Have you ever heard of anyone getting a six pack from laughing so hard? Well Friday night, there were plenty slim abs in the Baby Dome, because comedians Arnez J., Lavelle Crawford, and Prairie View alumna, Loni Love, came prepared to tantalize everyone’s funny bone.. and oh did they succeed. In an interview with Lavelle Crawford, he said despite his exhaustion, he was excited to be in Prairie View. After traveling and doing other comedy shows, Crawford is currently relaxing in his hometown, St. Louis, Mo.
Crawford has been doing stand up for 18 years. He got his start doing talent shows and routines at the Funny Bone in St. Louis, Mo. Some of his influences and favorite comedians are Redd Foxx, Ellen Degeneres, and the great Richard Pryor. When asked how did his “self embarrassment” style of comedy evolved, he said, “I used it as a protection. nobody could say anything worse than I could say about myself.” Overall, he feels his comedy is personal and people can relate to it. With credibility like BET’s Comicview, Comedy Central, and kicking off Laffapalooza this year, Crawford is more than just a man on a stage. The Comedy House Theater in Atlanta, Ga. has showcased some of the most talented men on stage in black culture. Jamie Foxx, Martin Lawrence, and Chris Tucker are hilarious, but Arnez J. came and gave an up close look at what the word “comedy” really means.
The 16-year veteran stopped by PV and gave everyone in attendance a superb show, and even a musical performance, with his rendition of the relationship version of “If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don’t Wanna Be Right,” and the unforgettable, “Tigerclaaaww! The devil rocks!!” Arnez J. says he has confidence in his material and his audience, and believes that is what gets him through shows. Behind the scenes, he is a very relaxed individual, and that makes his return to PV even greater.
Speaking of returning to PV, Loni Love walked across the graduate’s stage in ’91 with an electrical engineering degree. She went to work for Xerox after graduating, and then made an appearance on Star Search (some of you younger ones may not remember that show). After that, and a gig with HBO, she’s been doing comedy full time. “I am very pleased they asked me to host the show this year,” she said. Not too many people can reminisce about things that actually still go on at PV, but she said, “I’m very happy about the changes made to the school, because if I still saw dirt roads around here, I’d flip.” She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and says she still keeps in contact with them.