The first evening in October was a perfect way to kick off the fall.

The top five finishers from season eight of Last Comic Standing brought world-class humor to Shippensburg’s H. Ric Luhr’s Performing Arts Center.

Season eight winner Rod Man, with the top four finalists Nikki Carr, Rocky LaPorte, Joe Machi and Lachlan Patterson, spent two hours finding the funny bones in what comic Joe Machi called a wonderfully diverse cross-section of people – young and old, black and white.

Nikki Carr started the night off by finding the humor in things everyone has in common. She shared stories about food, childhood, past jobs and body image, along with slipping some sly puns into her routine, like calling Mike Tyson “ear-responsible” for biting off Evander Holyfield’s ear.

Carr, from the Bronx, easily got the crowd in the mood for a great night of fun, quickly moving around on the stage and sharing her sheer joy of performing.

Her credits include independent films and performances on BET’s “Comic View”, “Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Stand Up” and her signature song “The Fat Girl’s National Anthem.”

Rocky LaPorte followed with a comedy style reminiscent of the bygone Vaudeville or Catskill comics, playing slightly slow-witted, often confused and innocent, and telling lots of quick one or two-line jokes.

LaPorte, from Chicago, has been doing standup for 26 years, including “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and A & E’s “Evening at the Improv.” He’s opened for Louie Anderson, Drew Carey and Tim Allen, and has been in two movies with Allen.

A change of comic pace came next, as Joe Machi brought observational humor to the forefront. He covered a diverse range of topics, including the recent ice-water challenge by a national charity and the ridiculousness of homophobia. His style was more the tense, nervous guy. After the show, he explained, “…that’s exactly why I want to write about that [controversial topics] ‘cause I like to [find] the line and build tension.”

Machi, originally from State College, has performed on “Late Night with Jimmie Fallon” and won New York’s Funniest Stand-Up competition.

Eye candy for the ladies came next, as the tall, handsome and perfectly coiffed Lachlan Patterson hit the stage.

He, too, teased the crowd about the town of Shippensburg and followed it with commentary on weird behavior. He imagined what the meetings might have been like in designing the absolutely frill-free George Forman grill, wondering how a committee thought creating something with no on-switch or temperature control was a good idea.

Patterson, a Canadian, has performed on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Tosh.0,” and co-hosts the weekly podcast “Kooks of Komedy” with comedian Joe Praino.

Season eight winner Rod Man closed the slow with a very physical delivery style and rapid-fire patter. He would barely leave time for the first joke to hit before topping it with the next one.
Native Georgian Rod Man covered relationship struggles, like “How do you stay married? You just keep going home,” and the irony of doing self-checkout at the grocery store, wondering if it made him eligible for breaks.

Besides winning the top spot on Last Comic Standing, Rod Man has appeared in several movies and TV shows, including “Def Comedy Jam”, “Comic View”, “One Night Stand” and “Premium Blend.”
Following the show, the comics all came out to the merchandise table, gladly posing for photographs and chatting with audience members. The long lines didn’t deter them from maintaining the same level of energy they put out during their performances and they stayed late and answered questions.

SLATE – “How do you keep the energy level?”

Rod Man – “Some nights are better than others… the people give you energy. This is our reward.”

SLATE – “How often do you feel you need to add a piece, or change a whole show?”

Rod Man – “I’m always tweaking. I never stop. I don’t think that a joke is ever done; a bit is ever done. You got to [keep improving the material]. It could be a word that is off, or you could be [speaking too] fast.”

SLATE – “What’s a tough crowd?”

Rod Man – “It’s subjective. You have to do what you do that got you where you are… Comedy is a lovemaking thing. You’ve got to seduce…you’ve got to take time to build that relationship.”

SLATE – “Isn’t writing about some of your topics a bit edgy or risky?”

Joe Machi – “…because if you try to write what the audience thinks is funny, then it’s almost like you’re pandering. People go oh, don’t write about that. No, that’s exactly why I want to write about that, ‘cause I like to [find that] line and build tension.”

For information or tickets for upcoming events at the H. Ric Luhr’s Performing Arts Center in Shippensburg, visit them on the web at luhrscenter.com or call 717-477-SHOW.

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