Opie and Anthony’s Traveling Virus was a touring comedy show that made the rounds in 2006 and 2007. It was a Lollapalooza-style festival, featuring scores of comedians.
During the first year, the Philadelphia crowd was… difficult (go figure), and there was a lot of drunken booing and heckling. Veteran Boston comic Bill Burr watched from backstage as his colleagues were heaped with abuse.
Pissed-off, Burr took his turn onstage and the crowd began giving him the same treatment. But he wasn’t having it, and launched into one of the most amazing diatribes ever recorded. For twelve minutes he unleashed his fury on the city of Philadelphia.
Burr mocked their sports teams, their bridges, the Liberty Bell, Rocky, cheesesteaks, their mothers(!). He called them losers, assholes, and racists.
As the loud boos cascaded over him, he screamed, “Why don’t you go down to the docks and unload some shit, you fucking warehouse-working, weed-smoking, disappointments to your mothers?!”
Refusing to leave the stage until his allotted time was up, Burr insulted the audience, and everything they stood for. Then he told them he’d be selling his CD after the show, hung up the mic, and exited to a standing ovation.
It’s one of the most notorious events in recent showbiz history, and, it’s all documented in this shaky — but great-sounding — cell phone video. Recommended!
City of Brotherly Love, huh?
http://articles.philly.com/2010-08-25/news/24976141_1_philadelphians-behavior-parking-space
Omg I absolutly love Bill Burr, check him out on Netflix. Hysterical!
Oh yeah, Phillies won the Series in 08 so suck it Bill lol.
Wow. That’s all you got? He shits all over your town’s entire existence and every loser resident and your comeback is that the Phillies finally got one? You’re absolutely as moronic as he made you out to be.
Inspirational!
I wish they still did these tours. I love O&A.
This was fantastic. Glad I check the Recommended link.
I gotta say, I was ALL about Bill Burr …. Checking sites for local concerts … Turning everyone I know into him. My husband LOVED him . . . Until we came upon the Philly bashing …
Raised in the suburbs of Philly, my husband is a die-hard, true-blue Philly fan. That’s not to say he doesn’t follow and respect other teams and players, because he does. And, even after 28 years married, he’s my go-to whenever I have a question on ANYthing; and, when it comes to sports, while I have trouble recalling the names of people I met moments earlier, he can give you the stats on any sports figure (including his former track team, as he coached kids during and beyond the days are girls were in school).
But when it’s game day, his heart is with Philly – even in these days after Tug … even though he does get frustrated with the teams when the Super Bowl was right there! Or, the years we could practically taste the World Series, or the Stanley Cup.
We’re all guilty of having a shit day, but WHOA! Yo, Bully Bear … Really?
I have never held someone in such high esteem, only to have him crash land the way you did after we sat and were “treated” to your immature tirade on Philly. It actually makes me sad, as we were considering a mini vacation in Pittsburgh to see your show at the Heinz.
I really, really enjoyed you, but listening to that showed me such a lack of professionalism … In an effort to better understand … or, to at least find something redeeming, I tried to find something … ANYTHING and read a post-interview where you’re quoted saying you really do like Philly. It was lame, at best. I don’t buy it ; and, I’m just happier that I didn’t buy tickets for your September show.
And, while we’re on the streets of Philadelphia, your podcast on Upper Darby – poor taste. On behalf of friends, many who fell victim to our Nation’s current financial disaster, F*** you! It’s one thing hitting on folks in general – that makes for the comical factor – but to deliberately bash Upper Darby’s residents … ? Really? Another bad day? Here’s a recommendation: when you simply don’t have it – when you hit the comedian’s “writer’s block,” postpone your podcast. Unless, of course, you’re TRYING to shake a few fans. If that be the case, BRAVO, Bully Burr. Mission accomplished.
You’ve got so much AWESOME material, but it’ll never sound the same … I suppose that won’t be necessary – I’m getting rid of you cd’s.
Sad.
I’m sure he’s real bummed he’s losing you as a fan.
You’re actually angry that he refused to take shit from a rude audience? If anything, you should be ashamed of your city for acting so poorly…
So it’s okay for an entire audience to boo and heckle and he’s supposed to sit there and take it? And what do you mean “we’re all guilty of having a shit day?” He didn’t even start the routine and they were already down his throat booing him.
And you enjoy it when he makes fun of others but when it comes to your city it’s not okay?
You have missed the point of comedy and the definition of self defense as well. You’re the type of person that probably shits on everyone and when they fight back you act all prissy and defensive. Fuck off.
Was Francois reposted from somewhere else? Because why bitch on jeff’s site because you got sand in your cunt?
Aw be a good sport, you can’t take this personal. IS that really how yo interpreted it? I’m the biggest Philly sports fan. Born and raised here. But I’m more of a fan of 1 human being standing up to an obnoxious crowd by finding the one way to actually handle this situation. Underneath all them boos was a huge amount of respect. You can hear the crowd laughing repeatedly still. And if you’re from Philly, then you also know the types that were this show and how almost everything he was saying was true. We respect the art of trash talking. And he did it amazingly. This makes me love Bill Burr even more!
