Adam Yenser headlines, with Kris Fried and Tyler Rothrock, “Comedy Night at the Downtown Allentown Market,” 6 p.m. July 29, ArtsWalk Pocket Park, 27 N. Seventh St., Allentown. The event is free and open to the public.

Fried, an Allentown native, released his second comedy album, “It Takes a Privilege,” in February. His first album, “We’re All Adults Here,” debuted at No. 7 on the ITunes comedy chart.

Fried’s topics on “Privilege,” which was mostly recorded live at the Emmaus Theatre, include living at home with his parents, dog ownership, “American Idol” type shows, football, relationships and working out.

It also has his songs “Milkman,” “Jean Jacket,” the parody “Uncle Jesse’s Girl,” and “Killing Floor,” the latter done with members of Conan O’Brien’s band.

Some of the cuts are what he calls “different spins on universal topics,” which are his observations of people’s shared experiences.

Although he is outgoing and engaging in public, he says, “I have social anxiety all the time. I can’t help but make observations. I am always internally making notes. I feel comfortable on stage, so I can talk about them then.”

He has written for “Saturday Night Live”’s “Weekend Update,” appeared in sketches on “Conan” and has been a frequent panelist on “Gutfeld!”

He has appeared locally at ArtsQuest Center, SteelStacks and Wind Creek Casino, both Bethlehem, and the monthly comedy show at the Downtown Allentown Market.

Along with stand-up appearances, Fried is working on various projects. He is shopping his sitcom “Collecting” to networks and platforms. He is also writing screenplays, and creating a yet-untitled sketch comedy show for comedian Jim Breuer,

At one point he was interning for “Saturday Night Live” while taking undergraduate courses at DeSales University.

“I had an eight a.m. class at DeSales. I would take the 11 a.m. bus to New York City, spend the day at NBC, and get home at midnight,” Fried says.

“On Saturday night, there would be an after-party. After I got home from that, I would sleep all day Sunday and then start again on Monday.”

Years ago, a comedian might achieve overnight success after a successful appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” leading to lucrative bookings, TV and movie deals. Those days are gone. Says Fried:

“Instant recognition doesn’t happen anymore. I have friends who have been on Conan O’Brien or Seth Meyers’ shows who have not gotten a lot out of it.

“The recognition might be good for a few days. You can have all kinds of credits and no one cares. It’s not what it used to be.”

Although Gutfield’s show is on the politically right-leaning Fox network, Fried says that the participants, including Fried himself, focus on humor, not politics.

“Donald Trump sparked aggression on both sides. People are more likely to take things personally. Some people can’t just laugh it off.

“But just because there are serious social issues doesn’t mean you shouldn’t joke about it. Most people just want to be nice to each other. Everybody really just wants to have a good time and get along.”

The 37-year-old Fried has learned to communicate with all types of audiences. “I’m recently single, so I’ve been doing stuff younger people do and I have been socializing with them. I can relate to their age group and mine.”

He finds that some of his best audiences are older, even though they may not be as immediately responsive. “Older crowds can look intimidating, but often I’ve found that they are the ones who want to laugh the most.”

He thinks that Lehigh Valley audiences are a good mixture. “There is less heckling here than with a city crowd. There is every type of demographic within a 20- or 30-minute drive. The Lehigh Valley can feel like a city or a farm.”

Fried was born in Allentown and attended Salisbury Township School District elementary, middle and high schools.

After living in New York City, he moved back to the Lehigh Valley because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Fried also lived in Los Angeles for three years, and in Boston. He received a master’s degree in psychology from Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.