This article has been updated as of September 25, 2015.
The Student Association Programming Board (SAPB) is bringing someone new to town this semester, announcing yesterday that the 2015 Family Weekend comedian will be John Mulaney. The comic will perform on October 24 at 8:00 p.m. in the Events Center, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. He will also bring a yet-to-be-named opener.
The Chicago-born comedian worked for “Saturday Night Live” from 2008 until 2013, working as a writer until eventually being promoted to producer. On the show, Mulaney helped bring to life popular characters and sketches such as “Weekend Update’s” Stefon.
During his time on the show, Mulaney also released two albums, the first in 2009 titled “The Top Part,” followed by his 2012 sophomore effort, “New in Town.”
In these two albums, Mulaney manages to lay out a wide range of stories and observations, spanning from his childhood experiences to his driving abilities. With a touching — yet not depressing — amount of self-deprecation and honesty, Mulaney seamlessly blends his life and opinions with his comedy, proving his success not only as a television writer but as a stand-up comic.
“I’ve been a huge fan of Mulaney ever since his special ‘New In Town,’ and have since listened to that and his first special multiple times over,” said Ben Carmeli, a senior majoring in biochemistry. “I know he recently recorded his third and so I’m hoping we’ll get to see a lot of that new stuff when he comes to Binghamton.”
Mulaney filmed his third special at the Chicago Theater on May 30 as part of the Onion’s Second Annual 26th Annual Comedy Festival.
In 2014, Mulaney created and starred in the sitcom “Mulaney” on Fox. The show mirrored his own life, centering around a man trying to gain a footing in New York as a stand-up comic. Although he was costarring with Martin Short and his “SNL” co-worker Nasim Pedrad, “Mulaney” only lasted for one season amidst much criticism.
Despite this, Mulaney has had an impressive career thus far, and was a top pick amongst students who responded to the SAPB’s annual fall survey. Out of the 1,440 responses to the fall survey, 17.2 percent chose “Dying To See” as the option for the performer. Mulaney was the second most-popular survey choice, beaten only by Hannibal Burress. According to Bernadette Machuca, vice president for programming and a senior majoring in biology, they tried to get Hannibal but were unsuccessful.
Machuca said that this semester’s survey received significantly fewer responses than that of last fall, which received almost 3,000 responses.
“I didn’t really know a lot about him when we first put out a bid for him over the summer,” said Machuca. “I started watching some of his stand up on YouTube and he really is funny, he’s very interactive … [he’s a] very good story teller. ”
With his quick and intelligent humor, Mulaney’s show is sure to be a relatable and enjoyable performance for students and family members alike.
“He’s my favorite comedian,” said Ahnaf Raihan, a sophomore majoring in computer science. “When I found out, I actually ran out of the bathroom and bought a ticket as fast as I could.”
Tickets will be sold on Friday, September 25 in the Marketplace from 12 p.m.-4 p.m. for $10 plus a $1 fee. General admission tickets can be purchased online by undergraduate students for $10 plus fees and by the general public for $25 plus fees. Floor seats are also available to students for $20 plus fees, and to the general public for $35 plus fees.