“… beyond the days are girls were in school.”
Uh, Frannie…
I spent a couple of years in Philly and I guess I can’t fault your general spelling and grammar if you are somehow associated with that ignorant city, but just for the record, the possessive plural you were looking for is “our”.
Although I have to admit that’s how it’s pronounced, at least in Center City.
We’ll let the rest of the slovenly English and Swiss Cheese logic go for old times’ sake.
jtb
Battery-chucking, Santa-booing motherfuckers…
Ahh go feck yaself, hoo-er!
Dearest Francois Marcelle,
I can tell by the way you paraphrased “writers block” that you are a wannabe novelist who hasn’t been published, and is having your own “bad day” because somebody said something bad about your hubby’s favorite team. You gotta do what you gotta do to make sure you get the “D” instead of black eyes, but don’t attack the man for making some valid points. I am the biggest Rocky fan ever, but I don’t think it’s right that Joe Frazier is less celebrated in his own hometown than a fictional character. Secondly, if you pay attention to what he is saying, just as you did when you were ripping off his lines at parties with your friends, he said “it’s hour 9 and you wanna boo…” So essentially, you’re digging on him for having to be in a place for 9 hours and listening to over-grown assholes get progressively louder and dumber as the night dragged on. If you read the story, and I’m ASSUMING you can read, (could be mistaken, because speech to text is getting better), he listened to the crowd heckle and boo a lot of the acts before him, so he knew what he was in for. On top of that, I’m sure that he had plenty of genuine friends in the group performing.
TLDR: He was defending his friends, and you pop a screw because your husband said so? Maybe you should take his suggestion and “Suck a dick”. It’ll give you time to reflect on what a giant THUNDERCUNT you are.
@Francois Marcelle
At first I though you’re going to make an at least semi-decent argument, but you turned to be just a defensive whiny crying bitch.
And Bill is now a cunt for defending himself, while you’re defending a city you basically have nothing to do with anymore?
I love those kinds of arguments, when you get all tangled up in your half-idiotic half-retarded logic.
So bravo to you ma’am, bravo indeed!
Sad.
Sorry I’m late to the site. Burr is EPIC. He is top 5 in the last 7-10 yrs
First, i would like to say that i am from philly and i will type the way ispeak so dont try ripping my grammer. But anyways…. born and raised in philly i have just heard this for the first time and i must saY bill burr… you sir are fucking hilhilarious. If you cannot laugh at yourself than there is something wrong with you. If he said these things out of anger stemmed from the heckling or he just plain hates my city it angers me none. Absolutely fucking hilarious
I was at that show. I live in Delaware, Philly’s little sister. But I enjoy all my sports teams. Listen, if you know O&A fans, drinking for 5 hours or more, they would boo their mothers. I LOVED that he did that. I was super annoyed that they were booing the comics. They did not even give anyone a chance. I could barely hear the comics. After Burr I believe was Jim Norton….. Who they all love and the boo’ing (sp?) stopped immediately.
Bill Burr is now a legend in Philadelphia. Win win
Oh and the funny thing is, McNabb did tear his ACL that year lol…. Bill Burr is a profit. And now people would cheer if you shit on McNabb.
wtf bunch of cock sucking whores how disrespectful can you get. This are the people that put a bad name for the United States, and its an entire city. Jesus christ, then we here fucking assholes saying what he said was uncalled for. Wtf you piss of shit, you are the kind of people that make this great country look bad, and i wasn’t even born in the states. The level of disrespect is so damn high. Even if the person doing stand up or doing a speech is horrible and it was not it was Bill Burr of all people he is the best of the best, you don’t do that there is a level of respect that one needs to give to the person coming to your god awful city to entertain your damn selflessness show some fucking respect at least just shut your mouth. Besides he didn’t ask you to come.
Did that make you feel better? It’s what happens when people drink too much. Look what happens in the winning cities of major sports teams. Go take your profanity laced nonsense somewhere else. And while you’re at it go back to that fucking shit country you came from.
excuse me while i try to help Bill Burr asshole. he is a cool guy so your point is invalid. and targeting the country i came from does not make me mad so you are typing for no reason. does it make sense that i try and help a guy that is funny 😀 and you type a stupid comment just cause you want to type a stupid comment.
Yes. I agree. Bill Burr is the shit. Again, I was at the show and thought the actions of the audience was deplorable. Your original statement basically said everyone from Philadelphia are disrespectful. I’m telling you you’re wrong. What happened when Vancouver’s hockey team did not win the Stanley Cup?
My point is, you’re judging an entire city over one incident. You were not supporting bill burr by attacking Philadelphia. Drunk people do drunk things. I’m sure you fucked a fat girl when you were drunk at some point in your life.
i have not fucked a fat girl *yet* but i understand what you mean and thanks for clearing me up i was acting all mad not thinking it through. you are right we should not blame the city. i take it back but it was disrespectful even if they were drunk ;p