Craig Robinson walked on to Alumni Arena's stage sporting a black Snoopy T-shirt and a backpack. The innocent attire added to the hilarity of him singing, "Take your panties off" 32 different times during his performance.
Last Saturday, Student Association hosted its 11th annualcomedy series, and for the second year in a row, the series featured a member from the hit television show, The Office.
This time, it was Craig Robinson, Darryl Philbin on The Office, who was given the opportunity to share his comedic talents behind the keyboard with the student body at UB.
"I was in Texas 11 years ago and this waitress at a restaurant [in a] poker club had these legs that just would not stop," Robinson said. "My mind just kept going and I thought, 'Just take your panties off.' And that's how it started."
Robinson's infatuation with panties wasn't the only thing that highlighted his performance. He started his stand-up with an instrumental rendition of childhood favorite "If You're Happy and You Know It." Robinson shocked the audience into laughter when he broke his silent and calm demeanor during the second verse by tricking those in attendance into clapping their hands rather than stomping their feet.
Robinson spent most of the show sitting behind his keyboard playing a soundtrack to his comedy sketch. He has been playing piano for as long as he could remember.
"Probably since before birth," Robinson said. "My mom is a musician and plays music so it's in my blood. Literally, while I was in her womb she was playing and singing to me. I grew up with it all around me, and I love it."
Robinson's main focus for the night was on love and sexual attraction. He sensually sung about marriage, sex, being in relationships, drugs, and, of course, panties.
"I thought he was hilarious," said Scott Will, a freshman electrical engineering major. "I think he was classy, and he wasn't just up there making a fool of himself."
Other students disagreed, claiming Robinson's jokes were targeted for a much older audience, causing disappointment for some.
"I've seen good comedy shows that were based on music before," said Max Blaise, a freshman mechanical engineering major. "The opening act did it and he was funny. [Robinson] just played songs we knew and it wasn't that funny. He kept failing at getting the audience to sing along. [It] wasn't even a funny show. When he stood up I thought good, he's going to get to the jokes part, but actually he just kept singing."
Robinson says his difficulties adjusting to fit into the college scene are associated with the generation gap.
The comedian believes that his material is universal enough to do so.
"College kids are younger, so you got to try to see how you can relate to them," Robinson said. "I got to try to rely on my experience in colleges...to try to figure out what they want...Luckily my stuff is kind of universal."
Robinson thought the show went well this weekend. He said that his favorite moments were his interaction with the audience during the question and answer portion of the night. Getting hugs onstage from a female student and making fun of fraternity members sitting in the audience's front row were the best parts of the night for the comedian.
Robinson is currently working on a new movie called The Apocalypse with actors Seth Rogen (For a Good Time, Call...) and James Franco (Cherry).
Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
