Milwaukee Comedian Judd Reminger Promises that You’ll ‘Laugh Your Socks Off’

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Photo: Judd Reminger - juddreminger.com

Judd Reminger

Judd Reminger

“The best part of traveling,” says Milwaukee comedian Judd Reminger, “is finding out everyone actually has a connection to Wisconsin; it’s fun how to then play to how people view Wisconsin or take their expectations and turn them around.”

Reminger's childhood spent on his parents’ dairy farm in the unincorporated Shawano County burg of Leopolis and present residence in the state’s biggest city gives him a novel perspective. But he doesn’t rely solely on geographic humor to slay crowd. “Comedy is a common language between people and making someone laugh is the best feeling in the world,” Reminger says of the broad connections he has endeavored to make since he first took his place behind a microphone 11 years ago. 

He will be putting his fluency in that common language to use as host of Milwaukee Comedy's next Cask Comedy show case at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 26 at Great Lakes Distillery (616 W. Virginia St.) featuring a lineup of fellow local talents including Chris Schmidt, Carly Malison and headliner Justin Vernon. Reminger insists that the bill for which he will be a performing master of ceremonies “will make you laugh your socks off. I would bring an extra pair if I’m 100 percent honest.” 

Secret Comedy Show  

“I co-produce Don’t Tell Comedy Milwaukee with comedian Ben Hofman, which is a secret comedy show that happens monthly," Reminger continues. As for the series’ guerilla approach to hilarity, he explains. “We only tell the audience members where the show is happening the day of, and it can be anywhere. We’ve performed in a bike shop, a rock-climbing wall and an old funeral home.” He also organizes comedy nights at Anodyne Coffee’s West Brice Street location and Broken Bat Brewery as well as The Bend Theater in West Bend. 

“It’s fun to produce and do comedy at so many different types of venues” Reminger adds of the variety he experiences in his work. “One day I’ll be doing a show in a dark, damp basement and the next day I’ll be in a 350-seat theater. And both of those audiences need you to prepare completely differently!” 

In Your Earbuds

Though he is pleased to have organized gigs for favorite comics such as Bob Zany, Laurie Kilmartin and Kevin Bozeman, “What means the most to me,” Reminger insists “are the small, intimate shows with comedian friends I’ve been through the trenches with—shows with AJ Grill, Elijah Holbrook, Raegan Niemela, Carter Deems, Darrell Cochran, Rich D’Amore and too many others to name.” That's strong commitment to hometown confreres coming from a comic who has plied his shtick from Hollywood to New York City. Committed as he is to the local scene that nurtured his comedic talent, he is eager to broaden his interactive reach with more video content, maybe an album, and continuing his seven-year-old podcast, Judd in Your Earbuds.

However successful Reminger may become, he avers it won’t be about his own aggrandizement. As he muses. “Being on stage isn’t an ego thing, or at least it shouldn’t be, because if that’s the case, the comedian is up there for the wrong reason. Enjoying my craft, loving to make the audience laugh thereby releasing a bit of tension, create an ambience of happiness that is contagious; that’s my goal. I want people to notice my compassion more than any arrogance.”  

Here Reminger riffs on some Netflix flicks, being an adopted child, finding his lineage through 23andMe and plenty more ...