Jimmy Fallon brings big laughs to Family Weekend

11/03/09 - As part of the University of Rhode Island's Family Weekend, URI's Student Entertainment Committee presented an evening of comedy at the Ryan Center on Saturday night.The show featured performances by comedians Steven Wright, Wayne Federman and Jimmy Fallon. There were plenty of laughs to go around, as each performer contributed his own unique style to the show.

Up first was Steven Wright, donning an unruly beard and a black bowler hat, who was welcomed on stage with a round of applause from the audience. In his most sarcastic, monotone voice, Wright thanked the audience, who responded with yet another round of applause.

Wright continued to deliver sharp and witty one-liners for the rest of his 45-minute stand-up routine.

"My friend has reverse Tourette's. Random people constantly swear at him," Wright said. His act was distinct in that he was able to deliver lines back-to-back without transition, or even taking a breath between them.

"I'm addicted to placebos," Wright said. "A friend of mine has a trophy wife; apparently she's not first place."

Many of Wright's jokes were just humorous nonsense. At one point he even picked up a guitar and sang a song he wrote when he was three about killing his cat.

Expecting Jimmy Fallon to follow, the audience was in for a Halloween surprise, as Wayne Federman was introduced as the second opener. Federman has been in several famous comedies, including "Stepbrothers," "Knocked Up," and "40 Year Old Virgin." Federman's was the shortest of the three acts and probably the least funny. There were a couple of good moments, such as when Federman sat at the piano and asked for some mood lighting. When the lighting was delayed, he joked, "Oh, just 'cause I'm not on the poster means I don't get lights." He also joked about the irony of Pink Floyd's line, "We don't need no education," from their song "Another Brick in the Wall."

"Actually, that's a double negative, so yeah, you do need an education," Federman said.

Finally, Jimmy Fallon took the stage to the MGMT song "Time to Pretend," proudly wearing a URI sweatshirt and some festive orange sneakers. Though I'm familiar with Fallon's work on "Saturday Night Live," I learned Saturday that he's a decent singer, too. Fallon did his own earth-friendly renditions of pop songs like Justin Timberlake's "Sexyback," Maroon 5's "This Love," and Amy Whinehouse's "Rehab." His impersonations were spot on, especially as he sang the words, "I need four-wheel drive, 'cause I like to drink and drive," as a drunken Whinehouse.

In between jokes about squirt guns and wedding receptions, Fallon also sang original songs such as "You Spit When You Talk" and "Cougar Hunting." Some of the funniest moments for me were Fallon's impressions of URI based on his drive to campus from Providence.

"This is a great place to hide a body," Fallon said. "I took a hayride though a pumpkin patch to get here."

Fallon finished the show with some comedian impersonations and joked with the audience.

"I'll let you go party in the cornfields, drink your moonshine," Fallon said. "Whatever you do here, [like] cow tipping."

Wright, Federman and Fallon certainly put on an entertaining show. And though some dislike Fallon for it, I was pleased to witness a couple of his signature laughing-during-the-skit moments.