Produced by Trevor Seela
Growing up in Belgium didn’t stop McCormick freshman Beau Becker from listening to American comedian Daniel Tosh. Three months ago, Becker bought a ticket to Tosh’s performance in Chicago last month only to discover it fell on the same date as the Ludacris show. He chose to attend the concert but was angry and disappointed that he was unable to see the comedian he had followed for years.
Then fate stepped in.
“I was so excited when they announced he was performing here,” Becker said. “I love how edgy he is. He’s similar to Dane Cook, but he’s somewhat different in his delivery.”
Tosh talked Snuggies, the Olympic Games and toilet seats, among other inappropriate topics, to a crowd of more than 500 in Pick-Staiger Concert Hall on Thursday night. A&O Productions brought the comedian because it had money left over from its winter speaker, said A&O Chairman and Weinberg junior Adam Pumm.
Becker, who was first in line when doors opened, said he found it curious the show didn’t sell out.
“He was very well known at my international high school,” he said.
Comedian Jasper Redd opened the show to chanting and applause from the rowdy crowd.
“It’s so nice when I arrive at work and people clap,” Redd said. “It’s good for my self-esteem, but I bet that doesn’t happen with you guys. By the look of some of you all, you probably get booed.”
Redd spent his time on stage joking about McDonald’s, the origins of the Whopper Jr. and the recession.
“We’re in a recession so no more Dove soap,” he said. “I got a knockoff brand called Pigeon instead, and I think it’s making me dirtier.”
When it was Tosh’s turn, he wandered on stage, grabbed the microphone and walked out the door to “test how far it would go.”
“If you’ve never seen me perform before, I’m not good live,” Tosh joked.
His audience interaction and jokes about NU and Chicago brought the biggest laughs of the night, whether he was lying about being an alumnus or talking Chicago weather.
“Chicago is only nice for eight hours a year,” he joked.
Tosh also offered advice for his audience members.
“Enjoy your time at college and don’t panic,” he said. “These aren’t the best years of your life, and if they are, well, whuh-oh.”
Throughout the night, the audience faced awkward silences while Tosh scrambled for jokes by looking at his notebook, pacing back and forth on the stage and quickly changing topics.
Nicole Fredericks said those moments were her favorite.
“I love his humor,” the Medill freshman said. “I love the pauses where I’m like ‘Is he going to tell a joke now or not?'”
