Mike Hover Brings Geeky Comedy to the Underground Collaborative

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Artist: Lev Cantoral

Gone are the times when being called a nerd or geek was considered insulting. In a culture where San Diego's Comic-Con has become a showcase for Hollywood movie publicity and a geeky, nerdy show such as “The Big Bang Theory” can run on prime-time network TV for over a decade, obsessing over science fiction, superheroes, video games, fantasy literature and such has become decidedly mainstream. The culture has been primed for the comedy of Mike Hover, who admits to living up to those once-derogatory descriptors. 

The Chicago-based stand-up comedian is glad to explain the difference between geeks and nerds to the rest of us. “The age-old question: geek vs nerd. A nerd is an intellectual, book smart. A geek is interested in a topic or fandom so much they can become an expert on it. Say, they can tell which ‘Twilight Zone’ episode is playing within the first five seconds of it being aired. Both terms have way more defining characteristics.” 

As for the side of that divide favored by Hover, who will perform material for his first album at the Underground Collaborative (161 W. Wisconsin Ave.) on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m., he offers, ​​“I don’t have the patience to be a nerd. Enthusiasm for sci-fi doesn't always translate to fascination with the realities behind it. I am an avid ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ fan, and when my high school offered astronomy my junior year, I beamed right over. I thought I was going to learn what they do on the show. Halfway through the semester, I was bored out of my mind. Hollywood tends to make science way sexier and exciting than it is. I am interested in reading about scientific research, but once it’s over and discovered, not the years of looking at data.” 

Hover’s humor isn't exclusively for aficionados of certain entertainment niches, though. “I would say 40-50% of my comedy is geek-related, I write what I like. But I do cater to ‘normals,’ as the other 50-60% is bits and stories of my observations and misadventures. There’s something for everyone,” he assures.

His makes sure his definition of  “everyone” is as broad as possible, too. “I pride myself in clean comedy. I find it challenging as a writer to take the high road with my material. It also goes in line with my personality,” Hover explains. Not being judgmental about the matter, he adds, “Now, I’m not knocking anyone who performs the opposite nor am I suggesting that I don’t swear off stage. For me, to be different from the rest, I choose this route, and so far, it has worked out.”

Hover insists that his humorous pursuits may not have worked out as well had he stayed in his native California and not planted roots in the Windy City. Of his and his wife’s own trek further inland, he says, “Moving away from Los Angeles is completely the opposite of what most pursuing entertainers would do. But it for me, it was the right move. 

“For the first seven years in stand up, I performed in a musical comedy duo called Picard Maneuver, playing nerdy songs about ‘Star Trek’ and video games. When we disbanded, I had to start from scratch. I needed to find my comedic voice. For me, it was hard to accomplish this in L.A. A majority of performers move out there because they feel ready for the major leagues. They have conquered their hometown clubs and are ready for stardom. I needed a fresh start in a welcoming environment. We moved to Chicago and it has been great. The community is a great incubator for comedy. I was able to develop my style and get performance opportunities that I could not get in L.A, like featuring at clubs. For me personally, I think it would have taken twice as long to get where I am now in stand up if I had stayed on the West Coast. But that’s just me. Everyone’s comedic journey is different.” 

​Life in Los Angeles did afford Hover fodder for some of his funnier material, however. His material about working in TV after graduating from college gave him plenty moments of embarrassment on which to draw for others’ amusement. "I could not stop staring at Kiefer Sutherland in an elevator, Cloris Leachmen told me to stop bugging her on set once, and during a wrap party, I dance-fought Wanda Sykes. I was the same lineup on a comedy show with Rob Paulsen [voice actor on cartoons including ‘Pinky and the Brain’ and ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’]. Backstage after his set, I just sported a huge grin, and I couldn’t utter a word. He was nice about it and didn’t call security.”

Hover may clam up around his favorite celebrities, but one of the endearing qualities about his stand-up work is the animated energy he exudes. Of that, he explains, “That nervous energy is me being excited to be in front of a crowd. My stage presence isn’t so much of an act, but a heightened version of myself. Off stage, I am mostly a quiet introvert. The stage is a magnifying glass of who I am, a confidence booster.” ​The sum total of his shtick comes down to what he characterizes as, in his own bit of confidence boosting, “A side effect of being adorable.”

Recording his first album may or may not be an exercise in garnering adoration, but it is an extension of what he feels he was meant to do. “I’ve been involved with comedy in some fashion half my life. I’m in it for the long haul. I’ll be happy doing this full time, part time, on broadcast television or in a bowling alley, as long as I’m enjoying it. Making people laugh is my true calling. My hope is that this album will entertain people in far-off places I can’t get to yet.” And for comedy aficionados who insist on local connections from the comics they patronize, Hover’s wife insisted that he mention that she “went to UWM and read the Shepherd Express religiously when she lived in Milwaukee.”

Here’s Hover telling of his opportunity to work with “Star Trek: The Next Generation’s” Geordi, “Reading Rainbow” host and “Roots” breakout star LeVar Burton: