Courtesy of Lewis Black
He’s funny, he yells and he’s at the Ford Center.
For the first time ever, “King of Rant” Lewis Black will take the stage at the Gertrude C. Ford Center this Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. The critically-acclaimed comedian is touring nationwide as part of “The Emperor’s New Clothes: The Naked Truth Tour,” and said he has his reasons for stopping in Oxford.
“I like going all over the country and thought it would be interesting,” Black said. “There is rich full history here and wanted to see it for myself. Terrific writing comes out of Oxford and it’s certainly a culture I wanted to get an idea of what it’s like.”
Some comedians are apprehensive when it comes to playing on Mississippi stages, but Black said he doesn’t care if his show upsets any of the South’s sensitivities. He might approach something in a different fashion, but it will all be the same material.
“I talk a lot about religion and when I start touring the South and talk about old versus new custom, there is a big streak of religion,” he said. “So, I guide them into the material and it’s funnier.”
Black said he is geared up to put on the kind of show that gets people talking and thinking.
“I’m going to do the show that I’ve been doing and working on over the past few months,” he said. “I’m preparing to do Broadway and it’s all really about the election. For me it’s about what it is. What the policies are and how it affects people.”
Despite the region’s conservative stereotype, Black said he isn’t afraid of offending anyone. He’s just here to tell it like he sees it.
“The Southerner point of view here is more enriched than it is on other places. They can make really good dishes of food, really interesting writers and extraordinary, gifted minds along with the dumbest people on the planet and religious mad men,” he said.
Black’s trademark style of comedic yelling has earned him a spot among comedic giants. His show tackles everything absurd about everyday life, including the upcoming presidential election, social media and other things he personally finds irritating.
“We are very excited to host Lewis Black at the Ford Center and give the community the experience of a comedian,” Ford Center Director Julia Aubrey said in a press release. “We hope the students will take advantage of this affordable, unique opportunity to cap off their first week on campus.”
Regular-priced tickets range for $40 to $50 but are $20 for students, courtesy of the Student Activities Association. Tickets are available online and at the UM Box Office inside the Union
