Friday, September 14, 2007
Jeff “Buzz” Sutherland has never been on David Letterman or Jay Leno. He never has appeared on CBS, NBC or ABC. But on college campuses, Sutherland is a star.
Sutherland is a five-time National Association of Campus Activities Comedian of the Year and will perform at 2 p.m. Saturday in Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union. Tickets still are available and cost $5 for the general public or are free with an SUA Preferred Student Card.
Susan Hoffman, assistant director of Union Programs, has known Sutherland for years and has seen him perform.
“He is phenomenal,” she said. “I like him because he really interacts with the audience.”
For the past 18 years, Sutherland has traveled across the country performing at college campuses nationwide.
Locally, he’s performed at the Lied Center and also in Hays, Hutchinson, Kansas City and elsewhere. He hasn’t become famous on a national scale, and that’s OK with him.
The 41-year-old knows his audience: college students. His comedy is “all about family.” He focuses on clean comedic material that is not offensive.
“You limit yourself when you work that way,” he said.
Sutherland grew up in St. Louis. As a college student, he majored in English and history.
“I always wanted to be a writer,” Sutherland said.
One fall night in 1985 he squeezed into the back of an auditorium to watch a certain comedian perform. On stage was Jerry Seinfeld.
“Football is a stupid game,” Seinfeld told the crowd that night. The crowd laughed. Those five words changed Sutherland’s life.
He left the auditorium and went home and packed. He went to perform at the Funny Bone, a local club.
They offered him a job — not as a comedian, but as a waiter. But he also got a tryout — his chance to be on stage. He took the job but never had to serve a table.
His performance on his first night on stage was good enough to land him a spot on HBO’s “Comic Relief.”
He has since performed on MTV, A&E and CMT most recently. Sutherland said he had no interest in a career in Los Angeles or New York. He prefers the Midwest where he can live in anonymity.
“I am very content with where I am in my career,” he said.
Sutherland has family in Olathe and is familiar with the University. He said he always enjoyed coming back.
“I love the KU campus,” he said.
Those attending Saturday’s event can expect to possibly go on stage with Sutherland.
He might show them a dance move or two. But he said he would use a positive message, jokingly serious as he gives students advice on life.
Sutherland said one of his best jokes was when he explained that moms have the toughest job in the world and just how quickly a dad could come home, get upset and go to bed: “Hi, honey, I’m home. Dang it! Good night!”
— Edited by Amelia Freidline
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