Western Courier

Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: The Edge

Media Credit: Steve Scapardine Bill Burr joked about everything from relationships to his own grandma.

Media Credit: Steve Scapardine Bill Burr performs a more intimate set in the University Union Grand Ballroom.

Bill Burr brought laughs to the Western Illinois University Union Grand Ballroom with his March 24 stand-up comedy performance.

Perhaps best known as the white guy from "Chappelle's Show," Burr has multiple Comedy Central appearances as well as a half-hour HBO special to his name.

Different from larger, arena-based comedy, Burr brought the more personal feeling of a club performance with a style that attempted to engage the audience by saying things that related to them.

While trying to get a feel for the crowd in the rural area of Macomb, Burr opened with jokes about meth and cattle in the road. Although the crowd laughed, Burr did not seem entirely confident on stage.

"It was one of those deals where it took a minute to get comfortable," Burr said. "I was fighting the feeling that I was bombing."

Burr's attempts to get the crowd talking back to him were not always fruitful, but he did manage a truly inspired moment after asking about test scores. Coming from an East Coast college, Burr did not know about the ACT and was astounded when he heard the final score was out of such a small number.

"Thirty-six? How hard are those questions?" Burr screamed to a crowd that roared laughter in response.

As the show progressed, Burr fell into his planned material. Topics such as his problems with women were met with a loud crowd response as Burr lambasted relationships and the silly things women make the men do, like go to craft fairs.

Mentioning his girlfriend's suggestion to adopt a dog from a pet shelter launched him into a tirade about the dangers of adopted pets and how it could be compared to letting a convict out of jail and hoping everything goes well.

From jokes about Chris Hansen's "To Catch a Predator" series to his 100-year-old grandmother, Burr's material covered a wide variety of topics without necessarily relating.

"(I talk about) what annoys me, scares me or excites me," Burr said. "I don't want to limit myself."

When asked about the difference between a college crowd like Western and a more adult crowd he would encounter through his work at comedy clubs, Burr said the difference was life experiences.

"(College students) are not as jaded, so it really depends on what the performer brings to them," Burr said.

Burr was mindful of the fact the collegiate audience did not have certain experiences he might otherwise talk about, but overall, his performance was delivered largely unaltered - vulgarity and adult humor included.

"I just did my act, I didn't tailor-make it for college kids," he said.

Burr was available after the show for pictures and autographs, which gave the audience members a personal moment with the man who brought a hilarious end to their Monday night.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools