By ALEX KEATING, Contributing Writer
Los Angeles-based comedian, Geoff Keith, preforms on stage in the Granite State Room last Saturday night. Keith kicked off the year as the Campus Activity Board‘s first comedy show of the semester, and connected well with the crowd of students who gathered in the MUB for a good laugh.
As a California native, Geoff Keith is not accustomed to the snowy tundra that is the UNH campus this winter. That’s why when Geoff arrived in New England and got his rental car, it didn’t cross his mind to ask for a snowbrush or an ice scraper. With few resources and a car in need of scraping, Geoff channeled his inner MacGyver and scraped his way to victory with his hotel room key. Welcome to New England, Geoff.
Geoff Keith is a stand-up comedian from Los Angeles, California who has performed on many prime-time shows such as CBS’ “The Late Late Show” and E!’s “Chelsea Lately”. His other accolades include being nominated for Comedian of the Year for 2012 as well as being named one of Campus Activities Magazine’s Hot Comics of 2011. One of his most notable appearances was as a star on MTV’s “Disaster Date” for two seasons.
UNH’s Campus Activities Board (CAB) could not have picked a better act to come and perform in front of the roughly 100 students listening intently in the crowd. Geoff brought up topics ranging from the frigid cold in which we live in to his recent trip to the movie theatre to see 50 Shades of Grey. Needless to say, hilarity ensued around every corner.
Boisterous laughing and frequent applause were the dominant noises coming from the Strafford Room Saturday night. It was obvious that Geoff had already won the crowd over when he playfully joked that UNH should swap the Wildcat mascot with a feral cat, and the cheer of the UNH crowd was un-phased by his jab.
“How many of you guys are freshman?” Geoff asked the crowd curiously. After a few scattered hands arose across the crowd, Geoff pointed to a student in the front row that had his hand raised and said, “Sitting in the front row, bold move freshman.” The crowd laughed and applauded in approval. This type of interaction became a staple throughout the night, as Geoff was extremely interactive with the lively crowd.
Once the show came to an end, Geoff asked the crowd if it had any questions, acting as if he was the professor of a class. After a few questions from students wondering where he purchased his clothes, Geoff walked off the stage and talked to people individually and signed autographs. Many students hung around for a bit and discussed with one another their favorite parts while waiting to talk to Geoff.
“I have been to other events before, but this is my first comedy show at UNH,” said UNH student Dominquez Rumakiek, “I would definitely come again if they have another comedian.” This seemed to be the general consensus of the crowd; everyone left with a smile on their face and didn’t have to pay a cent to see the show. CAB’s first comedy show this semester went on without a hitch, and comedians coming more in the future should be on CAB’s radar. Even Geoff himself praised CAB, complimenting them on the stage and lighting set up and pointing out that most schools venues he performs at are not quite as nice. Bravo, CAB.
