As many students dance in their seats or get up for everyone to see, they get pumped for a memorable comedy show — a show featuring America’s Funny Man and the African King of Comedy. Ron G and Michael Blackson took center stage Monday, Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. in the Barry Kaye Auditorium.
At around 8:30 p.m., Ron G went on stage dancing, getting a kick out of the audience. Of 57 students polled from the audience, 2 knew who he was before the show. But he still made the audience crack up laughing. Celebrity impersonations of Big Sean, Drake, and Lil Wayne were just one small part of his act. He made fun of arguments in relationships, falling in love, and stereotypes. Ron G would call someone who crosses the line and insults him a “jerkosaurus rex.”
After his act finished up, the Freaker’s Ball performer for this semester was announced to be Kendrick Lamar. The audience jumped up screaming. DJ Thunder began to play songs of Lamar’s as dancers made their way through the audience and onto the stage.
“That is big. That is something that FAU needs,” Johnathon Ragoo, junior communication major, said. “We’re a smaller school than other schools in the state of Florida and around the country. But having someone of that magnitude being at FAU, that’s definitely what we need to help us out.”
“I thought it would be pretty cool to bring a bigger name this semester,” Media Chair of Program Board Annie Blanc, a fan of Blackson’s, said.
Of 116 students polled from the audience, 82 knew who Blackson was before attending the event.
“If Michael Blackson wasn’t here, I wouldn’t be here,” Caleb Tadeus, junior sports marketing and business major, said. “Every time you guys [Program Board] have someone good, I’mma pull through, so keep doing it.”
Blackson’s jokes mainly revolved around his mother, sex, and race.
Blanc said this was a show she’d recommend for everyone “because he’s hilarious.”
In the middle of Blackson’s performance, a girl got up from her seat to take a bathroom break, and Blackson stopped his performance to yell at her to sit back down. Members of the audience jumped in their seats from laughter, looking at the surprised girl’s face. Blackson made her sit back down, telling her she was not allowed to leave.
“At first I thought it was part of the joke,” Tadeus said. “He was like ‘Where are you going?’ And then I turn around and I see the girl trying to leave … It was the best part for me.”
The 2400 seat auditorium ended up holding an approximation of 900 to 950 students, according to Program Board Director Lexi Rosario.
“I enjoyed it. I mean both of the performers are really amazing,” Ragoo said. “Ron G, I never really heard of him, but it was a great show. And of course, everybody knows Michael Blackson already, what he’s done with [Next] Friday … He just gave the people exactly what they wanted to see. Everybody was laughing really hard.”
[Aaron Shapiro contributed to the reporting of this story.]
