Chris D’Elia performs at OU
Three stand-up comics came to Oakland University through Student Program Board (SPB) and other Student Activity Fund Assessment Committee (SAFAC) organizations to celebrate homecoming weekend on campus.
Ron Taylor, Craig Conant and headliner Chris D’Elia made students, employees and the general public laugh for 90 minutes in the Founder’s Ballrooms on Friday, Oct. 11.
Taylor was the opener, and his routine was focused around his appearance and his experiences dating women. Taylor is a Detroit native and a graduate of Wayne State University, who since moved out to California and struggled to make ends meet for a few years. He lived in his van for two years, and summarized his experience with saying, “It’s bad when you get a parking ticket on your house.”
“We wanted to have some diversity, so we told the agency we wanted someone who wasn’t a white male to open,” said Stephanie Jurva, assistant director of student organization programs. “The agency connected us with Ron, and it worked out well because he was a local Detroit native as well. Ron and Craig actually knew each other, so he was able to introduce him well.”
Conant quickly followed Taylor, and brought a different style of comedy to the table. Taylor was a very energetic and faster-paced comedian, but Conant slowed it down. He focused his act on talking about different life struggles and funny things that happened to him.
From getting fired from Trader Joe’s to putting a pencil in his mom’s butt — lengthwise, he’s not an animal — Conant had the crowd roaring with his tales of unemployment and his recent adventures with sobriety.
Conant frequently opens for D’Elia, which he briefly mentioned in his act. He also is featured often on the Laugh Factory’s social media sites, where he first rose to prominence with his Trader Joe’s stories. Conant also is the host of his podcast, the Community Service Podcast.
“We knew we wanted to bring in a bigger name,” Jurva said. “Craig is someone that Chris brought. Chris always brings him along.”
At the end of his set, he introduced D’Elia, who walked on stage and immediately had the crowd going, as he poked fun at the curtain he was in front of, saying, “Wow, you guys really went all out with this one.”
D’Elia has multiple Netflix specials and has appeared in television shows like “Whitney,” “Undateable” and “The Good Doctor.” He has been performing stand-up since 2006, and hosts his own podcast as well, called the Congratulations Podcast. Recently, he made headlines by featuring on a Logic and Eminem song, imitating Eminem in the final seconds of the song.
After his nearly 60-minute set, D’Elia made his way down to the Gold Rooms in the Oakland Center, and took photos and signed posters for the select few people who represented SAFAC organizations that got the chance to meet him. Once everyone got their chance to get a picture with him, both D’Elia and Conant left the Oakland Center together, surrounded by their managers and police officers.
“I think that they all did really well, they all brought different ideas to what they were talking about,” Jurva said.
The show ended at about 8:30 p.m., which led right into Grizz Madnezz at the O’rena.
“I think Chris D’Elia was a fantastic comedian to bring to campus,” said Mackenzie Hill, annual events director at SPB. “He managed to connect with all the students on campus and the alumni coming back for homecoming.”
