REVIEW: CollegeHumor Live

Oh sheesh, y’all! ‘Twas a great show at the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase! First of all, the popcorn there is delicious (even Amir thought so). Secondly, Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld started the show off with reading embarrassing texts and dueling in an epic “rap battle, not a rap war” containing more bashing of Ohio than actual rapping, but I’m not here to complain. Thirdly, Streeter Seidell performed some stand-up comedy in spite of losing his voice, and described Candy Crush addiction in such a perfect way that I felt I connected with him on a spiritual level.

This whole experience was interesting for me because I had been a fan of CollegeHumor for many years, but lately I’ve been skipping over their videos in my YouTube subscription feed. I haven’t had much interest in watching the classic Jake and Amir bit, but seeing them perform live in that same style was very entertaining and exciting. The internet as a platform for creators and viewers produces a unique dynamic in which the people appearing in videos are not quite famous, but they are definitely recognizable in a way that most people are not. Watching Jake and Amir perform was almost like watching a celebrity perform live, and it brought new life to their sketch, especially when they made each other laugh. I’m a sucker for breaking character.

Streeter Seidell’s stand-up set was a nice change from the Jake and Amir duo, and seemed perfect for the atmosphere of the Comedy Showcase. (Side note: I had never been to a comedy club before. I’d seen them on TV and in movies, but had not once ventured downstairs into a dark room filled with tiny tables and a stage barely big enough for three people to move around comfortably.) This was real stand-up with Streeter’s glass of water and towel perched on a nearby stool and his arm resting on the microphone stand. He was comfortable on the stage and the audience was comfortable with him: gladly laughing with him as he observed and poked fun at some of the people sitting in the front row (I was in the second row, thank goodness). I’m not sure how long his set lasted, but it ranged from the too-happy employees of Zingerman’s to taking his dog out during hurricane Sandy, and I was laughing the whole time.

Looking back at the show (at the time I’m writing this it was only about an hour ago, but I’m looking back nonetheless), I’ve come to the conclusion that comedy is generally better with people to share it. Maybe part of the reason I stopped watching every CollegeHumor video was because it involved just me at my computer and not an audience of other people ready to laugh. The whole experience of going to a show and watching as performers got up on a stage with the sole purpose of making people laugh was new to me but I really enjoyed it, and I hope I get another chance to appreciate it.