Mo Amer steals the spotlight

As soon as he took the stage in Concord’s North Tower dorm lobby, globetrotting comedian Mo Amer had students rolling with laughter. With one snappy, questionably controversial one-liner after another, Amer wedged himself unobstructed into the hearts of Concord students. 

    A native of Kuwait, Amer played heavily on his heritage, relaying the almost unbelievable misadventures he endured in the stereotypical challenges a non-American faces in the pursuit of citizenship, from passport woes to law enforcement discrimination. 

    Unlike some comedians, Amer didn’t rely on bullying his audience and embarrassing them to carry his act. He had pleasant interaction with the crowd, chatting, shaking hands, and making lighthearted banter. A comedian that left everyone smiling and happy rather than critically analyzing themselves for faults was quite refreshing. 

    After the performance, Amer didn’t immediately run for the airport to head back to the familiar safety of the big city. Instead, he hung around, playing upbeat music and interacting with audience members, posing for photographs and engaging in good-natured banter. 

He was more down to earth than anyone could have reasonably expected him to be, considering he’s quite the celebrity, having done performances in more than two dozen countries on an astounding five continents. He has performed for United States troops stationed in the Middle East and has been featured on major television networks such as CNN and CBS. He frequently travels as part of an Islamic comedy troupe known as “Allah Made Me Funny.”

Despite his impressive and expansive repertoire, Amer had no problem putting himself on the same level as his audience, asking questions and using the responses to springboard into an improvisation-style comedy routine. He seemingly had a skit for every situation that could have been pitched at him. 

The Student Activities Committee outdid themselves when they booked Amer to come to Concord, and hosting the event in the lobby of the most heavily trafficked dormitory on campus was an excellent way to ensure student participation. Nearly every chair held an enthralled student that couldn’t get enough of Amer’s spontaneously, relatively family-friendly comedy. This audience seemed larger and more enthusiastic than those at most other on-campus entertainment events, and it can only be hoped that the Student Activities Committee took note of that and will do what they can to ensure that trend continues with future events.