Former Saturday Night Live actor and comedian Chris Redd performed at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo on Wednesday. Redd’s routine included crowd work, political jokes and quips about sex and drugs.

Hosted by Associated Students Inc., roughly 500 students attended the free event, according to Katie Pierce, student manager for ASI Events.

Redd served as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2017-2022, according to The New York Times. Redd has a comedy special on Max titled Chris Redd: Why Am I Like This? and is starring in a new reality show called Resurrected Rides on Netflix. 

Donning all black in a beanie and Nikes, Redd admired the Performing Arts Center and joked that he should have taken psychedelic mushrooms before the show. 

From bits about presidential candidates’ lack of physical mobility to the price of groceries, Redd got the crowd laughing and clapping with political one-liners.

Animal science freshman Mikela Priola had never been to a comedy show and said she did not know what to expect.

“We didn’t want to sit in the front because we did not want to get picked on, which I’m glad we didn’t,” Priola said. “I feel like everyone was really into it. There was a lot of laughing.”

Business administration freshman Tobia Tagliabue knew of Redd before the show and said his favorite part was Redd’s crowd work.

Redd interacted with students in the front rows, asking their names, majors and what they want to be when they grow up, often making joking remarks based on their answers.

For Pierce, students’ enjoyment of the show made all the hard work of organizing the event worth it.

“Watching all the students laugh, [it] is always just super fun for me to be able to provide that to people,” Pierce said.