The moment he asked, ‘What kind of mascot is Otto the Orange?’ Bo Burnham let loose his unique brand of cynical humor and tongue-in-cheek comedy to Syracuse University students.

No newcomer to the college scene, Burnham made his first trip to the SU campus Tuesday night for an event co-sponsored by University Union and the Interfraternity Council. Accompanied by an ensemble of an acoustic guitar and keyboard, the young comedian tailored his live act for the crowd of approximately 1,300 SU students.

‘When I was getting feedback from students after the show, I can say the performance went fabulously,’ said Amanda Shaw, a junior child and family studies major and director of UU’s performing arts.’He was relatable and fun, which really played to a diverse crowd.’

The comedian’s repertoire showcased his musical chops. Visual props and sight gags, as well as a heavy use of wordplay and puns, enhanced the performance.

Freshman television, film and radio major Jeff Wucher said he was impressed by Burnham’s sharp, quick-witted humor.

‘I’m a sucker for puns, and he did some incredible exploiting of the loopholes in the English language,’ Wucher said.’It’s nice to see an extremely clever comic who considers no topic off limits.’

Burnham performed several songs from his two recent albums, ‘Words, Words, Words’and the self-titled ‘Bo Burnham,’ most notably featuring’I’m Bo Yo,’ ‘New Math’ and ‘Ironic.’ Despite not introducing any new material in the show, Burnham hinted in a later interview that he was recording a studio rap album.

Not only did the comedian perform material from his studio catalogue, adjusting his lyrics to include quirky pop-culture references, he also off-handedly bantered with students.

During the show, a student shouted ‘Marquette sucks!’referring to SU’s loss to Marquette in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

Burnham didn’t miss a beat. ‘If Marquette sucks and they beat you, what does that say about your team?’ he said, causing students to boo. But they were more amused than stung by the comment.

‘Bo just took it and went with it like a running joke,’ said freshman magazine journalism major Erika Wegener. ‘Of course I’m bummed about the basketball team losing, but it made me laugh.’

The men’s basketball team and its fans were not the only victims of Burnham’s sharp tongue. After claiming he’d play an original song not yet completed, the comedian launched into a spirited cover of Rebecca Black’s viral hit ‘Friday’ (only after playing the opening chords to Vanessa Carlton’s ‘A Thousand Miles’). It stirred an enormous reaction from the crowd.

‘I was laughing so hard that I couldn’t breathe when he started playing ‘Friday,” Wegener said.’It was fun to bring something so relevant in pop culture to his act.’

Despite some technical issues with the microphone and lighting, Burnham made light of the situation. After playing the first few chords of ‘New Math,’ Burnham swore at the faulty microphone, put the guitar down and returned to the keyboard.

‘At least I know how to play four chords on two different instruments,’he joked.

Though he had to switch instruments, he just chuckled.

‘It happens wherever you play,’ he said in an interview after the show.’You just keep on going and don’t let it get to you.’

After a spirited finale rendition of his crowd-pleaser ‘Oh Bo,’Burnham greeted his fans. He continued to endear himself to longtime supporters while gaining new fans in the process. Wucher said his respect for Burnham grew after seeing the live show.

‘It was a phenomenal showing from one of the smartest young comedians around,’ Wucher said.’He’s definitely a must-see.’

ervanrhe@syr.edu

 

Bo Interview:

The Daily Orange: Was this the first time you’ve performed at Syracuse?

Bo Burnham: I played at a theater in Syracuse last year, since someone in the crowd told me, ‘I saw you here last year!’ But it’s the first time I’ve performed on campus.

The D.O.: What are your favorite and least favorite things about Syracuse?

Burnham: My favorite part of the campus is definitely the architecture and old buildings, but I hate how cold it was today. I grew up in the northeast in Boston and I f***ing hate the cold.

The D.O.: What expectations did you have for the crowd and the show in general?

Burnham: I really liked this venue because the sound isn’t very good when you have to play in a gym, so the theater aspect was great. Even though I joked about it, I think $3 was a smart price for tickets. Ten to 12 bucks is over a college student’s budget. And if you make it free, the show will sell out, but not as many people will come. It was a fun crowd.

The D.O.: Would you want to play at SU again? Is there anything else you’d like the student body to know?

Burnham: Yeah, I’d definitely play here again if you guys would have me. I just want to thank everyone who came out on a Tuesday night to enjoy the show.

Published on March 22, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Erik: ervanrhe@syr.edu | @therealvandyman