Courtesy of Comedian Mike Kobin's Facebook page
Some comedians in recent years have sworn off playing certain venues, such as colleges and universities. The sensitivity among some audiences can make it seem like what should be a stand-up performance is more akin to walking atop eggshells. For Milwaukee's Mike Kobin, however, his art form remains an outlet of free expression.
“Comics know what is really crossing the line, but we like taking it to the limit. That is one of the most beautiful parts of stand-up and to me, one of the last forms of freedom of speech," Kobin relates. "Just keep it funny, and there shouldn't be any issues.” As would figure in this currently tumultuous time, though, nowadays there are issues. Circumstances of his upbringing and at the heart of his identity touch upon them.
Courtesy Milwaukee Comedy
Kobin, who will be among the local acts sharing a bill on the second night of two editions of the Captain Pabst Comedy Show (formerly Blue Ribbon Comedy Show) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday July 24 and Saturday July 25 at the Captain Pabst Pilot House (the former Pabst Taproom at 1037 W. Juneau Ave.). He has finessed some of his material in light of recent racial tensions following George Floyd's killing. What makes the turmoil especially sensitive to Kobin is his childhood as an adoptee raised by one white and one black parent without knowing his own ethnic background.
“My thoughts have been on the edge with certain material in the past,” he explains regarding the controversial shtick he once plied from stage. “I have rewritten some and not touched other jokes because they are my truth.” The professional humorist’s skill of knowing what to share with whom in order to elicit maximum laughter may come into play more than ever. As Kobin shares, “I have learned to read a crowd and know when they are like Play-Doh in the palm of my hand and mold the crowd into energy and vibe I’m striving for." His adroitness at sizing up a crowd even tempts him to run for political office. “I could almost run for President,” he boasts.
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Whether or not he achieves any political aspirations, he delivers a set more diverse in subject matter than may be gleaned from his YouTube presence. “My material derives from all of my life experiences, not just growing up in a mixed home and being adopted,” Kobin explains. “Most any tape I have on the internet is around eight minutes. I’m doing at least hour when given the headline spot,” he says, adding, “My goal is to always try to be myself and original, which I learned early in the comedy game.”
Finding Oneness in a Segregated State
When he does broach the topic of skin color, Kobin is quick to emphasize humanity’s oneness. That commonality may not often translate to who fills the seats in any given place he plays, as he observes. “From my personal experience, it’s been rare to have mixed crowds at shows. They are either mostly all black crowds or mostly all white.
“I believe this is some of the reason material can crush in one room and next day bomb in another. No matter the room I stand in, I say true to that we are one human race and that’s why I enjoy doing any crowd and I feed off their energy,” Kobin continue. He reflects positively on the familial nature of Milwaukee's comedy scene and his experiences with Captain Pabst Comedy Show promoter Milwaukee Comedy, but he nonetheless comes to an unfortunate conclusion: “This beautiful state of Wisconsin is segregated.”
It turns out that one topic his work touches—what was once a mystery around which he based some of his punchlines—isn’t at all segregated. “I actually did Ancestry and 23andMe to find out my ethnic background. Truthfully, it ended up being what I always talked about. I have always said I was mixed. I was always told I had Hispanic, Middle Eastern and Native American in me I’m 55% black and 45% white, both all over the world. I have found a little truth in something I was searching for, and it helps with my perspective of race and comedy. This has helped me become and stay true to myself and wanting to enlighten others that we are all one...with laughs!”
