About two years ago my wife and I were trolling for something to watch on TV. Even though we had cable at the time, as you might have experienced… there's still nothing on… ever. Well, this one particular night we happened upon Comedy Central and wound up in the middle of one of their shows that features comedians in a half hour segment. This particular episode starred some guy named Stephen Lynch. The name wasn't familiar, but we stopped anyway thinking the guy looked like he might be funny. After all, he was holding a guitar and I've always had an affinity for the creativity of musical comedians. But I wasn't prepared for Stephen Lynch. On the surface, he seemed like just your average, normal kinda guy. His music sounded simple and pleasant… until we started listening to the lyrics. Once we realized he was singing about retarded friends and hermaphrodites, we knew we were in for something… a little bit special. Every song he performed had the potential to offend someone… heck… everyone!

From that night on, I was a Stephen Lynch fan. I kept an eye out for other appearances but there never seemed to be anything on TV. It wasn't until a few months ago that I found out that he had a series of CD's out, and even better… a DVD. So I immediately set about looking into reviewing it so I could share the man's… special style of comedy. But as I wasn't prepared for Lynch's style that night on Comedy Central, I definitely wasn't prepared for his brand of humor… uncensored.

I popped in the DVD, entitled "Live at the El Rey", and got a little taste of what was to come with a backstage 'introduction' to the concert in the form of a look at what Lynch and his partners in crime Mark Teich and brother Drew Lynch do to get ready for a show. Let's just say that he gives the impression of having Tony Montana's cocaine stash handy for the hours of getting pumped up… by sitting around and waiting. Still, this was just a taste. Once the concert began, or rather clips from the concert, I was hit with some of the most deliciously deviant, yet innocent sounding songs I had ever heard. He can sing about abortions, adult masturbation, Catholic priest pedophilia and the wished for death of his grandfather, with all the giddiness of a school kid. And the language that comes out during Lynch's repertoire would make a sailor blush.

Most of what he does might not be as funny if he was a grunged out hippie type, but when you see the songs being sung by this seemingly 'clean-cut, all-American choirboy looking guy' (as it states on the back of the DVD per Neil Strauss of the New York Times) you are so disarmed that you're only choices are to laugh or stare at him in shock. But on top of that, the guy is an incredibly talented singer/songwriter and his songs, no matter how perverse or over the top offensive display a keen and creative sense of lyrics.

Watching Lynch perform is a real treat for those who aren’t burdened by the ridiculous nature of political correctness. If you’re like me and nothing offends you, I have no doubt that Lynch will appeal to you not only because of his immense talent, but also because of his infectious personality. Anytime you see someone like this live, the audience's enjoyment is always elevated if the performer's having as good a time as those he's performing for. And at no point of the clips from this concert did I get anything less than the impression that Lynch was having the time of his life. I've since talked to a few friends who have had the pleasure of seeing him live and they said he was just as much fun then as he was in this concert.

The DVD for "Live at the El Rey" doesn’t just include the songs listed below, oh no, no, no. You'll find a couple of bonus songs from the concert as well as a live recording of "Jim Henson's Dead" that he did back in 1997. You also get the chance to see him in the studio recording the song 'Lullaby' for his debut CD "A Little bit Special," watch a bit of a video tour diary, and listen to a commentary by Lynch (who is joined by Mark Teich and Drew Lynch). And speaking of his CDs, he now has three available and I'll be reviewing those in the next few days.

I will have to warn you again, the Comedy Central show, for those of you who might have seen it, is NOTHING compared to what the guy does in his uncensored mode. His sick and twisted sense of humor goes far beyond that of mortal men (and women!!) and many of you 'intellectually challenged' folk out there might not enjoy his act. For you, I can only feel a profound sense of sorrow because your lives will probably never feel the joy of having your father catching you masturbating.

Songs:
Not Home
Baby
Special
Talk to Me
Priest
Grandfather
Gay
Superhero
Drink You Pretty
Craig
Taxi Driver
Love Song
For the Ladies
She Gotta Smile
Best Friends Song
Classic Rock Song
D&D

Starring: Stephen Lynch
Extras: Commentary by: Stephen Lynch, Mark Teich, and Drew Lynch, Bonus songs - For Me (with Mark Teich) and Gangster Cowboy and Gary Foster (both with Drew Lynch), Jim Henson's Dead recorded live in New York City in 1997, In the studio recording Lullaby for "A Little Bit Special", An exclusive video tour diary, Trick on Teich,
Multigrain bun, Who are we kidding?, Lynch and Teich in Brooklyn, Lyrics, set lists, and flyers
Specifications: Full Screen, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound
Studio: Razor & Tie
Release Date: Available
Region: 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Stephen Lynch: Live at the El Rey an A.