Brad Lowery

By: Laura Maddock
Issue date: 9/16/02 Section: Pop Culture & Infotainment
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Media Credit: Melissa Armes

Brad Lowery worked the crowd into hysterics Friday night, joking about everything from flying to casket shopping


Brad Lowery, a comedian who performs at college campuses across the country, made the University of Maine his latest stop when he performed for nearly 200 UMaine students Friday night.

Wells Commons was packed with students eager to watch Lowery, a performer who has opened for acts such as Adam Sandler, Chris Rock and Tommy Davidson. Lowery also has been seen on A & E 's "Caroline's Comedy Hour," "Star Search" and NBC's "Showtime at the Apollo."

"We're in the woods!" New York City resident Lowery said as he commented on the location and rawness of Maine.

Lowery began the evening with gags relating to airplanes and Sept. 11, a daring move considering the serious subject matter. He joked about airline security, such as metal detectors and clothing searches — all of which resulted in laughter. After reassuring the audience that he thought these actions were admirable, he questioned why airplanes bothered with seatbelts.

"There are no sudden stops on planes," Lowery said. "You will not go to the cockpit, the cockpit will come to you."

Another audacious subject Lowery commented on were the numerous shark attacks last summer. He referred to the attack in Pensacola, Fla. where a young boy was bitten on his right arm.

"If that were my nephew I would have said, 'Well, I guess you're left handed now, aren't you!,'" the comedian said.

Audience participation was crucial to the set, and often was the cause for Lowery's own amusement. At one point he doubled over in laughter after more than half the crowd raised their hands in answer to the question "How many of you have ever seen a moose?"

Lowery later asked the audience if anyone was planning on getting married; a question that tumbled into jokes about men, women, relationships and his ex-wife.

"Do you guys remember do-overs?" Lowery asked. "Wouldn't that be great in life? Married the wrong woman — do over!"

Lowery also engaged the audience in laughter with issues concerning his grandfather's funeral, his daughter "becoming a woman," men only using one side of their brain, and the spankings he once received as a child and now has no problem distributing.
Continued...
- The Maine Campus

By Catie Heverling
Senior Editor

COMEDY REVIEW

Comedian Brad Lowery had his audience in such a laughing frenzy that he had to advise them, "You can’t have a good time if you can’t breathe."

Oxygen deprivation aside, Lowery—who has opened for acts including Adam Sandler and Chris Rock—shelled out a healthy dose of humor to students in the Bison on Nov. 4.

Lowery began his act—as many comedians do—reflecting on his journey to the University, commenting on the annoyances of traveling. Lowery made some original, yet undeniably true, observations.

Questioning why captains cannot just go around turbulence, Lowery asked the audience if they head "right for the pothole." Lowery complained about snug airplane seating and questioned whether the plane’s constructor built the armrests "figuring one of three people wouldn’t have arms."

Having yet to master the art of the segue, Lowery dove into other hilariously random topics— everything from snorkeling to working out at the gym.

"I thought he was one of the better comedians I have seen on campus. I liked the joke about him diving under water and forgetting to stop breathing through his snorkel. When he came to the surface he spouted water like a whale," Jacqui Magee ’07 said.

Lowery proved his ingenuity by putting a unique spin on common issues tackled by most stand-ups.

Reenacting his childhood when he used to "get the belt," Lowery said a "time out" for him was when his mother went to get his father for "his turn."

Lowery touched on his own fatherhood and his relationship with his daughter. During this segment, Lowery reenacted the day his daughter told him her "special friend is here" and she "is a woman," to which he responded, "tell her she can come in" and "be all you can be."

This fresh anecdote compensated for Lowery’s use of the "You can’t trust something that bleeds for seven days and doesn’t die" line that has been used by every comedian from Dane Cook to the guy sitting at your lunch table.

Perhaps Lowery’s most original comedy sketch was his comparison of a woman to a computer.

Lowery explained that every woman has a "save" mechanism, "backing up" her files by telling her best friend. During every fight, when she says "hold on," she is downloading, and when she says, "We need to talk," the file has been found.

The second half of Lowery’s show aimed to appeal to college students.

During his bit on safe sex and the danger of STDs, Lowery warned, "Don’t think because you’re in Lewisburg, they can’t find you."

