Lines were out the door for stand-up comedian Chris D’Elia’s set in Chumash Auditorium on Wednesday, Oct. 17. Students could be seen lining up as far back as the dumpsters outside of the Administration building (Building 1).
The 38-year-old comedian, known for his cynical humor and energetic delivery, is notoriously candid in his delivery. D’Elia said he is “not sorry for any of the jokes [he’s] ever made in [his] life,” according to a tweet.
Many attendees were eager to see D’Elia perform stand-up comedy after following his antics on social media and the Netflix special, “Man on Fire.” Near the front of the line stood kinesiology sophomore Tyler Smith, who is a devoted D’Elia fan.
“I’ve listened to his podcasts and followed him on Instagram for five years now,” Smith said.
Smith said he was not worried about how students would react to D’Elia’s stand-up routine, though.
“I think comedy in general can be controversial but you have to take it non-offensive,” Smith said. “He’s not trying to pick at someone offensively.”
Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) Special Events Student Assistant Joanne Lodato said she was also sure D’Elia’s performance would not sour the audience.
“He’s not homophobic, he’s not racist, his jokes are just funny and making fun of people and I think it was a good fit for our campus because of this,” Lodato said over the phone a few days before the event.
ASI Events booked D’Elia because of his large following with college students. Lodato said she felt that a comedy show would be a great stress reliever for students taking midterms this week.
Once the Chumash doors opened, the entire auditorium was filled to its capacity of about 1,000 people. Some were turned away at the door because of the lack of available seating. Fellow comedians Craig Conant and Michael Lanoche, who are friends of D’Elia, opened the night with material ranging from family quips to fart jokes. A projector above the stage captioned all the dialogue of the performers and Lanoche took the opportunity to use as many expletives as he could to have them typed out in real-time.
Then, the unapologetic D’Elia took the spotlight, talking for an hour about the sexual tendencies of dolphins and the mannerisms of waiters who take orders at restaurants. He also gave some insight into his creative process, which involves talking to himself around the house all day until he comes up with funny lines.
At the end of the night, ASI had a surprise for all the guests. Anyone who could find a sticker under their chair had the opportunity to meet with D’Elia backstage along with a friend.
Agricultural business senior Chris Moll said he was quite happy with the performance.
“He’s not afraid to push the boundaries and talk about getting f*cked all the time,” Moll said.
Moll’s friend found a sticker under his seat and the two were able to head backstage to push their own boundaries and chat with the comedian.