Black, others offer dark humor

A sold-out crowd was treated to a high-energy show from stand-up comedians Saturday night in the Union Auditorium, led by UNC alumnus Lewis Black.

The anticipated event of the weeklong Carolina Comedy Festival, “Lewis Black and Friends” showcased some shining stars of the comedic community.

Rory Albanese, a comedian and writer for “The Daily Show,” kicked the night off, complimenting the University and then joking about such staples as the swim test.

“It knocks the credibility of the school a little bit, doesn’t it?” he said.

His energetic stand-up style warmed up the capacity crowd as the show downshifted into a more subdued performance from Eric Drysdale, an Emmy-award winning writer for” “The Daily Show.”

Drysdale noted that his tour of the town pretty much stopped with University Massage, and then said of Chapel Hill, “It’s not the hickest of hick towns.” He held a brief arts and crafts session that involved making paper lanterns and tips on how to harass punk rocker Billy Joe Armstrong.

THEATER REVIEW CAROLINA COMEDY FESTIVAL LEWIS BLACK AND FRIENDS SATURDAY, APRIL 16

Comedienne Lynne Koplitz, hailing from Virginia, was the only woman in the lineup, and she shocked the crowd with her explicitly funny routine. Jokes about sex and relationships were laced with her Southern drawl. Early in her set, she noted that sex with younger guys was slightly formulaic.

“It’s like taking the SATs: Just show up on time, do the best job you can, and when I say stop, put your little pencil down,” she said.

Lewis Black took the stage next to the roar of the crowd as digital and cell-phone cameras flickered in the auditorium. He started off by warning students that college life “is as good as it gets.”

“You get these four years, and then you’re fucked,” he said.

His hourlong set featured myriad topics, from the sleep-inducing powers of the Undergraduate Library and the buildings he described as “concrete mausoleums” on campus.

He also touched on the recent NCAA men’s basketball championship, saying, “I guess those American Express ads picked the wrong coach.”

Well known for his “Back in Black” segment on “The Daily Show,” Black also discussed his lack of enthusiasm for both George W. Bush and John Kerry.

“If you were inspired by either of them then you were the kid that when there was a pep rally in high school, and the principal spoke, you wept openly.”

Black concluded his act by talking about the potential that the University has for establishing a yearly and reputable festival, noting that the area could become a hub for comedy.

Jonathon Benson, the comedy committee chairman of the Carolina Union Activities Board, said he was pleased with the weeklong festival. “It was everything we had hoped it would be,” he said.

“We’re really hoping to build on this experience.”

Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.