Hedberg shakes up Strong

“I don’t smoke up before a performance, because then, if a joke goes bad, it’s really scary.” Regardless of Mitch Hedberg’s insistence of a chemical-free comedian on stage, his stoner-esque style makes even the most mundane aspects of life appear funny to his audience. From the moment he walked on to stage clad in ’90s slacker garb and started to philosophize on the logic of multiple bottles of water waiting for him, Hedberg captured the audience’s attention. Not only did the numerous bottles of water continued to entertain, but the moment it spilled, Hedberg took off. His observations were fresh and kept the crowd in stitches. Laid back and rarely making eye contact with the audience through his trademark sunglasses, Hedberg still managed to sell his material. Those who had seem him perform in Rochester in September would recognize much of the performance. “I had a bag of Fritos, they were Texas-grilled Fritos. These Fritos had grill marks on them. Hell yeah, reminds me of something, when we used to fire up the barbeque and throw down on some Fritos. I can still see my dad with the apron on, ‘better flip that Frito, dad, you know how I like mine.'”Still, he dove into new material, obviously written on the notepad from the Holiday Inn where he was staying. Even soaked with water, his jokes continued to make the audience laugh.His classic one-liners were interspersed with longer routines. Included was his argument for more vending machines. “I like vending machines, because snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at the store oftentimes I will drop it, so that is achieves its maximum flavor potential.”Hedberg’s longer jokes were also well received. “In England, Smoky the Bear is not the forest fire prevention representative. They have Smacky the Frog. It’s just like a bear, but it’s a frog. I think it’s a better system, I think we should adopt it. Because bears can be mean, but frogs are always cool. Never has there been a frog hopping toward me, and I thought ‘man, I’d better play dead. Here comes that frog…’ You never say ‘here comes that frog’ in a nervous manner. It’s always optimistic. ‘Hey, here comes that frog, all right. Maybe he’ll come near me so I can pet him, and stick him in a mayonnaise jar, with a stick and a leaf, to recreate what he’s used to. And I’m pretty sure I’d have to punch some holes in the lid, because he’s damn sure used to air. Then I can observe him, and he won’t be doing much in his 16-ounce world.'”The boy from Minnesota never went to college, but plays well to the collegiate crowd. Hedberg remarked after the show that he enjoys the large venues and energy in college shows, although he regrets that alcohol cannot be consumed during the show. Friday’s Winterfest performance marks one of many recent stops at colleges by Hedberg and his opening act, wife Lynn Shawcroft. The two now tour together in order not to be separated. It is obvious from their performances that one thing the couple shares is a sense of humor. Her set focused on being from the great white north, especially the wonders of the health care system. Shawcroft’s act was similar in style to her husband’s but short and successful in warming up the audience. The show was sold out, but a last-minute decision was made to simulcast the performance to an audience in Lower Strong Auditorium. Approximately 80 students took advantage of the simulcast performance. Hedberg seems like he will go far on his pseudo-philosophical wanderings – the audience here recieved them well.Miller can be reached at amiller@campustimes.org.