What did the Sandy and John Black Pavilion have in common with Chuck E. Cheese on Tuesday, April 9? It housed one of the most famous rats in entertainment.
At 6 p.m., ticket holders filed into the Pavilion to see Theo Von perform as a part of his “Return of the Rat Tour.” Before Von entered the stage, the audience was surprised with appearances from two fellow comedians, Lee Kimbrell and Amir K, as openers.
Kimbrell, the first of the two openers, joked about being bald, golfing, trying to have a baby and the similarities between Ole Miss and the school he went to while growing up in Kentucky.
After announcing that he was a University of Kentucky graduate, Kimbrell braced himself for bad reactions, but the crowd was receptive to the former Wildcat’s performance.
K spent a substantial amount of his time on stage interacting with the crowd and joking about his Iranian background. K also joked about how liked being in the South, comparing it to his time in the Pacific Northwest.
After the opening acts, Von took to the stage. His stand-up set included a series of unbelievable and humorous stories that went from his childhood to his current struggles to find love. As Von walked onto the stage, he joked about his rising popularity stemming from his podcast rather than his stand-up shows.
“Most of y’all have never seen me walk before,” Von said.
Von made sure to highlight Oxford, joking that arriving in the Square was like stepping back into the 1800s.
“We went downtown in the Square, and it was like somebody turned back the clock,” Von said.
Audience members on the front row were also asked various questions as part of Von’s act, ranging from what their jobs were to how many hamsters it would take to fill a 30-pound bag of hamster bones. After one audience member suggested that two hamsters would be enough, Von had to take a moment to let the answer sink in before he responded with a call to a higher power.
“God bless us tonight as we do math together, Lord,” Von said.
Von concluded his set with appreciation for his southern origins and his ability to perform in the South.
“I feel lucky to be from the South and lucky to be with you guys this evening,” Von said.
