“You guys, I was in the public restroom the other day and there was a line of urinals. One of them had a sign that said ‘out of order.’ And I was like…how the hell am I supposed to know, ya know? Like, in what order were they originally?” The audience erupts into laughter.
Sammy Arechar is up on stage at Bremen Café’s popular Monday night comedy open mic. The room is so packed with comedy hopefuls and fans that a group of people gathers in the doorway, trying to stick their necks into the room to get a glimpse. For Arechar, an up-and-coming Milwaukee comedian, the night is about honing his craft. He got into comedy about three and a half years ago after his friends encouraged him to do it.
“They said, ‘Do those jokes onstage instead of posting them on Twitter,’” Arechar says.
Bremen Café’s open mic night was founded in 2013 by Milwaukee comedian Jake Kornely, a key player in the “alt scene.” Kornely, who started pursuing an interest in stand-up four years ago, found opportunities for local comics were spread thin at Milwaukee’s traditional comedy clubs, so he decided to organize his own shows instead. His model is more akin to an indie rock band, booking shows at venues like the Bremen Café, Landmark Lanes and Circle-A Café.
“Whoever I could talk into having a comedy show for a night,” Kornely explains. After building a following for his showcases, though, Kornely recently announced he’s moving to Los Angeles. “I’m not necessarily trying to make it—there’s thousands of comedians out there. I just wanted a change, a new perspective,” he says.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
Kornely handed the Bremen Café show night over to his friends, comedians Allison Dunne and Liz Ziner, who renamed the night the “Clam Jam Comedy Open Mic.”
Comedy open mics used to be sporadic in Milwaukee, but now a variety of venues offer them every night Sunday through Thursday, enough to keep a comedian on their toes. At “the mics,” locals find an opportunity to improve material and meet colleagues. It’s how Dunne and Ziner met each other and became friends with Kornely.
“We get amateurs, first timers, professionals, whoever shows up,” Dunne explains, pointing out a sign-up sheet that is filled with names, each of whom will get five minutes of fame on stage in front of Bremen Café’s enthusiastic crowd.
“I don’t have a lot of luck with the ladies, it’s awful, because I think I’m a charming guy. But at the same time, I think I kind of look like a brown Kathy Bates as well.” A burst of laughter. “It’s tough. To me, girls are a lot like the furniture store... they usually offer me no interest until 2018.”
A couple weeks after his open mic set, Arechar is back onstage at the Underground Collaborative, a venue literally named for its location on the basement level of the Shops of Grand Avenue. Besides housing a stage, the complex has a recording studio and rooms for comedy workshops. The space is also home to Milwaukee Comedy, the production company run by Matt Kemple. A comedian and producer, Kemple is celebrating the 10th anniversary of his Milwaukee Comedy Festival this year, Aug. 6-9. He says the growing independent comedy shows are the sign of a strengthening scene.
“One of the best things we have is the community itself. It’s supportive; there are a lot of people that want the scene to survive and want to work with other comedians,” Kemple explains. “A number of years ago, people would drive to Chicago to see comedy. They wouldn’t even pretend to think it was happening in town. That’s not the case anymore.”
Tonight, Kemple has booked Arechar as the opening act for Milwaukee Comedy’s “Retro Comedy” show, in which a troupe of comedians recreate episodes of classic TV. This time around, they’re interpreting an episode of ’90s sitcom “NewsRadio.”
On the other hand, Kemple adds, the biggest challenge for Milwaukee’s comedy scene is that our funniest people often end up leaving town for the brighter lights of Chicago and Los Angeles. He points to Kornely’s departure as a recent example and he knows of about a half dozen other comedians who have said they’re moving on within the next year.
“It’s rough, especially for me as a producer, because we finally have all these people and we’re gonna book them and…” Kemple slaps his hands down on his desk, decorated with rubber chickens, in mock anger. “Aww! Now we got to find new people! I want to see people succeed, but the unfortunate mindset is, the more you succeed, the less you can be in Milwaukee.”
As for Arechar, he admits he’s considered moving to Chicago in the near future, but for now, he’s still here. One thing he likes about Milwaukee is that it’s been easy for him to get stage time, something that would be hard to come by in a bigger comedy city.
|
“I’m really happy with the showcases and open mics popping up all over Milwaukee, making stand-up more accessible to the public,” Arechar says. “And I love working with the comics currently in the scene a bunch.”
For more information visit milwaukeecomedy.com.