With a combination of thoughtful songwriting, skillful guitar playing and a truckload of expletives, Matt Nathanson rocked out at afterHOURS on Monday for the second time.

“I remember loving [afterHOURS] because it gets all dark and feels like a ’70s disco, like we should all be naked and doing cocaine,” Nathanson said.

His racy humor appealed to students who attended the show.

“I think he performs well to his audience,” said Andrea Pahuta, a sophomore human services major. “He’s relatable and makes it fun.”

The Lexington-born singer-songwriter said he was glad to be back in his home state.

“I love it,” he said. “But it’s a little [expletive] cold.”

His act was as conversational as it was musical, and he spoke to the crowd like a stand-up comedian.

“It’s easy to ride the wave of other people’s enthusiasm,” Nathanson said. “You give, they give, and it sort of elevates the whole situation.”

The singer took requests from fans surrounding the afterHOURS stage and even got the crowd to sing along to covers of Prince’s “Starfish and Coffee,” the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” and Journey’s “Open Arms.”

He performed these songs while standing on a speaker, and heckling those who weren’t singing until most of the room was chanting along.

Not all of the performance was humorous, however. Songs like “Miracles,” which deals with Nathanson’s older brother’s alcoholism, were emotional and heart-wrenching. These songs were met with a respectful hush, followed by uproarious applause.

“He is a great all-in-one performer: singer, songwriter, stand-up comedian,” said Greg Trimboli, a sophomore criminal justice major. “It made for a great show.”

Jackie Indrisano, the manager of afterHOURS, said she was happy with the large and enthusiastic crowd.

“The university needs shows like this