 "Photo: Samantha Massie")
"Yes, we are back, it was a long time apart and I'm sure some of you were huddled in a corner in the fetal position rocking back and forth. Not from withdrawal from Shovelhead, but probably because of something else."
So did Hello…Shovelhead announce its triumphant return following a semester-long suspension due to an incident following its last show.
With a show entitled "Paroled," the group drew crowds to all four of their performances this past weekend. Continuing the Shovelhead tradition by opening with a "movie," this year's film was dedicated to telling students how to behave at one of their shows – most importantly, not to trash the room.
Audience members appreciated the not-so-subtle means by which the group made fun of the school for their suspension, and the laughs did not stop there.
A combination of visual humor and jokes aimed at virtually every aspect of Boston College life from Appalachia trips to Brian Ross was Shovelhead's theme, and they did not disappoint.
Although the less-than-stellar venue of McGuinn 121 was both cramped and hot, the group's hysterical renditions of superhero fetishes, dysfunctional relationships, and what may have happened in the bathroom last semester to cause the group's suspension kept the show moving and the audience focused on the performers, not the seating conditions.
Despite more than one dip into the vulgar, the show managed to walk the fine line between overt repulsion and political correctness.
A South Park-like rambling disclaimer warned that any breathing human may be offended by the performance, yet while it got close, the show never got to the point where it was too revolting to be funny.
Some members of the audience believed that the group's reliance on bathroom humor and drug references were a bit heavy, but these scenes did not detract from the rest of the show.
The first half of the performance focused mainly on Boston College-related abstractions, while the second followed with other humorous looks at society at large.
While the first half was generally funnier, the audience especially appreciated the "My Father Thinks I'm Gay" sketch as well as the view of a girl's sleepover party under the watchful eye of a pornography-addicted older cousin.
Crowd pleasers also included a self-absorbed conversation between two "BC girls," portrayed by Greg Johnson, A&S '03, and Deborah Gross, A&S '05, in a mock-commercial for the release of "The Idiot's Guide to Manners." It proved a new twist on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, revealing the latter as a very promiscuous addition to the Capulet dynasty.
Overall, Hello…Shovelhead entertained its audience for the whole of the performance and proved that they deserve a spot among the funniest groups on campus.
While those who may have gone expecting a clean, respectful show would have been dismayed, the students seeking a night of comedy based of the "funny because it's true" factions of BC existence and other areas of life were well served.
Editor's note: Lauren Tallevi, a member of Shovelhead and A&S '04, is The Heights ad manager.
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