Bo Burnham wins over audience in Ireland debut

Bo Burnham. Picture by
jmcarthy99 via Flickr

Boston born comedian  brought his own unique brand of comedy to Vicar Street on Thursday night and did not disappoint his excitable fans.

It was a noticeably young crowd for the comedian’s first solo gig in Ireland. One of the first YouTube stars to make it in the mainstream, Mr Burnham has taken his witty songs and run with them all the way to the bank.

His latest show, aptly named What, left the crowd asking that very question through tears of laughter and roaring applause. What have I just heard? What is wrong with me, that I’m laughing at that?

Bo is a comedian who pushes the boundaries of political correctness, and then proceeds to ignore those boundaries completely. He tells the sort of jokes that you know you should absolutely not laugh at, but you do anyway.

Opening and closing the show with a very witty and cutting mime act with a backing track, Burnham shows a stage presence that is beyond his 23 years. Since his first video was back in 2006, he could almost be considered a seasoned veteran at this stage.

Many people expressed the feeling that his comedy wouldn’t lend itself well to a show or the stage, however, Bo has tightened up his show and all the hard work has paid off.

Almost to prove a point, Burnham doesn’t perform most of the material that made him famous and apart from a couple of songs this is an all new show, yet nobody felt short changed.

Currently there are no further dates in the pipeline for Ireland, but after Thursday night’s show, there is little doubt that the “Bo Show” will roll back into town; maybe next time in a bigger venue.

Bo Burnham in action: