"This ain't gonna get any better. It's not a politically correct show, so if you get easily offended, get the fuck out," Stephen Lynch heartedly warned after he performed his song "Altar Boy" Tuesday night.
He wasn't kidding. From masturbation to abortion, deformity to homosexuality, nothing was off limits. And the crowd loved every minute of it.
"His performance was great," Nick Piciocco, freshman communication studies major, said. "The man is hysterical. I would have paid double - no - maybe triple the amount I paid to see him."
Lynch's sold-out show was sponsored by the College Union Board (CUB) and Peanuts. "I didn't expect a sell out," Kevin Mnich, freshman nursing major, said. "There was no real broadcasting, it was last minute," Mnich said.
"But the show sold out - we had to turn people away. People sat at the door and listened to the show, that's how popular he is."
Tickets for the event were scheduled to go on sale at 8 p.m. At 6:30 p.m. people were already waiting in line for tickets.
In addition to performing at the College a few years ago, Lynch has performed on "The Opie and Anthony Show" and has his own half-hour special on Comedy Central.
"I've seen him on Comedy Central and thought he was funny," Eric Sabol, freshman music major, said. "I was interested to see what he was like live."
From the moment Lynch entered the room he was bursting with energy. Starting the show immediately with his song "Half a Man," about being deformed with having only one testicle, the jokes weren't just in his lyrics. "Thank you. Goodnight," Lynch said after singing the song and taking a bow. "Fuck it, we'll rock two more."
Lynch's sharp wit and talent proved he is not just a music man in the world of comedy. After the first song, Lynch took off the black cover of his microphone, put it on his face and performed a short, but hilarious rendition of "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias.
Crowd participation was also a huge part of the night. The crowd started to sing while Lynch played "Superhero."
"Oh, you know this one? Well, don't sing along and fuck up the punch lines," Lynch said, jokingly.
In the middle of the song Lynch asked the crowd, "If you could be a superhero, what kind of superhero would you be?" The responses from the crowd had even Lynch speechless and laughing which made it hard for him to continue, but he managed.
Other crowd favorites included "Lullaby (Divorce Song)," "Gay," "Taxi Driver," and "For the Ladies."
Lynch's gestures and actions added to the intensity and humor of each performance. For example, while singing about drugs, he pretended to smoke pot and while singing about sex, he made suggestive gestures with the microphone. "The Signal is probably here, too. I can see it now: 'Lynch promotes drug use, blows microphone,'" Lynch joked.
Lynch introduced Marc Tike, his musical partner and friend for over 10 years. Together they sang a few new songs including "D & D" and "Best Friend's Song."
"He has the most amazing voice," Paul Leunig, freshman music education major, said. "No male performer I've heard can hit those high notes," Leunig said. "The songs and the ones in between were all hilarious."
The show ended with a standing ovation from the audience, but that wasn't the end of the night. Lynch and Tike stayed afterwards to sell their old and new CDs. Lynch signed autographs, took pictures with students and answered questions. To the surprise of some, he acted differently from his onstage persona.
"I'm just a normal guy who likes to write about really twisted stuff," Lynch said.
