St. Louis comedian Lavell Crawford is probably best known for almost winning the fifth season of NBC's Last Comic Standing. His comedy weathered all manner of situational challenges and time constraints, and despite the pressure, he was always able to produce laughs with solid material despite the fact that it was heavily watered down for network television. Like many other comedians, Crawford's standup focuses on his life experiences — mainly, growing up black in a white suburban neighborhood and being obese — but you won't find him demeaning black culture or telling the same tired fat jokes. Crawford manages to be funny and relatable without delving into shock humor, and the man knows how to deliver a punchline. Sun., Dec. 23, 7 p.m., Tampa Improv, 1600 E. Eighth Ave., Ybor City, $22, 813-864-4000, tampaimprov.com.
This article appears in Dec 19-25, 2007.