Words by Kaitlyn Bush To wrap up two legs of an extensive American tour, Bo Burnham brought his Make Happy Tour to The Cap for two shows in one night, with both being taped for his next Netflix special. Bo Burnham has certainly moved beyond the days of quietly sitting behind a keyboard. His newest material sees him walking out to loud, heavy rock and intricate lighting. Burnham grabs the mic with all the ease of a rock star. He raps, with confidence, that “You ain’t never seen a comedy show like this in your life, and probably for good reason.” And in many ways, this one introductory line sets the tone for the whole night. Burnham’s show is a mix of confidently performed bits, different types of comedy, and a distinctly self-aware and self-deprecating humor. When Burnham made his first move to the keyboard, it was met with excited cheers from the crowd. He sang “Straight White Male,” a song in which he sarcastically laments being unable to find khakis in his size and the fact that he’s never been randomly searched for drugs. This song in particular showed how masterful Burnham is at combining silliness with social commentary. Burnham criticized the empty, derivative genre of “stadium country” music, and touched upon the issue of “beat fetishism” in hip hop, which he demonstrated by rapping out “I’m a Little Tea Pot” to a strong backing beat. When he finished, he pointed out that “A lesser comedian would have milked that for four verses. A better one wouldn’t have done it at all.” It’s precisely this self-deprecating humor that makes Burnham so endearing, and so relatable, to his audience. And Burnham clearly knows his audience, which consisted of young millennials. Burnham did an extended routine where he acted out the difference between making a sandwich while drunk versus making a sandwich while high. There was no talking during this bit- only dramatic music and detailed physical comedy from Burnham. The crowd could clearly relate, and it seemed to garner the most laughs of the night. Burnham ended the show with an auto-tuned rant, referencing Kanye West. The song begins with grievances about his inability to fit his hand in a Pringles can and his struggles to make the perfect Chipotle burrito. But it ended with Burnham expressing his fear over performing for an audience, the pressure he feels from having to give the crowd a good night out, and the fact that he’s unhappy despite his success. His tone was half funny and half serious, making for a poignant closing to the show. Before exiting the stage, Burnham simply declared “I hope you’re happy.” While this marked the official end of the show, Burnham came back out on stage to thank everyone for sharing the experience with him, and he took to his keyboard one last time to perform “From God’s Perspective,” one of his most popular bits. The entire crowd sang along. Burnham’s promise for the Make Happy Tour was “A night of laughing and smiling and not dying yet,” and I think it’s safe to say that Burnham made sure that all of these came true. Photo Credits: Photo 1: @adamdnewman (IG) Photo 2: @awurtenberg (TW) Photo 3: @boburnham (IG)