Chris Porter: Screaming from the Cosmos

Chris Porter's first live performance, ''Screaming from the Cosmos,'' might be misnamed. Instead of screaming, Porter rolls into his performance, a little closer to the cosmos with the help of some pre-show merriment. Oh yes, folks, he did inhale. Pot, for Porter, is like Tang for astronauts or steroids for Barry Bonds a performance-enhancing drug that helps him get the job done each and every time. Porter, best known to many audiences for his top three finish on NBC's competitive comedy show ''Last Comic Standing,'' delivers top notch, relatable humor with the candor and comfort of a college buddy. Before a psychedelic backdrop in his hometown, he belies his stoner persona with whip smart, staunchly apolitical jokes that cannily hit on life's highs and lows and definitely its absurdities. Porter seems as at-home on stage as he might be on your couch as he saunters through his wry observations on everything from Axe body spray to the bad manners of the elderly and the ridiculous world of nightclubs. Minute by minute, Porter tells people jokes of the highest order.