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Hello, Kalamazoo!

Stephen Lynch

Vimeo · 2016 · 1 h 30 min

Folk-infused musical comedy filmed live in Michigan.

Watch it free on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Stephen Lynch is a singer-songwriter who uses sweet chord progressions and pretty harmonies to deliver deeply offensive or deeply stupid jokes. He is a musician who happens to write punchlines instead of love letters, and his performance style relies on the contrast between his clean tenor voice and the crude subjects of his lyrics. This concert shows an emphasis on acoustic instrumentation and more mature, Americana-flavored melodies without actually growing up.

Filmed at the Kalamazoo State Theatre in Michigan, where Lynch had been living for several years, this was his first full-length comedy special since 2004. He is joined on stage by a multi-instrumentalist backing band, including Rod Cone, Charlie King, Courtney Jaye, and Mike Fuerst, turning the stand-up set into a proper folk concert. The performance serves as a capstone to his tour for the 2012 album Lion.

The setlist balances older favorites with newer, folk-influenced material. Lynch sings about the misery of a newly adopted vegan diet in “No Meat” and lists the many physical hazards he refuses to brave for a lover in the title track “Lion.” There is also a track mocking poorly conceived body art in “Tattoo.” The backing vocalists and acoustic arrangements give the show a warmer, more communal atmosphere than his earlier solo guitar sets, even as they harmonize on punchlines about S&M and bad decisions.

The set list

3 bits

  1. An ode to 'queer tattoos'

    A comedic song observing and mocking questionable tattoo choices.

  2. Listing all the extreme things he refuses to do for a potential romantic partner, specifically declaring he 'ain't fightin' no Lion'

    Subverting romantic ballad tropes by setting very low expectations and boundaries.

  3. Lamenting his new vegan lifestyle and his craving for meat over meat substitutes ('Tofurkey? Tof**k yourself- I want some meat')

    A musical venting of frustration over dietary restrictions and tofu-based substitutes.

How it plays

Tone
Acerbic, sarcastic, and irreverent, leaning into inappropriate and satirical humor.
On stage
Described as 'a musician trapped in the body of a comedian,' blending accomplished musicianship and pristine vocal delivery with sharp, satirical songwriting.
Pace
Musical pacing featuring slightly calmer, country- and Nashville-influenced arrangements compared to his earliest tours.
About
tattoos, relationships and romance, veganism and diet, aging

What the critics said

Received positively by audiences and fans as a mature progression of his comedic songwriting after twelve years, noting a sharper sarcastic edge and strong vocal contributions from his backing band.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: letterboxd.com, mk.titlovi.com, imdb.com, moviefone.com, wkfr.com, followthecredits.com, en.wikipedia.org, pro.imdb.com, stephenlynch.com.

Backstory

Filmed across two shows at the Little Theater in Kalamazoo, Michigan—the town where Lynch previously attended Western Michigan University—to conclude his worldwide Lion tour.

Details

Released
Taped
2014, Little Theater, Kalamazoo
Runtime
1 h 30 min
Where
Vimeo
Director
Kevin Romeo
Topics
Before
Comedy Central Presents (2000)

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