An Emmy award-winning television writer, a rapper, an actor and a stand-up comedian came to SUNY New Paltz on Nov. 13 and they all have the same name.
Donald Glover.
The night before his stand-up performance on campus, the 26-year-old star of NBC’s “Community” played a show as Childish Gambino, his rapper alter ego, in Los Angeles.
“I like to stay busy,” said Glover. “When I was a kid, I always wondered why my mom was so busy … [Now] I like living on planes.”
Despite his taxing schedule, Glover and fellow comedian Hannibal Buress were ready to entertain the students who attended the event in the Student Union’s Multi Purpose Room. According to Student Activities and Union Services Events Coordinator Brendan O’Brien, the show was sold out with approximately 300 students in attendance give or take a few absentees.
Buress, a former “Saturday Night Live” writer and current 30 Rock scribe, opened the show with a short set. His comedy ranged from the colors of the chairs in the auditorium to how much he wanted to punch his cousin at Thanksgiving.
Glover followed with an approximately hour long set. The first thing he did was warn the audience that this would be nothing like the kind of comedy many fans of his expect after watching “Community” or his Derrick Comedy skits. His comedy was actually much more akin to his rapping; vulgar, pop culture reference-laden and
most importantly, hilarious.
Glover touched on a number of subjects from his days babysitting in New York City, encounters with bums, farting in public, his experiences living in a foster home and the “Donald for Spider-Man” campaign.
The “Donald for Spider-Man” bit focused around the Internet’s desire for Glover to don the red, webbed and blue tights in the reboot of “Spider-Man.” The Internet was unsuccessful but it would have been a dream come true for Glover. He’s liked comics since he was a kid because he always “felt like a weirdo.”
Ultimately, his whole set built up to the one thing missing from most comedians’ routines: an epic poop joke.
After the show, Glover was on the move again, catching a ride back down to New York City almost as quickly as he arrived in New Paltz.
Next up for Glover, a stand-up/music tour with himself called the I AM DONALD tour. (Beyoncé already
used the I AM TOUR.)
“Right now, I can be selfish,” said Glover of his “sleep when I’m dead” mentality while on the way to his car. “I’ll probably keep being selfish for about five more years.”
The first verse on his mixtape Culdesac sums up Glover’s next five years perfectly:
“N****s wanna have some, all I want’s to have it all. They wanted something different, n**** problem solved. Drunk off the high life, death is when I’ll sleep it off.”
Now let’s just hope his selfish streak lasts longer than five years.