The rowdy, high-energy crowd was decidedly unlike one you’d typically see on a night out at the theater. Men and women laughed loudly as they filed into the Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater on Friday night, snapping pictures with their smartphones and heading back to the bar for multiple refills of beer and wine all before show time.

But the lively atmosphere was appropriate in preparation for the evening with comedian John Pinette, best known for his food-based humor. Although the crowd skewed mostly to a middle-aged demographic, there were some youthful faces interspersed throughout the crowd.

‘It’s a mix of young and old, and that says something about the show,’ said Bridgette Brady, a senior child and family studies major who had only seen Pinette on television. ‘It isn’t the type of humor that would have the possibility of making someone uncomfortable.’

When the theater lights dimmed revealing a chair, a table and a microphone onstage, the audience fell silent for the first and only time during the evening. But as soon as Pinette’s grating voice boomed over the sound system to introduce opening act Erick James, everyone cheered.

Although James’ set proved raunchier than expected, including jokes about prostate exams and discussions about sex with his mother, it served as a nice appetizer to Pinette’s main course.

‘He was funny enough,’ said Kevin Williams from Rochester. ‘But we were there for John Pinette, not Erick James.’

When Pinette appeared onstage, the audience applauded with earnest enthusiasm and some even stood up in eagerness.

While Pinette drew material from his ‘Still Hungry’ set, he included material tailored specifically for the Syracuse area.

‘Is it even possible to get a direct flight to or from Syracuse?’ he asked the audience.

He praised the LaFayette Apple Festival and Syracuse’s Italian restaurants, drawing loud responses and cheers from the audience. It reflected the area’s local pride.

The majority of Pinette’s jokes dealt with his everyday observations of food, such as his distaste for gluten-free products or his love for meat, especially ribs.

However, Pinette also offered some exercise-related humor, specifically regarding his hatred for hiking.

‘I like walking, but I hate hiking,’ Pinette clarified. ‘Horrible stories start with: ‘Well, we were hiking…”

The  1 1/2-hour set proceeded with strong laughter from the audience, often escalating to panting and breathlessness as Pinette’s voice became louder and more abrasive. One woman even screamed, ‘I’m crying!’ midway through the evening.

Toward the end of his set, Pinette had difficulty holding back his own laughter. He took a few moments to recover from several spontaneous bursts into song, including a rendition of ‘Somewhere Over the Buffet’ in praise of midnight cruise ship buffets sung to the melody of the popular ‘Wizard of Oz‘ song.

The evening ended with the audience leaving in good spirits. Those who hadn’t previously watched Pinette left as new fans, appreciative of his comedy’s wide range.

‘He covered a broad amount of topics, and it’s not like the comedy wasn’t relevant to us either,’ said Maggie Swartout, a sophomore music education major. ‘I was expecting a good show, and I know we got one.’

dataroy@syr.edu

Published on October 9, 2011 at 12:00 pm