There are a handful of comedians performing at the MICF this year who owe their success to a little website called Youtube. Bo Burnham is one such comedian. He’s also the youngest to take stage at the MICF this year – a record in the festival’s history only championed by Bo Burnham in 2009. Good to know that the young American is also still punny as hell.
Fresh off the tails of his Edinburgh Comedy Festival adventure last year, Burnham is equipped with new material, a newfound confidence in his position as a young comedian, and a continued crush on Aussie comedian Tim Minchin.
“I hung out with Tim Minchin when I was in Melbourne last time,” Burnham says. “I think he’s hilarious. When I do interviews in America I always mention him because he’s not very well known back home but should be.”
Burnham’s brand of musical comedy is similar to Minchin’s in that it involves a piano and some cunning lyricism. However the two differ entirely when it comes to style and content. If you weren’t really listening – you might confuse Burnham’s stand-up act for a mainstream pop song. What you’d miss is a lyrical storm so deadly you’d think he had a degree in busting a rhyme.
“I always liked writing poetry and kind of found a new way to express myself,” the now 20 year-old comic confesses. “I’m working on a more serious album that’s gonna be sort of funny, but not always. I want to give it a shot, at least.”
Burnham is visiting his girlfriend in New York at the time of our conversation, though his career launched from the comfort of a bedroom in his native Boston. He’d been doing his act for an audience of mostly family and friends until the whole shtick went viral.
“I wanted to show my brother. He was in college at the time – this was in 2006 when people hadn’t really heard of Youtube… So my friend told me I could upload it there and that took on a life of its own.”
A life of its own – indeed. 60 million Youtube hits later and yet Burnham sounds incredibly humbled by the whole experience. You can tell the comic simply enjoys doing what he’s been doing. Fans, young and old simply get to laugh and enjoy… If they can keep up.
“I ended up travelling with a lot of European and Australian comics. I’m such a huge fan of the European and Australian comedy scenes because they’re so different from America. The audiences are so different, and so whenever I have a chance to get away, it’s just really great to have a fresh audience, to perform in front of an audience that thinks differently.”
Burnham has also come to see the gap between his age and most comedians as an advantage rather than a negative. “It’s weird not having immediate peers in my age range,” he admits. “I think I do end up feeling a bit isolated but I also get to be in my own little comedy world because I’m not performing in clubs or anything. I think I have a young perspective that’s not new to the world, sure, but at least the world of comedy.”
Bo Burnham performs Bo Burnham Live! at The Forum Theatre Downstairs from April 19-24, Tuesday – Saturday 7pm and Sunday at 6pm. Tickets are $36.95 and you can book through Ticketmaster on 1300 660 013 or buy tickets at the door.
Cayce Hill
