Screaming fans filled the air, and the city of New York was prepared for a repeat: Stephen Colbert was back.  Colbert, who once started out as an understudy for Steve Carell, now hosts one of the biggest concerts Comedy Central had to offer.

Colbert’s latest musical throwdown was the follow up to a week of musical guests he had hosted on his show last year, a spectacle I had been pleased to hear about. This year’s event, StePhest Colbchella ‘012: RocktAugustFest, broadcast from the Air and Space Museum, Intrepid Sea, in New York.  It featured performances by The Flaming Lips, Santigold, Grandmaster Flash, Grizzly Bear, and FUN.  Colbchella ‘012 had everyone’s hopes up with all four acts, one each to be televised nightly through the week of August 14, but my ears weren’t ready to be as easily pleased.

Viewers watched from home while a 1,500 person audience viewed each take. If I was a part of the actual audience, I would have expected a hot dog stand, an ice cream truck, or anywhere else to grab a quick bite, but food sources were scarce. Every famished, parched, and impatient member aboard the Intrepid Sea received nothing more than a few drinks and dry, salty snacks. In my opinion, the lack of concessions took away from the experience.

Some performances required numerous takes, including two from Santigold and Grizzly Bear, in order to be appropriately shot and broadcast. The songs seemed to go on forever, and not only was it becoming a tedious task to shoot, but songs were becoming tiresome to listen to. Although the full set was available online as an internet exclusive, watching it on HD at home wasn’t the experience I expected. The broadcast was only half an hour long, and featured only one song from each performer. It was a disappointment for home viewers like me, and also for members in the crowd. When the show ended around 12:30 a.m., they were not only running on empty, but they had also lost all enthusiasm, and were ready to pack up shop for the night.

Regardless of the technical errors and lack of audience support, nothing detracted from the effortless humor of the renowned political satirist that is Colbert, who managed to raise my ratings for the event. He appeared on stage in a vintage naval officer’s uniform that was the seed of many jokes. He flaunted a sabre, plugged his sponsors Pepsi and T-Mobile, chatted and played Battleship against Jon Stewart, who was broadcasting the bit on The Daily Show. Colbert also sang the national anthem at the crowd’s command, and later managed to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to a lucky audience member in Latin. The only reason I would’ve wanted to be out there, regardless of the heat and starvation, would be because of Colbert’s endless humor.

The music on its own was enjoyable, despite the repeated listens. Fun.’s performance included their hits “We Are Young,” “Carry On” and “Some Nights,” a band that had the audience jumping, and for viewers like me, at the edge of my seat. Grizzly Bear’s first live performance in years included a double dose of “Two Weeks,” a personal favorite, and two songs off their forthcoming album, Shields. The most awaited act occurred at the end–The Flaming Lips–but the group came up short. The band started with “Heady Fwends” and ended with “Do You Realize,” and decided to close the show off with giant inflatable hamster balls, gag I considered juvenile for a band in their mid 30s. Colbert, however, managed to stay balanced, and he rolled out onto a wave of people, back onto stage, and managed to lift the spirit of the crowd. The highlight of RocktAustFest was not an interview that had audience members feeding off an artist’s every word, nor was it a band whose constant retakes never got it. It was Colbert, himself, who I thought had managed to steal the show on his own stage.