The last comedian I saw at UCF was Keenan Thompson who had me walking out wondering who should have been slapped when they suggested he perform.
The show was awful, unfunny, and consisted of a Q&A at the end which featured some of the most uninteresting questions you could possibly ask someone in the entertainment industry. This disappointing show kept me from attending Craig Robinson, who, I feared, would piggy back on his fame and use it as an excuse for not being funny as well.
With this in mind, I am delighted to say the performance from Amy Schumer this past Thursday was sorely needed featuring a skilled comedian, specializing in actual stand-up who owned the mic and stage.
It’s hard to imagine the Campus Activities Board being able to find a someone to perform who would be on par with Jim Gaffigan, who visited UCF last spring, but thankfully Amy Schumer was exactly that. She delivered her brand of offensive and dark humor with ease, while being able to skillfully deviate from her routine to make a joke at one of the audience member’s expense now and then.
One of the best moments during the show was when Schumer began asking audience members to describe various, and often disgusting, sexual terms they had heard. It was her ability to find segues, for more humor, within the descriptions, no matter what they were, that kept the segment from becoming awkward and uncomfortable for everyone.
It is also worth noting Schumer’s opener, Kurt Metzger, proved to be more than capable of disproving the idea that the audience hates everyone except the headliner. There were, however, some moments where there seemed to be a disconnect between Schumer and the audience. Whether they were due to a joke that went “too far” or a conflict over the style of humor the crowd enjoyed, they silence kept me from laughing more than once.
Even with this in mind, fortunately, I am very happy to say Schumer provided UCF with a great show, one that makes me excited to see where she goes from here.
