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Friday, March 29, 2024
The Observer

Student Standups Perform at Legends

The Student Standups take the stage for the last time this semester tonight at Legends, showcasing the comic talents of a veteran group of aspiring student, standup comedians in a show that at the very least promises free passes to Club Fever.
The standups performing tonight are an experienced group that boasts a diverse set of comic sensibilities, club president and senior Shelley Kim says.
"Our comics are all veterans, everyone's really funny. I'd say from my open mic experience it's a really awesome show. It's one of the lesser known, underground experiences at Notre Dame, but we actually do work really hard on the sets," Kim said.
The show will feature five to eight minute stand up sets from Kim, senior Aaron Weber, senior Mike Duggan and junior Patrick McManus, among others. McManus in particular is a crowd favorite, according to Kim.
"Pat is a genius, people think he's like Mitch Hedberg and Steven Wright a little. Come to this show before you see Pat do hour long sets," Kim said.
McManus, who lists Hedberg and Wright among his influences, along with Demetri Martin, Jerry Seinfeld and Woody Allen, says his comedy comes from things that happen in everyday life, but he tries to go beyond that.
"I feel like everyone says they get their comedy from everyday experiences, which is definitely true for me, but I think in the writing process the everyday parts are mostly edited out and what is left is a serious of connections between things that my brain made that might not be immediately apparent. So I would say, for the most part, my comedy comes from trying to put normal things in different contexts," McManus said.
Kim also spoke highly of Weber, who she labeled as the club's more family-friendly comedian, and compared him to Brian Regan. Weber defines his attempts at comedy in humble self-deprecation, as any true comedian would.
"I write all the time, and 99 percent of the jokes I write are terrible. The goal is to find that 1 percent that doesn't suck so bad. I'm constantly bouncing ideas off of my roommates and friends-slipping little bits into conversation to see if it goes over well. Most of the time it doesn't. That's the really humbling thing about standup. Even your best friends won't laugh if you're not funny," Weber said.
The standups have experience outside of Notre Dame's campus - Kim has performed in London and Barcelona and opened for well-known comedians such as Tig Notaro and Kumail Nanjiani.
As a bonus for audience members who come to Legends for the show, the club will be handing out passes to Club Fever. Kim says audiences are rarely disappointed.
"It's probably some of the funniest people you never get to see. It's honestly the best thing you can do with your Thursday night. I honestly haven't met someone who's gone and said it was a bad decision," Kim said.
The Student Standups show starts at 10 p.m. at Legends. The show is free and will run for one hour, before the Humor Artists (a different club of student comedians) take the stage at 11 p.m.
Contact Kevin Noonan at
knoonan2@nd.edu