Pete Davidson never stops

Comedy wunderkind goes from high school to SNL.

By Olivia Cathcart Friday June 10, 2016 10:17 AM EDT

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College isn’t for everyone. Lots of young adults have perfectly logical reasons for dropping out: too expensive, change in career choice, Greenpeace, etc. For comedian Pete Davidson, living in dorms was too much to bear. “I didn’t like dorming,” Davidson says in one bit. "One time we ran out of toilet paper and we just didn't get any. But everybody took a shit every day and nobody knew what they used."

Of course, for Davidson, college wasn’t a necessary step towards his career aspirations. Davidson entered the comedy scene as a teen hailing from Staten Island. During this nascent stage, he was still too young for most comedy clubs across the pond in Manhattan. Access to the bustling metropolis and scene gave Davidson plenty of comedy to study and open mics to work out material — once he got a little older or rather, made friends with some doormen.

From the start, Davidson’s act has been self-deprecating, often ruminating on life as a teenager living at home. "I don't even know what race I am,” Davidson says in one bit. “I'm miscellaneous in the face." His sharp tongue pairs harmoniously with a penchant for going very blue. Cutting jabs make him a perfect fit for roasts, which did not go unnoticed by the industry.

While most teenagers are hanging out in gas station parking lots (because that’s cool, sure), Davidson was getting his first taste of being a legit New York comic. It’s not every day you see someone balance vaunted paid club spots in New York with homework at the same time. The comedian’s career hit the fast track when he landed spots Comedy Central roasts as well as three different MTV shows within a year including Nick Cannon’s “Wild ‘N Out,” which later led Davidson to reroute to a sketch track. Davidson celebrated the big 2-0 landing one of the biggest gigs in comedy — “Saturday Night Live.” The jokesmith is currently the youngest cast member, and fourth youngest in the show’s history. Like previous stand-ups on the cast, such as Adam Sandler and David Spade, Davidson’s joke writing skills make him a fitting correspondent for Weekend Update. Serving as the segment’s “Resident Young Person,” Davidson’s abridged stand-up bits evolved along with his act, moving from honest takes on living at home and playing video games while high to more socially conscious issues like bathroom laws and Trump.

Now, the young gun hits the road for The Prehab Tour — his first tour — which makes a stop at Relapse Theatre Sunday night. See his hour before he tapes his first stand-up special later this year. Not too shabby for someone not old enough to rent a car.

$25. 7 p.m. Sun., June 12. Relapse Theatre, 380 14th St. N.W.