To be successful, a stand-up comedian has to really know his audience ? just ask Peter Banachowski.
He once performed in a talent show at Oakland University that he didn’t know was sponsored by the Association of Black Students.
‘It was me, this white guy, in front of 450 African-American people. It was like Jeff Foxworthy at the Apollo,? said the 2006 Oxford High School graduate.
Unfortunately, jokes about the alternative rock band ‘Weezer? and the fantasy movie ‘Lord of the Rings? didn’t go over too well with that crowd. Many audience members stood up, looked at Banachowski and pointed to the door.
‘That was the biggest bomb I’ve ever had,? he said.
Even though this was only his third or fourth performance in front of an audience, Banachowski stood his ground and wasn’t intimidated. He stayed on stage and kept telling jokes until his five-minute act was finished.
‘I thought if you guys don’t like it, you’re going to suffer some more. I was just kind of vengeful at that point,? he said with a chuckle.
Fortunately, Banachowski’s stand-up career has gone a lot better since then and he’s proud to say he’s never bombed at a club or bar.
By day, Banachowski, son of Lawrence and Dianne, is just a mild-mannered junior at Oakland University majoring in mathematics.
But at night, with a microphone in his hand, a stage beneath his feet and an audience staring him in the eye, he becomes Peter Banachowski, professional funny man.
Over the last two years, he’s performed 25-30 times during open mic night every Wednesday starting 8 p.m. at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle in Royal Oak.
That’s pretty impressive considering how competitive it is to secure a spot at a place that’s considered one of the top comedy clubs in the United States.
‘They have over 100 comics that call every week to get on the open mic stage and only 12 make it on,? Banachowski said.
Aside from the obvious fact he’s pretty darn funny, part of the secret to Banachowski’s success is the fact that his act is clean ? no foul language or blue jokes.
‘I like clean comedians because I think to go dirty is a little bit cheap,? he said. ‘Club owners like clean comics because everyone can enjoy a clean comic. Even the people who like dirty comics enjoy it. If you’re dirty, you only have a specific audience.?
Because they don’t have to worry about offending people clean comics can market themselves to a much wider audience, everything from television appearances to corporate parties.
Banachowski began his comedic career at OHS performing in the school talent show and honing his acting and improvisational skills with the Drama Club.
Around the school, he had a reputation as a funny guy among his friends and peers, but he wondered, ‘Can I make random strangers laugh??
It was his quest to answer this question that took him to the Comedy Castle in summer 2006.
He quickly became a favorite there and in February of this year, he was suddenly offered his first opportunity to serve as MC for open mic night.
‘I didn’t even know I was going to be on stage,? Banachowski said. ‘I basically took off my coat and ran on stage and started telling jokes. That was pretty scary.?
To help ease his nerves and polish his act, Banachowski purchased a microphone complete with stand, which he keeps in his bedroom to practice his act.
Most of Banachowski’s comedic material comes from two places ? stories of funny things that have happened to him and ‘random thoughts,? which includes anything that pops into his head and makes him laugh or something he said that made others laugh.
‘They say you should only write what you know,? he said.
When he’s not busy studying at OU, Banachowski has been taking classes in Novi with the well-known improvisational comedy institution, ‘The Second City.?
‘Second City is the place where Dan Akroyd, John Belushi, Bill Murray, (and) Gilda Radner all got their start,? he said. ‘They all moved on to SNL (Saturday Night Live).?
That’s where Banachowski would like to be some day after doing standup in Los Angeles for a while and writing for a television show.
‘The ultimate goal would be to write for SNL, to be on SNL,? he said. ‘It’s a pretty lofty goal, but why not??
But until he gets that call from SNL, Banachowski’s going to continue to pay his dues at the Comedy Castle and anywhere else he can work as a comedian or MC.
‘I can do over a half-hour of material if I want to,? he said. ‘I wish I could perform every week, but there aren’t enough clubs around here to do that. It’s not like LA or New York.?
Just in case comedy doesn’t work out as a full-time career, Banachowski will continue pursuing his degree at OU, ‘so my dad doesn’t kill me or kick me out of the house.?
Buh-dump-bump (rimshot).
Thank you and good night everybody. Don’t forget to try the veal and drive home safely.