So an amateur comedian walks in to a bar . . .
If you're waiting on us to deliver a punchline, don't hold your breath: You'd have better luck heading down to Penuche's Ale House on a Monday night, where the beer is cheap, the jokes are free, and painfully awkward moments far less rare than the ground beef at your local supermarket.
The city's favorite pe bar – or, as first-time comedian and Penuche's bartender Jeffrey Ferguson referred to it, “Concord's shame hole” – has long hosted bands and local musicians on weekends and during the week. More recently, they've opened the mic up to fledgling funny men (and women). The comedy nights are hosted by a professional standup comedian, Jay Grove, who's based out of Concord.
About 50 people crowded into the dimly-lit basement of the bar last week while a Big Buck Safari video game glowed in the background. Most of the crowd, in their 20s – mid-30s, chatted loudly as they sipped from their pint glasses. Some performers giggled with friends in the corner of the bar while practicing their jokes before the opening act. Others sat quietly, intently studying their joke books.
Kevin Froleiks, a gangly, bespectacled 21-year-old from Bow, was first up. A recent UNH grad, Froleiks talked about the joys of being back under his parents' roof and shared a few Haikus about his fears of surviving in the real world (and the ways he copes with it): “As I graduate/ I have left with my degree/ and alcoholism.”
To top off his act, Froleiks slowly unbuttoned his plaid shirt to reveal a Boy Scout uniform, much to the amusement of the audience.
“I didn't come here tonight to talk about merit badges,” he said, tenderly folding up a decorated sash. “But I could.”
Most of the comedians travel to the bar weekly from the southern part of the state. It's a good way for them to practice new material, Grove said.
A few of the roughly 10 performers last week were from the area. Ferguson, the bartender, was among them.
It was his first time behind the mic, said Ferguson, a tall, skinny man with a shaved head. He talked about his regrets, like graduating with an English literature degree: (“I learned how to translate Beowulf into English and now I put jalapeno poppers in an over and press a button.”), and his pet peeves, like silly pop song lyrics.
“For example, the song, 'It's Raining Men.' Has anyone considered the implications of full-grown men falling from the sky? Sounds pretty dangerous to me.”
Punchlines at Penuche's start at 8:30 p.m. on Mondays, 16 Bicentennial Square. For more information, call 228-9833.
