The ninth Durham Pun Championship went off in front of a standing-room-only crowd at Motorco Music Hall. It's an event that caters to the Bull City's eclectic aesthetic. Tickets sold out in days this year, as the competition has grown bigger each year. Sometimes delightful, sometimes groan-inducing, but always surprising, puns are often still used as a nod to the absurd in comedy pieces and, if played right, are improvisational splendors used to impress on dates.