The Birchmere Music Hall in Alexandria, Virginia, was blessed with the talents of America’s Got Talent finalist Preacher Lawson on Friday, October 2nd. The comedian appeared on season 12 of America’s Got Talent in 2017 and made it through successive elimination rounds, reaching the finals, where he was one of the final 10. I did not get a chance to root for Lawson while he was on AGT, but as a fan of live comedy, I am always open to checking out a new comedian.
The show opened as a family affair as Preacher’s mother, Mama Lawson, served as the master of ceremonies. Mama Lawson set consisted of tidbits about raising Preacher and other jokes that most parents can relate to. One of her best bits involved flipping the lyrics of the DMX classic, “Party Up,” that had the audience in stitches.
Brian Glowacki was up next, and similar to Preacher Lawson, I was not aware of his comedy background. Glowacki was on fire the moment he came out, providing insights about his new marriage and being a stepdad. One of his best jokes involved COVID and his neighbors, which had the perfect setup before delivering his punch line.
Preacher Lawson graced the stage around 8:00 p.m. for a 90-minute set. Lawson provided insightful commentary about growing up with three siblings, living a single life, and even the alternative lifestyle. Lawson has two key strengths that made his show a success for me. The first was that Lawson does not use explicit language to get a laugh. Even without using F-bombs, Lawson had rapid energy that comes across as natural. I liken it to Lawson being on a family show, and he wants his comedy to be universal.
Secondly, Lawson will do anything for a laugh, whether it is kindly shutting down a drunk heckler or using props. Lawson never had any dry moments throughout his set, and I generally cracked up for most of the show. The best joke of the night, though, for Preacher, had to be when he compared dogs to crackheads. My wife and I both had tears in our eyes as pet owners.
Lawson ended the night with a Q&A with the audience, and you can tell that he was generally appreciative of all the support. The next time he is in town, I highly encourage you to check out his live show.
Final Grade: B+
Growing up in the nineties, movies aimed at a melanin audience often featured soundtracks that had to be just as flavorful as the films themselves. This week, for Slow Jam Saturday, I want to take a trip back to 1993 and highlight one of the slow jams from the soundtrack of “Menace II Society”.
Last week marked two significant anniversaries for one of the greatest artists of all time, Mr. Prince Rogers Nelson. It’s only fitting that I show him some love for Second Listen Sunday. The first anniversary was on the 21st, commemorating nine years since his passing. The second anniversary was on the 22nd, celebrating the 40th anniversary of his seventh studio album, “Around the World in a Day.”
One of my most significant decisions late last year was to pledge to Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. At the time of this writing, I am in Atlantic City for my fraternity’s Regional Conference, where I will represent my chapter, Beta Alpha Omega. In that regard, I believe the perfect song for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday is “The Best Man I Can Be.”