The first AfterDark of the year has ended. While the games and the food drew in people on their own, it seemed to me the real breadwinner of this Friday’s AfterDark were the two comedians slotted to perform.

Alice Wetterlund was up to bat first with her stand up routine. She came on stage with a white hat and red pants, an ensemble I happened to love. Wetterlund began her show using the situational comedy provided by the music that didn’t seem to want to shut off.

Wetterlund’s stand up routine varied throughout the performance. One thing is for certain, she definitely isn’t afraid to laugh at herself when situations get awkward. She showcased her ability to run with material provided by audience members on the fly. 

As for her material, Wetterlund didn’t seem to have much prepared in way of jokes. She uses her life, preferences and experiences to drive her performances.  She uses her own awkwardness to drive home her comedy, but sometimes she went a bit too awkward.

She is an avid cat lover, and she doesn’t seem to understand why dog people have this hate for cats. In her experience, Cookie Monster maybe shouldn’t drink alcohol, and there is a point where you can share too much information about your boyfriend.

The cornerstone of her performance was her impromptu game with members from the audience. The jokes contained within the rounds of multiple choice questions asked from the very confused panel fell flat for the most part. Wetterlund herself admitted it was a bit rough.

Overall, Wetterlund landed some pretty good laughs with her life stories and some uncomfortable laughs from her awkwardness with the audience. There were times when she went a little too far into awkward territory, but sometimes comedy shows just need a bit of that.

Up next was Pete Davidson, the comedian from SNL. Before he walked on stage, I got the feeling some people in the crowd were only there to maybe catch a glimpse of pop star Ariana Grande, but they quickly started to enjoy the comedian they actually came there to see.

Pete Davidson runs his performances without a care in the world what other people think about him. His stories, his crowd interaction and his thinking process does not leave you guessing about the kind of man he is. His dark humor perfectly encapsulates his entire personality.

Davidson is not afraid to offend people. If you get offended easily by things from left field, his shows may not be for you. Topics like cannabis, tragedies and the way his grandpa sleeps after a night out at a gentlemen’s club are not off limits. If you can think of a taboo topic, Davidson can hook you up with a joke.

The crowd loved it. Even making himself laugh at times, Davidson’s dark, indisputable humor was enough to make even the stern crack a grin. He started the show really not wanting to die in Iowa, and he ended the show with a few jokes about his dead father. I don’t think one person left without laughing once.

Davidson ended his time at Iowa State with a Q&A session. This only happened with his caveat of if someone asked a stupid question his time was over.

While a little hesitant at first, many people came forward to ask about his SNL costars, how many tattoos he had (somewhere in the 80s was the response) and if he thought a hot dog was a sandwich. He thought that was the greatest question ever.

In the end, we all learned a little about what it’s like to be Pete Davidson. His dark sense of humor was daunting at times. We got a few more stories about death than normally anticipated, but he was honest. He shared a bit about his time on SNL, about his time with his “dying” friend and the times when he watches his friend’s baby. Most of all, it was flat out funny.

ISU AfterDark has had many comedians come through their doors to entertain. Alice Wetterlund and Pete Davidson were not the first, and they certainly wont be the last. However, I do think they will be some of the most memorable.