A&O Productions expects to sell out Ryan Family Auditorium on Feb. 12 for a night of stand-up comedy starring Mitch Hedberg.
Hedberg has made numerous appearances on Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend” and has been a guest on “The Late Show with David Letterman.” Known for his rambling, off-the-cuff style, Hedberg talks about everything from pickles, the “sellout cucumbers,” to “boring pancakes.”
“It’s very random type of comedy,” said Natasha Little, A&O’s chairwoman. “It’s very off the wall, but when he says something you get it. It’s things you haven’t thought about, but it’s funny. It’s indescribable. You have to see it to know what I’m talking about.”
As Little noted, Hedberg’s comedy jumps from subject to subject. His commentary doesn’t always make sense, but it does get laughs.
On “Strategic Grill Locations,” one of Hedberg’s two comedy album, he rants: “I think Bigfoot is blurry. That’s the problem. It’s not the photographer’s fault. Big foot is blurry and that’s extra scary to me. It’s a large, out-of-focus monster roaming the countryside.”
Doors at the event will open at 7:15 p.m., and the show will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at the Norris University Center Box Office for $5.
A&O brings entertainment to campus mostly using money from the Student Activities Fee, which almost all students pay. The group was allotted more than $55,000 for a Winter Quarter comedian.
A&O Director of Speakers and Special Events Andy Freeberg, a Communication junior, said he chose Hedberg because he was both popular and affordable — allowing A&O to save money for another show while attracting dedicated fans to the event.
Little said A&O hopes to draw Hedberg’ loyal followers despite his overall low name recognition.
“One reason we decided to bring Mitch Hedberg is he has this huge popularity that no one knows about,” said Little, a Communication senior. “I know people on campus that — once you say Mitch Hedberg — they go nuts. I think these people will bring their friends to the show.”
Weinberg senior Eben Lowe said he enjoys Hedberg’s refreshing style.
“I like jokes that are about something or have some punch line, and his jokes do that,” Lowe said. “It’s not Seinfeldian observational humor. It’s not listing off things that are true and saying, ‘What’s up with that?’ It’s clever. He thought of something as opposed to merely noticing something.”
Communication sophomore Josh Rayden said he has seen Hedberg on talk shows. He downloaded the comedian’s audio clips and said he looks forward to seeing him in person.
“Mitch Hedberg is probably one of the funniest but most awkward comics out there,” Rayden said. “He just tells sort of ambling funny stories that don’t really go anywhere, but his delivery is just incredibly comedic.”
“He just seems to have an odd point of view that makes him notice things that seem funny to us. He says dogs are constantly in the push-up position. If you think about it they kind of are, but who the hell thinks about that?”
For Rayden, Hedberg’s unpredictable performance makes the show entertaining.
“He’s clearly just stoned all the time,” Rayden said. “It’s great. Sometimes he just messes up jokes. He clearly forgot where he was going, which just makes it even funnier.”
Mitch Hedberg
8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 12
Ryan Family Auditorium
What: A&O Productions winter comedian performance
Tickets: $5, available at Norris Center Box Office
