The Kryzsko Ballroom was full of chatter from Winona State University students, faculty, as well as Winona community members. That is, until the lights went down, and the event was introduced by a Warrior Entertainment Network member.
Comedian Preacher Lawson came to Winona State on January 25th to do a comedy show for the local community. The 32-year-old comedian and his mother “Mama Lawson,” came to Winona State to spread infection laughter. Lawson is known for his comedy skill as seen on the twelfth season of America’s Got Talent (AGT) where he was a finalist.
Jade Bryant, a Nursing major here at Winona State attended this event because she remembered his appearance on America’s Got Talent.
“I watched him on America’s Got Talent when I was younger,” Bryant said. “I remember loving his performance on AGT and was very excited to see him live and get a good laugh.”
The opener for Lawson was his mother, Mama Lawson. She came on before him and did a comedy act of her own that consisted of stories about her kids, including Lawson. Her comedy, just as captivating as her son’s, was a pleasant surprise to many in the audience as she was an unexpected opening act.
“I loved when he interacted with the crowd. I also loved that he brought his mother, who was also very funny,” Bryant said.
There were many shining moments that remained on people’s minds after the performance. From his impressions of audience members to his actual mannerisms, there was always a laugh to be had within the audience.
Freshman Biology: Allied Health major, Kaitlin Doyle found many memorable moments within Lawson’s comedy show.
“My favorite part of [the] show is how he would nicely make fun of someone in the audience or even have the funniest mannerisms, like when he drank from his water bottle and it would literally crinkle in half,” Doyle said. “His life stories that he talked about, like when everyone thought he was a girl at school, were so funny to me!”
The ending segment of the show consisted of Lawson doing a small Q+A with the audience members. The questions asked ranged from asking where Lawson grew up to what his favorite football team was to even asking how it was meeting Simon Cowell on America’s Got Talent.
Even after the end of the show, Lawson stayed behind to meet and take pictures with audience members. The line wound through the Kryzsko ballroom, queued with people who wanted a picture and a chance to talk to Lawson.
“The most memorable part other than his show, was when I was able to take a half zoom picture of him afterwards on my iPhone, I scared him, and he put it on his Instagram story!” said Doyle.
Jokes that ranged from his personal life to observations about the audience had people clutching their stomachs with laughter. For many people, this was an intro to the world of live comedy, and Lawson definitely made it an impressive introduction.
“This was my first time ever going to a comedy show, and I honestly don’t think I would have wanted to see anyone else other than him again because I genuinely laughed so hard my face hurt,” said Doyle.
Personable and funny, Lawson made an impact on the Winona community by doing his show and taking the time to meet people afterwards. He and Mama Lawson even gave some audience members free Preacher Lawson t-shirts immediately following the conclusion of the show. He made an impression on everyone that evening, and people are not likely to forget how hard he made them laugh any time soon.
