Kiry Shabazz, an "up-and coming" comedian who made his TV debut on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, came to Castleton to put on a show for students. Photo Credit: Makalya Mecier

On Jan. 26, comedian Kiry Shabazz visited the Castleton University Campus Center to deliver laughter to help recover from the brutal first week back.

Shabazz is an LA-based comic who made his TV debut on the Tonight Show.

If you got there before 8 p.m. when the show started, you would have had to endure the jokes members of the Campus Activities Board told to pass the time.

But at 8:01, Shabazz arrived and took the stage with energy and pizazz.

He quickly filled the room with laughter with jokes about the film “Home Alone,” calling the situation of being home alone a part of regular life.

“First time I saw “Home Alone,” I was home alone,” he said and continued to poke at the movie.  The show was not just about Shabazz telling jokes at a non-involved audience, though.  Much of the show was creating a connection with the audience and picking on them.

“Getting crowd involved was fun, it was really cool he used the audience,” said Sierra Boutin.

Shabazz was filled with energy going from one joke to the other.  While demonstrating his knowledge of the Taco Bell menu, Shabazz got into a fiery back and forth with CAB member Caton Deuso over her Taco Bell orders.

He told more jokes explaining how every Taco Bell consists of the same team, usually consisting of at least one meth head, which led to laughs.

No one was safe from Shabazz’s crowd jokes.

He made his way across the room finding out majors and making fun out of it.  Everyone was a target.  From criminal justice majors to communication majors and all in between.

It went both ways too, with the audience telling him of the Old Chapel and the grave digging associated with the school’s history, and the duties of an AC and CA as party busters.

The tale of the Old Chapel freaked him out.

He was “pretty good for the most part, adapted to circumstance on campus,” said Deuso, referring to a pretty small crowd.

After the show, Shabazz said he is “used to larger audiences,” and the small campus show was a change.

In case you missed up-and-coming Kiry Shabazz at the Campus Center, you can check out the video of his TV debut on the Tonight Show and keep an open eye for a new televised special coming out on Comedy Central.

Kiry Shabazz is seen interacting with the crowd, something he did a lot during his comedy bit. Photo Credit: Makalya Mecier