About 500 people crowded into the Carl Sandburg Auditorium Tuesday to see the host of MTV’s half hour comedy hour perform a stand-up act.

Comedian Mario Joyner’s act is part of Pontiac’s Nationwide All-Star Comedy Tour, which brought comedian Elayne Boosler to NIU last year.

“We are proud to have Mario Joyner appear at NIU,” said NIU’s Campus Activities Board President Jennifer Spaulding. “His clean and spontaneous humor is a welcomed break over other comedians who rely on obscenities to draw laughs.”

Joyner began doing stand-up comedy in Pittsburgh, Pa., by performing at “open mike nights” in local comedy clubs.

“My big break came when I was hired as the host of MTV’s Half Hour Comedy Hour three years ago,” he said.

Joyner said that after MTV his career skyrocketed and he began to get offers to appear on television shows including Arsenio Hall and David Letterman.

After appearing on both Letterman and Hall, Joyner got the opportunity to appear in the Hollywood movie, “Hangin‘ With The Homeboys.”

“It was a great experience to be in a movie,” Joyner said. “It’s much more demanding than everyone thinks.”

During his busy schedule Joyner has little time for anything else than being with his fellow comedians.

Joyner said, “My favorite non-comedy hobby is to just hang out with my good friend, Jerry Seinfeld.”

Appearing in front of college students is also a favorite venue for Joyner to appear in.

“It gives me the opportunity to test out material on fresh people,” Joyner said.

Many students seemed to enjoy the show. “It was our first time seeing stand-up comedy in person,” said sophomores Sue Dobbin and Jenni Fendich. “We had a great time.”