Live At The El Rey

If you grew up with any sense of Christian or Catholic dogma you will surely need to repent after watching this one .. or risk going straight to hell in a handbasket! The fundamentalists surely think Lynch is the Anti-Christ.

Armed only with his acoustic guitar and boyish charm, Lynch articulates some of the silliest, crudest and creative stories you will ever hear recorded. The DVD "extra's" are also well worth the price of admission!

This is a great DVD for anyone not familiar with Stephen Lynch. Although those already familiar with him will find some of the material redundant, this DVD will still make you laugh as it captures all Lynch's characteristic facial grimacing and hysterical mannerisms which are missed on his audio CDs. Those who've seen him live will know what I'm talking about.

If you like to laugh, and sexual topics, vuglarity and "over the edge humor" don't offend you, join Lynch for an intimate night recorded live at the El Ray Theatre in Los Angeles.

If you like your musical humor with a dash of "Hell-in-a-handbasket," Mr. Lynch is The Man.

This DVD features selections from his two albums, as well as some new stuff. (But, not his newest. He and Mitch Hedberg are touring, and Stephen is STILL adding to the repertoire.)

Stephen is a quick-witted comedian and a talented musician. His vocal control is quite impressive, and his voice melds well with his guitar.

This material is NOT for the faint of heart. I wouldn't leave this one in teh DVD player when Grandma was coming to dinner. Unless, of course, Grandma was at Woodstock.

Favorite tracks:

SPECIAL: (An ode to a "special" childhood friend)

This one works better as video than on his first album.

PRIEST: (A lamentation)

Any altar boy who WASN'T permanently traumatized by his clergified loss of innocence will get a real kick outta THIS one.

GRANDFATHER: (Just plain evil)

This is one of my favorite Lynch tunes. Face it. We all have a little sociopath in us, screaming to get out.

SUPERHERO: (A lesson for the kiddies)

This song gives Stephen a chance to showcase how fast he can think. If you go see Lynch live, have one ready!

CRAIG: (A biblical chapter you may have missed)

It's tough living in the shadow of a celebrity relative. Pity poor Craig. Then, party with him.

FOR THE LADIES: (A tender bit of mortification)

The best part of this song is watching the reactions on the faces of the audience after Stephen sings the last line. Those few frames are worth the price of the DVD.

Stephen brings out pal Mark Teich for a few numbers, as well as his brother, Drew. These guys are having a lot of fun, and it shows.

Plenty of bonus goodies, too. If you believe that "Funny is funny," grab this one up.

This is certainly a must have for any Stephen Lynch fan. It is full of material, and all of his popular songs as well as a lot of bonus material. It is shot in an open setting, not heavily scripted and edited like the Comedy Central stuff I had seen him in previously. He laughs, jokes and interacts with the crowd.

But be warned, this is not the Stephen Lynch you have been introduced to on Comedy Central. The humor and content is exceptionally crude, more so even than I had anticipated. If you are alright with that, this is a great DVD and a very funny man, but otherwise you might want to look for something else because you are going to be offended, as well as finding yourself with a DVD you can't stand to watch.