Comedy scene opens at Braunvieh Cafe

People looking for a good laugh need not go far.

Thursday, seven comedians take to the stage to show the public what they got. The 2-hour show starts at 8 p.m. at Braunvieh Cafe, 1602 Tower Ave.

"This is kind of a cool thing," said Chuck Androsky Jr. "We are trying to bring a nice show to Superior."

Androsky, John Peterman, Jared Van Hooser, Richard Scott, Robert Makepeace, Michael Brew and professional comedian Rick North will be performing.

Brew recently returned from Atlanta, Ga., where he spent six weeks at a comedy school. The rest have been spending the last several months at The Playground in Duluth, honing their stand up skills.

According to Peterman, stand up comedy is more than just telling some jokes. It's about technique -- having the right flow and rhythm, knowing when to pause, make a face or smile and proper use of voice. Oh, and stage presence doesn't hurt either.

"The good ones, they get the audience in the palm of their hands," Peterman, a Duluth resident, acknowledged.

The comedians will get about 10 minutes on stage, with North performing 40 minutes. Anything, Androsky said, from the ridiculous to the ordinary, will come under the comedian's radar. Nothing is out of the running, he added, be it family, weather or local events.

"Living in the town of Superior has created nothing but great fodder," he said.

It's a similar situation for Scott, a Cloquet resident. He said he looks at what is going on around him and finds an angle. But for Scott, stand up comedy is a means of personal expression. "For me, I am more of a writer than performer so this is just a way for me to get my ideas out there," Scott said.

However, Scott also finds performing an "adrenaline rush." Or perhaps there is another reason.

"Maybe I didn't get enough attention as a kid," he jokes.

Yet, getting up in front of a crowd can be easier said than done. Doing so, Androsky said, can be "harrowing" but also addictive.

"The two biggest fears for most people is public speaking and death, in that order," said Androsky, who has been doing stand up comedy for several years across the nation. "If you can get audience response and laughter it's almost like a drug. It's something that has become a huge part of my life. I love it. I can't imagine my life without it."

Peterman agrees facing an expectant crowd can be nerve jangling and says it is akin to being a matador facing a bull.

"It's tough," he said. "I think it is scary for everybody."

With the show only a day away, Scott and Peterman said they are spending the remaining time tweaking jokes and going over their routine. Or as Peterman puts it, "get it to be second nature so I don't forget the next joke."

This rib-tickling event costs $5 and reservations are recommended. For more information call 399-0300.

Merilee Reinke covers arts and entertainment. E-mail mreinke@superiortelegram.com or call (715) 394-4421, ext. 139.