By Peter Lindblad
Let’s get something straight, Santa. We need laughter.
Winter in Wisconsin is brutal. It’s cold all the time. The roads are covered in black ice. Our backs are sore from shoveling, and the snow globe atmosphere is only white and pretty for a brief instant before reality turns it into a dirty, slushy mush. We won’t see the sun again until April.
The grey skies are depressing. It’s no wonder drinking is the state’s favorite pastime.
So, get here early and give us some good stand-up comics. Otherwise, we won’t be responsible for our actions.
Luckily, the cavalry is coming, and they’ve got jokes.
Skyline Comedy Club – Appleton
Joe “Mr. D” Dombrowski (Dec. 13-14) – Even if the dog ate your homework, go see “Mr. D.” The elementary school teacher gets a gold star for his screamingly funny tales of classroom misadventures, told from the perspective of a grown-up class clown – he began doing stand-up comedy at a third-grade talent show – who’s changed allegiances. He’s finding out what life is like on the other side of the desk. What gave him his big break? An April Fool’s Day spelling test prank that went viral. It got him on the Ellen Degeneres show. The kids’ reactions are priceless. They’re so gullible. Watch it here.
Milwaukee Improv – Milwaukee
Dave Attell (Dec. 15-17) – When most of us were sleeping between 2001-2004, night owl Dave Attell was doing the Lord’s work on the cult favorite “Insomniac with Dave Attell,” drinking his way through different cities and commiserating with late-shift workers for a show described as “’Wild on E!’ for ugly people.” It made for great TV. Quick-witted, relentless and raunchy, his act is an endless riot of hilarious black comedy, “no-holds-barred” crowd work and R-rated jokes about sex, drugs and everything else under the sun. He could have been locked up for stealing scenes as a homeless man in the Amy Schumer vehicle “Trainwreck.” He went toe-to-toe with the Roast Master General Jeff Ross in 2018 on the Bumping Mics Tour, letting the insults fly. It’s going to get a little blue in here.
The Laughing Tap – Milwaukee
Mary Mack (Dec. 15-17) – That voice is probably familiar. She might even be your neighbor if you live in woods of northern Wisconsin. Mary Mack is one of us, and she can laugh about our oddballs and eccentricities. So will you. Catch her as the lead character on the Hulu cartoon “Solar Opposites,” from the creators of “Rick & Morty.” She’s been on TBS’ “Conan,” Adult Swim’s “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” and “Last Call with Carson Daly.” Here’s a clip of her on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon”.
Comedy on State – Madison
Sam Tallent (Dec. 22-23) – Like to read? Check out Tallent’s brilliant debut book “Running the Light,” which Marc Maron called the “definitive novel about stand-up comedy.” High praise, indeed. Just put it down if you happen to attend his upcoming shows at Comedy on State, where his improvisational “u turns,” self-deprecating humor, gross-out surrealism and razor-sharp intelligence take audiences on a crazy, laugh-filled journey. Having hosted the Denver episode of Viceland’s “Flophouse,” Tallent’s mastery of modern stand-up is evident in this clip.
Skyline Comedy Club – Appleton
Mike Merryfield (Dec. 22-23) – Go see Mike Merryfield if you want to catch a rising star. The winner of Comcast’s “Trial by Laughter” and the runner-up at the “San Francisco International Comedy Competition,” Merryfield’s everyman act is the real deal. A complete original, he never chases trends or tries to be something he’s not. Merryfield produces and appears in Amazon’s “The Standup Journeyman,” which also features Out & About Wisconsin favorites Johnny Beehner and Rob Brackenridge. Get a load of his eight comedy albums, all available on iTunes. Here’s some Journeyman stuff.