Lowery brought up a topic heavily discussed last spring at the University. After inquiring whether Public Safety carried guns, he questioned why other university police carry them.

"What for?" Lowry said, forming a gun with his fingers. "All right, where are your books?"

In Lowry’s best physical comedy act, he imitated a latenight nausea session after too much drinking. During this hilarious piece, he acted out the point when "there is nothing left in your stomach and you just freeze."

After nearly 50 minutes of solid comedy, Lowery’s act began to decline. The last 10 minutes of the hour were peppered with filler moments of Lowery laughing into the microphone and lines like "some of you guys don’t get it."

The show concluded with two corny jokes that seemed like they might have originated as forwards in Lowery’s e-mail inbox.

Despite Lowery’s weak closer, his ability to hold the attention of a knee-slapping, table-smacking, gasping-for-air audience suggests that it will not be long before he is more than an opener for bigger names.

"I thought Brad Lowery was great and original. He didn’t rely on the audience for material, and I think that made him better than some of the other comedians who have come here," Kelly Boylan ’08 said.



- Bucknell

PLATTEVILLE - Comedian extraordinaire Brad Lowery will be performing at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville on Thursday, Oct. 21 from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Pioneer Crossing of the Pioneer Student Center.

Lowery is a favorite at colleges and universities across the country. He averages over 200 college performances per year. Lowery has performed on A&E's Caroline's Comedy Hour, Star Search, and twice on NBC's Showtime at the Apollo. Lowery is also an original cast member of the Apollo Comedy Hour. He has opened for acts including Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and Tommy Davidson. Residing in New York City, Lowery is a regular performer at Dangerfield's Comedy Club.

Commented Valerie Wetzel, assistant director for the Pioneer Student Center, "He is a very funny comedian who has had significant national exposure. He will be a great stress reliever. You will more than likely laugh until your guts hurt."

The event is free to all who wish to attend and is sponsored by Campus Programming and Relations (CPR). If there are any questions, please contact CPR in the Pioneer Involvement Center, or call (608) 342-1075 for more information.

Contact: Luke Cahak, CPR, (608) 342-1448, cahakl@uwplatt.edu

- Daily Pioneer News

Brad Lowery brings stand-up show to Union, hilarity ensues
By Samantha Sims
Published: Friday, October 1, 2004
Article Tools: Page 1 of 1


Media Credit: Dan Cederquist


Western Illinois University's Union Heritage Room was filled with students and laughter Friday night as comedian Brad Lowery took the stage.

Those who attended last winter's Colin Mochrie show might remember Lowery as the opening act. Lowery travels across the country, averaging over 200 college performances each year. He has been nominated for Comedian of the Year four times and has been seen on A & E's "Caroline's Comedy Hour" and CBS's "Star Search." He also has opened for acts such as Chris Rock, Tommy Davidson and Adam Sandler.

After being introduced by a member of Western's University Union Board, Lowery said it was a great feeling to be back in Illinois.

He talked to couples in the audience about how different women are from men, referring to the women as "aliens."

Most of his material centered around that concept. Lowery, a divorced father, told stories about his wife and teenage daughter. He also went on about how much control women have, saying that it all started in the Garden of Eden when Adam was more afraid of Eve than he was of God. He also talked about the power women have over men when it comes to sex.

"See how women use that (sex) as if it were a Scooby Snack," Lowery said.

His jokes were amusing and interesting, if a bit redundant. Anyone who had seen him open for Mochrie last year would have recognized almost half of his material. This time, however, he was able to work the smaller audience better. He involved people in his jokes, talking to several couples about their relationships to support his "women are aliens" theme. Laughter could be heard at all times and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

A few times, Lowery took a break from his jokes about women and relationships to give what he called his "Public Service Announcements." He advised audience members not to drink and drive, and also conducted a poll to see how many students practiced safe sex. Lowery advised everyone to be careful, reminding the students that they could get sexually transmitted diseases even in a little place like Macomb.

"Don't think it's (disease) going to turn back cause all of the cornfields," Lowery joked.

All in all, the comedy show was entertaining. Lowery gave what he promised, a time filled with laughter. The first 100 students got in for free, but even those who paid the $3 would have felt that the money was well spent. The night ended with a standing ovation.
- The Western Courier