Watch Stephen Colbert Sing a Medley of His Second City Hits

Welcome to The Second City Archives, in which we post an exclusive clip each week of some of comedy’s biggest superstars performing early in their careers on the legendary Chicago stage. Second City has generously given us a glimpse into their extensive archive of live performances, and over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing some rare and retro comedy never before seen on the web.

If you’re struggling with Stephen Colbert withdrawal, this week’s Second City clip might help ease your pain. From his final Second City show in 1994, this clip features Colbert and friends performing a medley of songs they wrote over the years including an excerpt of “The Obvious Song” from Take Me Out to the Balkans. Before the medley starts, Colbert gets a warm introduction from his friend Steve Carell: “He’s an exceptional improviser, he has an exceptional reference level, and he’s a great actor, so we’re really going to miss him.” You can hear Amy Sedaris chime in from the audience: “And he has funny ears!” Colbert, Sedaris, and Paul Dinello would go on to star in their Comedy Central sketch show Exit 57 the following year.

Watch Stephen Colbert Sing a Medley of His Second City […]