Carlos Hernandez Brings Together Survivor Alums, Tunes, and More at Miami Improv

Look up "man about town" in Miami's dictionary, and Carlos Hernandez's photo is bound to be there.

These days, the comedian is best known for his live shows anchored by reflections on Miami absurdities, his oft-viral, on-the-street interviews with Only in Dade, and, yes, that one magical Pitbull-spirited audition on American Idol.

He can be hard to catch in one place on a given day, but you see many sides of his LOL-inducing talent at Miami Improv this Friday. It's a special show on many fronts: It's his first weekend gig in Miami and his annual variety show, Cahrlos Live.

"This show is all about the things that I love and are true to my heart," he tells New Times. "There will be standup, improv, music, crowd work, and I'll be bringing in some of my favorite comedian friends from New York. Speaking of New York, I'll be spending a little more time up there throughout the year, too."

Hernandez says an underlying theme of the evening will be "Surviving Miami," with reflections on all the unique lunacy — and people — everyone encounters in the 305 and its surrounding confines. On Miami, the Mexican native says, "I've lived in Miami for almost 20 years. I love this city, and this show will be a love letter as to what it takes to survive in a city like this. It's about how brave we all are to live in a city that is so fun and so shady at the same time."

As for his tip número uno for living through Miami, Hernandez says, "Just don't take everything so seriously and chill out. If a club isn't letting you in because of your attire, don't take it so seriously. Maybe it's because you smell bad, and they just don't want to tell you."

As part of Cahrlos Live, Dee Valladares, a Miami resident and the winner of the last season of Survivor, is slated to make an appearance. Ben Katzman, a contestant on the current season of Survivor, will serve as band leader and guitarist for the show.

Ahead of the show, Katzman tells New Times, "Rippin' with Carlos is always a vibe. You can expect us to transport you to a vibe where standup specials, late-night talk shows, MTV, and Adult Swim reigned supreme. It's filled with laughs, loud riffs, and a side of Miami you hope never leaves the party."

Beyond Miami, Hernandez has been busy touring the U.S. throughout the last year, bringing 305-infused laughs to San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Columbus, Ohio. On Columbus, he says with a laugh, "Every place is crazy in its own right, but Columbus sticks out to me because, as a tourist, every time I Googled something to do, it came back with a blank. However, one fact kept coming up — the fact that most of the U.S. astronauts to ever go to space are from Columbus. They had to leave the planet to find something to do."

Looking ahead, Hernandez plans to keep touring and will soon be dropping more long-form videos on Instagram and YouTube. "As a Latino man, I'm supposed to be the macho man of the family. If it were up to my dad, I'd be on a construction site," he says. "But I'm pushing through here and living my best life."

Cahrlos Live With Carlos Hernandez. 10 p.m. Friday, April 5, at Miami Improv, 3450 NW 83rd Ave., Doral; 305-441-8200; miamiimprov.com. Tickets cost $25 to $40.