For the first time in three years, I wanted a bouncer at the entrance of a bar to draw X’s on the back of my hands. How was I to know that fitting in at a show during Bo Burnham’s Fake ID Tour meant that I would also need a fake ID?

If you’ve never heard of Bo Burnham, then you may not yet know he’s one of YouTube’s off-the-red-carpet viral celebrities. Equipped with the verbal dexterity your eleventh grade English teacher wished you had, Bo’s fantastically-filthy wordsmithing, if you will, is smart enough to best the crass and often cheap humor found in the likes of Dane Cook & Co.

Sure, he’s got a dirty mind like most of his peers; but, unlike the rest, his delivery is so laced with wit, packed with puns, and delivered with geeky white boy charm, you forget he’s offending you.

His first offense on me came at the beginning of 2009. My friend Joanna posted a link on Facebook to his YouTube channel, and I was an instant fan. One drizzly day, Joanna and I were surfing the Internet and, as Bo enthusiasts, we had to check for anything new on his channel. It was a tour promo! Not five minutes later, we bought our tickets for the show on September 10th.

So there we were, the only fans over 21, at La Zona Rosa, a small live music venue in Austin, TX. At least we had our pick of seats at the bar. Feeling uncomfortable, we listened to all the underage girls babble about how they would “like, totally, date him!”. I guess I can’t blame them - I tend to go for tall, skinny, and awkward boys with floppy hair just like Bo.

However, I’m 24, and he wasn’t even born in the 1980s. At only 19, he is an attractive guy - I’ll concede to that, but if he was just a regular student back in high school with any of those girls, would they all be gushing about him? They are attracted to his stage persona. He’s cocky tempered with self deprecation, dirty cleaned up with intellect, but let’s face it: they probably want him because he plays the guitar.

Earlier that day, I had “tweeted” that I was terrified the Bo Burnham show would be filled with creeper teen girl fans. Bo sent me a direct message reply: “Me too.” He had reason to be scared because these girls were ridiculous. I was silently thanking God when the doors opened, letting the cattle herd choose seats.

Despite efforts to avoid viewing the juniors department fashion show our fellow audience members provided, our front row seats didn’t stop us from hearing what was frighteningly akin to the pre-show gab at a boy band concert. Sure, he’s a cute kid, but we came to laugh at his jokes. Is it mean to call him a “kid” if he’s 19? Either way, the lights dimmed, and the hum of lust-packed chatter ebbed.

Bo trudged on stage, double-fisting Red Bull and wearing a scowl. He looked bothered by the audience. I don’t blame him - high-pitched screams are the “nails on a chalkboard” of the mouth. He spouted out a quip about an ex-girlfriend, laughter replaced the screams, and he began singing his song “My Whole Family”. The show was off and running.

(Pictured at right: Shanna, the writer, with Bo)

Aside from audience demographics, his live show did not disappoint. Bo proved he’s the real deal, mouthing off to hecklers and making jokes out of the loud-mouth audience members. When some chick yelled out, “I love you!!!”, all he said was, “That’s superficial”. I nearly died of laughter. After all, this girl was in love with his stage act.

The version of Bo I had the opportunity to shake hands with after the show was more like what he makes fun of in his comedy routine than anything.

Don’t let the crazy teen girl squad image I’ve described scare you off. You can, and should, catch Bo on his Fake ID Tour from now until December 9th. Tour dates can be found on his website.