If you haven't heard of Bo Burnham yet, make sure you are at Vicar Street this Thursday night where the American comedian will be performing his first ever headline show on our shores. A 'YouTube sensation' Bo became an overnight success after his videos went viral. A few years ago, not many people this side of the world had heard of Bo Burnham. But in 2010 the Edinburgh Festival changed all that, bringing Bo a plethora of five star reviews and stupendous critical acclaim. He received the 'Spirit of the Fringe' Award and was the youngest performer to ever be nominated for the main Edinburgh Comedy Award in the Festival’s 30-year history. The comedian has since gone onto write, develop and star in his won MTV show Zach Stone, is currently writing a movie with none other then Judd Apatow and just released his book Egghead, which we can't recommend enough. We caught up with the comedian here to find out what we can expect from his show, what he thinks of Irish audiences and what it's like to be a 'YouTube sensation'.
Interview by Claire Duffy
You're coming to Dublin with your first headline show 'What' this week, tell us can we expect from the show?
Some music, some stand up and some poetry, I guess. Yeah it's going to be weird and loud and bright hopefully.
You've performed at the comedy festivals in Ireland before, how do you find Irish audiences and performing here compared to other countries?
Really good, I did the Carlsberg Festival twice, Kilkenny a couple of years ago. I have always loved Irish audiences, they seem to have a real good combination of like the patience of English crowds for listening to what you're really saying and the enthusiasm of American crowds; they are ready to have a good time and get excited. Yeah, usually I would always be more worried and I would get there and it would surprise me how little of my material I would have to change. I just performed this show in Edinburgh in the summer and I didn't have to change much so I assume most of it will be ok. I'll find out though... on stage.
Everything we read about you it says 'YouTube sensation', fame for you just came over night? Did you ever imagine this would happen?
It felt it happened more gradual then it looked, probably, just because I was posting videos to YouTube for years during High School, numbers would grow maybe my audience was growing too but I wasn't seeing that. It was all very abstract at first, then, I fully started to go on the road and even then it was small audiences that would come out. Even if I had a larger audience it would take a while for them to know I could do this live. Yeah, it was very strange it's a part of me now. It also very weird and strange that I was so young but I think this is probably more common as things go forward I assume.
After the huge hype surrounding your online persona, did you find there was more expectation and more pressure on your live performances?
Yes, well for me I felt like it was so easy to grow just because I was 16 when I started, now I've been doing it years and now I'm 23. You are such a different person when you're 16,19 and 23 so obviously I felt my comedy should be different. You worry that you can fall into the trap of, 'oh people like me for my 16 year old self that sings dirty songs,' that they will never like me for anything else. I thought I got attention because I was just doing what I liked and what I felt was funny, so, I just kept that attitude and keep doing what I want and what I find funny. And try not to anticipate what other people want or think how I will be compared to other stuff.
Each tour you have gone on we have seen a different style, do you do this on purpose or is that just you developing as a comedian?
It's a combination of both things, I think both are kind of right. On one side, I do try to make a point of doing something different and challenging myself and then part of it is sort of natural. I get most effected by being fans of other comedians and seeing other comedians that I get really influenced by. Like Tim Minchin, David O' Doherty or Bill Bailey all these people I like. I see the different stuff they are doing so it makes me want to do something slightly different. I always think of myself as a comedy feeder type person and that feeder lets themselves get out of your comfort zone as opposed to straight stand up, that feels like honing one skill like honing one point of view. I always like the idea of trying to put on a show and creating that feeling that I get when I'm in theatre watching a show, something really surprising or allowing it to be visual or audio.
You are a big fan of social media, do you find the industry has changed since technology improved and is it something you think all comedians should use?
I think it's a good thing. Mostly what is worrying is, I'm someone who doesn't like to put their personal information on Twitter or Vine. Basically I don't like to tweet stuff about my life. I only like to tweet jokes. There's this new, this terrible phenomenon that peoples content is their life rather then their work. Like 'Oh look how cool of a life I lead'. Like in between making movies or doing comedy the most appealing thing isn't what I make but how I look while I'm making it. It's a big worry for me, all these things are really great to be creative with but I hope people try to be creative with them and not just use these things to brag or use them to self promote way to much. I think all these things become ways to give people more interesting content rather then to squash it and I worry it could go either way.
You have brought out a poetry book Egghead. For someone who is very much an online based comedian what made you go 'old school' as such and bring out a book?
Yeah, exactly it's funny, like I feel like I should paint paintings next. For me it wasn't so much, like I had written so much poetry for stand up that I figured if I went out there the whole thing would just be poetry, so then I thought this thing could be a book. And maybe people are past the point that a poetry book can be popular. But it felt like I was writing something and that was the best medium for it to go into. And shaping the book with the illustrator, it felt like it was flexing and I was working on levels I had not used before. I think it's good, it's nice that for some young people that like my work, that maybe it will force them to sit with a book for a little while, like sit with something for a half an hour rather then look at something for thirty seconds. It's also very similar to the abbreviated language way of Twitter. The book almost has a small attention span.
You also had your own series on MTV but it has since been cancelled? How did this feel?
The cancellation itself, like by the time it happened it was almost a relief. It wasn't what we wanted and they didn't promote the show and kept moving the time slot. So by the time it was axed I was like thank God I don't have to be publicly man handled by these people anymore. Now in the wake of it, I am very proud of the show. Now that I'm not necessarily associated with MTV, I get to have the whole series be out there and hopefully be found be people. It's a really good experience, I do enjoy learning how to work with people and take notes and to make things good even when they have been compromised.
Do you have a preference now, TV or being on stage?
It feels like spoilt people can't be choosers , I know that's the exact opposite of that phrase. It feels wonderful, being on stage does stress me out I get very nervous before every show. It's a bit taxing on my mind because I get very nervous. Like changing the form makes me excited and turning to the other things. I enjoy stand up so much because I take time off and then I'll be excited to go back to it. And doing anything collaborative is fun to do. Stand up is similar, you're just working by yourself. To be able to do something with other people is nice, it's something I miss because I did theatre my whole life. The strength of comedy is I don't have to answer to anybody but sometimes you want to learn from other people and see your ideas strengthen by other people.
There is a great clip on YouTube of you heckling hecklers, what is your take on hecklers?
The thing is I have never seen the video but I know it exists because I'll see the repercussions of it in my live shows. They just heckle me because of it, even a few nights ago. This is the most post modern reaction to it. Two girls in the audience just shouted 'We're heckling you', like those words and I actually had to stop and say, 'I could come back to you with a response and make people applaud and it would be very funny. But it would just perpetuate this you need to know that it doesn't make the show any good you are just interrupting.' The show got awkward but I was like see this awkwardness is because I had to sabotage the show for a second just to make the point. It's a double edged sword.
What have you got lined up for the rest of the year.
Once I've finished the Irish and English tour I'm going to release the special and I think it's going to be for free. I'm working on a script for basically three years and the poetry book came out. I think I'm not going to perform for a year or so and get things together. Be nice to take a breath and not worry and to just write for a while. When things are over I always think, 'well I'm never going to do anything again because I have no ideas so I'm going to go be a farmer'. Or else ideas will come and and if not then I will become a farmer. Hopefully that won't happen.
After two smash-hit sell out runs at the Edinburgh Festival, the prodigious American comedy talent that is Bo Burnham is set to perform his first headline show 'What' in Vicar Street this Thursday 7th November. Tickets priced €22.00 (incl booking fee) on sale now available from www.ticketmaster.ie and outlets nationwide. Bo Burnham's book Egghead is also out now.
