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By Chris Bisrtiach
Daily Nebtmakui Staff Editor
Dkja hear the one about the guy who
. . . ? If you havent, you might at the Bad
Comedy Show at Patoot's Saloon, 803 P
St.
Every Thursday night, comics convene
at Patoots to ply their trade. In the past,
they worked for laughs and little more.
Now, many joke for money ss well as
guffaws.
The show started last March when two
Patoot's employees suggested an ama
teur comedy night, said the show's mas
ter of ceremonies, Mark Patton. Local
comics like Craig Anton and Paul Heydt
kept Bad Comedy going when the times
were lean. Now, the show is snowballing.
"WeVe got 15 to 20 acts in rotation. No
act can go up two weeks in a row. WeVe
got all kinds of different material
guys who play characters, seven magi
cians, two-jugglers, an improv group and
some straight stand-ups, said Jeff Weak,
the man who books acts for the show and
performs as RoHii' Ray Dietzel.
"It started out with people just getting
up and telling jokes," Weak said. "Now
they work on their stuff."
Most of the comedians who perform at
Bad Comedy are from Omaha, Patton
said. Many work a circuit that includes
Sioux City, la, Omaha and Kansas City,
Mo. The comics use Lincoln as a testing
ground.
"Comedians corns here and try out
material,' Patten said. "They can experi
ment here, and they say this is a great
place to work. The crowds are just incred
ible here, and they hive been since IVe
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been here."
Incredible, and large. Owner Mike
Swanson said he hasfb turn people away
on Bad Comedy nights.
"I'm not surprised," Swanson said. "I
was in a little tourist town in Canada and
I went to see a well-known band, and
there was nobody there they were all
at a comedy show."
Swanson and Patton said they thought
Lincoln had potential as a comedy market,
and they think their show will meet that
potential But they're not forgetting the
roots of Bad Comedy.
"We're always interested in seeing new
people get up and try comedy " Swanson
said. "We encourage people to give it a
try."
Patton said people call him at home or '
talk to him after the show about perform
ing at Bad Comedy. He said he's enthusi
astic about newcomers, but there is a
stipulation would-be comedians must
be prepared.
"We can tell after the first show whether
they've prepared or not if they arcnt,
we wont ask them back," Patton said
Some comedians who always get asked
back are Bud Anderson, T, Harm Vcs and
Pat Hazel, who are professional comics,
Patton said. Bad Comedy's paid comedi
ans split the show's door receipts.
. Weak said most comedians are "level
headed career first, comedy second "
but he said that many also think about
mixing the two.
"You almost have to have that in your
mind," Weak said. He is preparing video '
tapes to send to Johnny Carson and
David Letterman in hopes of performing
on the tube.
A comedian's life isnt all laughs, Weak
said. Clowns aren't the only performers
who hide tears behind their masks.
"Comedians aren't schizo and always
out of control," Weak said. "They're more
serious than anything. People say come
dians are the most serious people in the
world. Maybe it's because they're always
looking at things, and not finding very
many funny things."
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Kellie Beu, a UNL student, and Debbie
Stehlik of Lincoln, went to Patoots last
Thursday to hear some funny, things.
"We heard it was comedy night," Bail
said. "We've been here before, but not for
comedy night."
"It was alright. Ill be back," Stehlik said.
Beil said she also enjoyed the show. -"It
was funny rollirt', rollin' rollin',"
Beil said.
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