5 "Joke" Bands That Have Way More Talent Than You Think

2. Stephen Lynch

"Comedian with a guitar" are the only words in the English language that can send people running and screaming more the words "Charlie Sheen is in your living room." For a long period in the early 00s (too long, honestly) it was the thing to do for stand-ups who were having trouble getting their act noticed. Can't make 'em laugh with just your words and ideas? Grab a guitar! Stephen Lynch could just as well be one of those guys, dropping the singing comedian schtick after the boom period fizzled out. But his is more than a schtick. For starters, his songs aren't based on basic power chord structures with generic melodies sung overtop them. He weaves intricate finger-picking and weird time signatures into his songs about peepshow girls and unnecessarily graphic abortions. Each album has a bit of a different flavor to it, with some of them performed in front of a live audience and others recorded in the studio. The scale has now tipped more into the realm of musician than comedian, with Lynch playing fewer comedy clubs and more legitimate music venues like the House of Blues and even the legendary Carnegie Hall. He'd also go on to play the main character in the Broadway adaptation of The Wedding Singer, proving that he's not your typical guitar-playing comedian. Serious Talent Alert: "Tennessee" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nl3iT_lRjw