“I feel like a deadbeat dad. I haven’t seen my degree in years, and I’m still counting the days until I don’t have to pay for it anymore,” said AJ Foster, Jay Pharaoh’s opening act.
Being that it was his first time performing in Louisiana, Foster said he was excited to open for Pharaoh.
“I’m that annoying five second commercial that you can’t skip through when you’re trying to watch YouTube,” Foster said.
ULM students were laughing and hollering for both Foster and Pharaoh as they made an appearance for Hawkchella Thursday Night.
As a reoccurring performer for Saturday Night Live, Pharaoh is well known for his impersonations and inflections.
“I’ve seen his impressions on SNL, but I’ve never seen his stand up before. I really enjoyed how inclusive he was, and he had the perfect amount of vulgarity for my taste in comedy,” said Allison Comeaux, a junior pre-nursing major.
Pharoah was able to transform his voice in a variety of ways impersonating anyone from Barack Obama’s deep enunciated voice to Kevin Hart’s high-pitch, snappy demeanor.
“I’m always practicing my impersonations at some point in the day because if you stop drilling then you get rusty,” Pharoah said.
Through Pharoah’s performance, anyone could see his constant practice of his impersonations. Moesha Wiley said she was very impressed with the show Pharoah put on.
“Pharoah was a very well rounded comedian. He was very relatable because a lot of his material was aimed towards current events,” said Wiley. a junior secondary education major.
Pharoah tied in many social figures that he identifies with. Many of them were rappers that give a voice for those who won’t speak up for themselves.
“Don’t be afraid to be yourself,” said Pharoah. “Take risks and never be afraid to fail.”
Many college students struggle to find themselves in this world. Both Pharoah and Foster gave insight into their stories throughout their life.
Although many students were disappointed Deray Davis was a no show, Pharaoh carried the weight of the show making this year’s Spring Fever week a week to remember.