Live!” tour and left Denver audiences gasping for breath from laughter.

The 9:30 p.m. performance began with a stand-up routine from Joe Mande, a writer for NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation.” During his 40-minute set Mande poked fun at his earlier, less-glamorous comedy career and Reese Witherspoon’s new film “Wild.”

He also paid homage to the recent legalization of marijuana in Colorado with a story about a time when he and a friend ate marijuana brownies and then attended a taping of former Senator Mike Huckabee’s talk show “Huckabee.”

Ansari took the stage around 10:15 p.m. Before beginning his performance, he allowed audience members a few minutes to take photographs so that they wouldn’t be tempted to during the performance.

Throughout the set, Ansari repeatedly touched on important social concepts in a way that was both humorous and profound. Part of his performance focused on the issues that women face daily, especially “creepy” guys who won’t take “no” for an answer. He also spoke about the increasingly technological dating world and the struggles of immigrants and first generation Americans.

At one point in the performance, Ansari asked audience members to raise their hands if they had met a new love interest in the past few days. Those who raised their hands were then asked to find the first text messages they had exchanged with that person and come to the stage. Ansari then chose one of these audience members and read her text messages aloud to the audience, a moment that left everyone in the theatre hysterical after Ansari discovered that the man she had been texting had no idea who he was.

At 11:15 p.m. Ansari thanked the audience and left the stage, but was pulled back by the unending applause. During his encore he made jokes about the recent Twitter drama that occurred between he and Rupert Murdoch last week. He then discussed his time working as an actor on the series “Parks and Recreation,” which has just entered its final season, and ended the night with a few jokes about married life.

What sets Ansari apart from many other comedians is that he makes his audiences think deeply about real life problems while also making them laugh. The issues he tackles—like sexual harassment, racism and immigration—are relatable and important, but a little bit funny sometimes, too.

Three of Ansari’s comedy specials, including “Buried Alive,” “Dangerously Delicious” and “Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening” are available for streaming on Netflix.