Milwaukee Comedy Festival Returns

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Photo via Milwaukee Comedy Festival - mkecomedyfest.com

Milwaukee Comedy Festival at the Lakefront Brewery

Milwaukee Comedy Festival at the Lakefront Brewery

You may never have attended the Milwaukee Comedy Festival. But if you have recently attended other performances in the city of the artform the event celebrates, you likely owe the festival some gratitude.

“Even if people haven’t heard of the Milwaukee Comedy Festival,” proposes Matt Kemple, one of the festival’s founders as well as owner of The Laughing Tap comedy club, “it has probably been an influence if you have seen live comedy in the city. 

“The comedy scene used to be small,” Kemple recalls, "with just one or two monthly shows around town a decade ago. Now there are easily a dozen shows every week at venues of all sizes.” The annual showcase for stand-up has not only been an impetus for comedy to flourish in the city. It has also earned a reputation among comedians who have played it as a great gig to get.

Well Run and Fun

“It feels great to hear from comics performing at other festivals around the country to comment on how well run and fun our comedy festival is in Milwaukee. I and my co-producers Kaitlin (McCarthy) and Greg (Bach) take a lot of pride in giving performers a great impression of our city, along with fun crowds and solid shows,” Kemple declares.The trio will have another reason to be proud from Monday, Sept. 30 to Tuesday, Oct. 6 as the 10th annual Milwaukee Comedy Festival (mkecomedyfest.com) takes place at numerous locations throughout the city. 

“This year’s Milwaukee Comedy Festival features over 20 different stand-up comics across nine different shows at five venues around Milwaukee: The Cooperage, Shank Hall, Lakefront Brewery, Great Lakes Distillery, and The Laughing Tap,” says Kemple. Among this year’s panoply of talent are nationally-known comedians such as Adam-Clayton Holland, Matty Ryan and Johnny Beehner and local laugh merchants such as Kay Baratti, Syed, Elijah Holbrook, Erin Morris and Luise Noe. Asking Kemple which of the comedians playing this year's fest elicits a diplomatic, though doubtless sincere, reply. 

“The honest answer is everyone! I’m really proud of the lineup we have put together,” he says. Though he may show up at all fest's shows—from Monday Sept. 30’s Roast of Milwaukee at The Cooperage to the Closer on Sunday October 6 at the Tap featuring Beehner headlining a bill with Max Sorich, Erin Morris and Edward Bell—he will have more than enjoying punchlines on his mind. 

Wearing Many Hats

“Kaitlin and Greg, my other two producers have full time jobs, and I run the day-to-day operations at The Laughing Tap, so when the Comedy Festival comes around, we wear a lot of hats!” Kemple explains. “The week of the festival is pretty much non-stop. Greg, Kaitlin and myself are at all the shows making sure each event runs smoothly.”

A hat Kemple wore at first in the fest's history is one he has since had to put away.

“In the early years of the fest, I hosted the shows and would do a few skits and scenes throughout the festival with other performers. It was fun, and those skits evolved over the years into a character called Jimbo, a wild, over the top version of a cheesy ‘70s comic like Andy Kaufman's ‘Tony Clifton’ that was the 'official spokesman for comedy.' Jimbo would come out in between shows and give out prizes to the audience, along with some bad puns and gags on stage,” Kemple recollects.   

Of his days as Jimbo, Kemple says, “It was a fun and unique way to promote the festival, but over time I needed to step away from the stage in order to focus on producing a quality week-long event. I enjoyed acting when I was doing it, but I love being behind the scenes now more than ever.”

 Kemple has transferred his love of comedy from something he provided personally to paving avenues for others. 

“I love to laugh, so producing live comedy every week is a dream come true. I think my arts background has really had an impact on the way I approach putting on a show.  I always think about the performer, the audience, and what it takes to make each show unique.”

Take a look Kemple literally creating his Jimbo Jameson alias in a promotional spot for the 2015 Milwaukee Comedy Festival...