Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
Many of the students entering Sci 101 this past Friday weren’t sure what to expect from Spike’s inaugural stand-up comedy jam. There’s never a guarantee that the performers will be well-received, and awkward silences can be traumatic. However, much to the relief of Jon Peters ’09, the emcee for this event, all went extremely well.
He remarked, “Great crowd, they showed a real willingness to laugh along with the comics.” Aside from relief, he was also beaming with pride in the performers. Peters explained, “I was surprised at the strength of every comic’s performance. I’ve attended many an open-mic and any of our comics could go toe to toe with them. They were absolutely a blast.” Credit for the show is also due to its organizer, Charlie Decker ’09.
The Comedy Jam opened up with some humorous words from Peters, followed by a song that he had made up on his guitar. The first performer that Jon introduced was Peter Liebenson ’11, who, despite it being his first stand-up experience, managed to have the entire audience cracking up.
Ben Starr ’11 broke out his electric guitar and sang two songs. One was an outspoken parody of religious extremism which had half the audience laughing hysterically and the rest shocked at what they heard. Nicole Singer ‘10 followed Ben. It was her first time performing stand-up at Swarthmore, but she kept the audience laughing all the same. Last to perform was Niccolo Moretti ’10, who was also received with great enthusiasm.
The Comedy Jam had an excellent turnout and the show itself ran impressively smoothly. Peters’s entertaining sentiments and transitions kept the pace moving smoothly and the audience eager for more. When asked about the prospects for more shows, he told the Gazette, “we’d like to have one of these events at least once a semester. No promises.”
