On Sept. 4, Jane Wickline and Liva Pierce graced the stage of Statler Auditorium as the musical sketch comedy duo, DUKES. Bringing an awkward yet electric energy, the pair worked through both measured — albeit occasionally contrived — musical bits and more spontaneous crowdwork. While the audience warmed up to the duo’s less mainstream style of humor fairly quickly, DUKES often appeared impatient with those they were performing for.
As all comedians doing a show at Cornell seem contractually obligated to do, Pierce began with a stilted, Ithaca-based segment. Although it’s often the more boring part for audience members, local humor seems to be a necessary evil for the performers to acclimate to their audience appropriately. While it may appear easy — throwing in a couple “Ithaca is gorges” jokes or attempting to coin “Ithaca is beauti-fall” like Pierce tried — there are still risks.
No comedian wants to repeat old, overdone jokes, of course. In an attempt to find something more niche than comedians past, Pierce attempted an attack on the quality of Ithaca’s true claim to fame: Apple Fest. Unfortunately for them, that is one of the few things that all Cornellians can come together to defend. With an awkward laugh from Wickline to save them, the pair quickly eschewed their Ithacan bits and moved into their regular setlist.
As the DUKES began to use their tour material, they became evidently more comfortable, highlighting the aspects which made them popular in the first place. Jane Wickline, who first rose to internet fame on TikTok and is now a cast member on SNL in her second season, is best known for her dry, yet musically skewed mode of humor. She continued to embrace this throughout the show, using a keyboard, its many settings and at one point even a guitar.
Wickline’s scene partner, Liva Pierce, however, was the definitive standout of the show, not only doing the majority of the spoken work, but doing so exceptionally. An experienced comedian in improv, sketch and stand-up, Pierce recently made their off-Broadway debut on ANT Fest and has continued their DUKES tour around the country. They led several instances of crowdwork, tying in material from the audience to their songs as the show went along.
The set itself revolved strongly around musical pieces, so much so that transitions from song to song were often abrupt, although throughlines were sometimes attempted. Still, they started off strong with a song about pornography, teetering on the edge of overly crude. However, they soon moved into more comfortable topics while maintaining a strong combination of wit and easy, pop-culture-based humor.
The set proceeded with a few bits surrounding their age, specifically how they were a glimpse into the future for the students in the audience. This ranged from songs about getting rid of one’s phone to how the duo’s generation was exceptionally well-versed at getting through their 9 to 5’s while doing minimal actual work. Eventually, they spruced it up a bit, with Wickline turning to the guitar on stage to play an exceptional tune about falling in love with a psychic, even though you don’t believe they are actually psychic.
The show reached its climax with its final medley, a song about a young lesbian and their attraction to an older woman going through an identity crisis. Making expert use of Pierce’s degree in gender studies, the pair wove a beautiful tale about the adolescent experience, something perfect for a set being performed about college.
Still, throughout the show, despite the audience warming up to DUKES’ signature awkwardness, it appeared as if the pair were losing their patience with whom they were performing for. Repeatedly, they announced aloud that they were actively cutting songs and bits from the setlist. Whether they were content with the audience hearing this is unclear, as they at first halfheartedly attempted to cover their microphones while they discussed it with each other.
Regardless, it comes off as strange in a show doing so well for it to be intentionally neutered, as jokes and segments were actively announced to be eliminated, rather than rearranged or replaced. In their demonstrably awkward fashion, Jane Wickline and Liva Pierce ended their show as abruptly as its strangest songs began, leaving the audience craving more, even though there was apparently much more to give.
Aarav Bavishi is a member of the Class of 2029 in the Brooks School of Public Policy. He is a staff writer for the Arts & Culture department and can be reached at arb438@cornell.edu.
