As The Comedy Moshpit goes into its second year at Be Here Now, Jake Lentz and Kyle DeWees, co-founders and co-hosts of The Comedy Moshpit, are booked with headliners and ready to show Ball State how they have successfully combined their passions for heavy metal and comedy.
"It's not like any other comedy show you've ever been to," DeWees said. "There's loud heavy metal playing and we have the best fans on the planet."
The Comedy Moshpit is held at Be Here Now at 505 N. Dill St. in the Village. The show goes on every Wednesday night around 9 p.m. and is open to all ages. The cost is $3 for anyone under 21 and $1 for those 21 and older.
"The Comedy Moshpit is unique and close to campus, so it's very convenient to go," Yangchun Wu, sophomore architecture major, said. "I got the chance to talk to some comedians last time I went and I really got the sense that they loved their job at this show."
The atmosphere at Be Here Now is a little different from other comedy clubs. DeWees said that most venues place comedians in front of a brick wall and leave the jukebox on. The Comedy Moshpit, on the other hand, is downstairs or outside at Be Here Now, depending on the night.
"When we do the show downstairs, that's when the show has a real electric vibe to it," DeWees said. "It's all these people crammed into this hot, sweaty basement and there are not enough seats for everybody. There's standing room only. We had shows last year where there were over 100 people just downstairs alone."
Their streak of getting large crowds has continued into this year.
"Downstairs was packed, there were people standing around the top railing, looking down," Lentz said. "It gave it this awesome Thunderdome vibe."
Comics who have performed before get six minutes, whereas those who have not are allotted three minutes. Comics are expected to be punctual.
The Comedy Moshpit is laid-back when it comes to restrictions on language and time. Lentz said that in most comedy shows, comics get kicked out for using foul language or exceeding the time limit. At The Comedy Moshpit, though, comics who are well received may stretch the time limit and jokes are allowed to get dirty and offensive.
"That's one of the things that really sets Muncie's comedy scene apart from other towns around the state — we don't hold back," DeWees said.
The comics who perform at the club range in experience. One of the regular comedians at The Comedy Moshpit is Marques Bunn, who appeared on "Good Morning, America." Comics who are interested in performing at The Comedy Moshpit should contact Lentz at lentzmetal@gmail.com.
"This show is fun to work out material," Bunn said. "This open mic is a little more relaxed, it has a fun atmosphere and there's not a lot of pressure. The ability to say what you want without restriction is always a good thing."
One of the things the comedians appreciate is the college age crowd and group of regulars that frequent their shows.
"There's a nice fan base and people who come back every week that will actually befriend you," comedian Ryan Mast said. "Everywhere else I go, there is a different crowd every week, but here, there are so many regulars that it's like performing for what feels like real fans."
Indiana's King of Comedy 2011, The Comedy Moshpit's first anniversary show, will kick off on Oct. 5 and last until Dec. 7, with the exception of Oct. 26 and Nov. 23. In this eight-week contest, 60 of the best comics from across the state will compete in five qualifying rounds, two semi-finals and the final round as they battle for the $500 cash prize and the title of Indiana's King of Comedy.
"Honestly, the most accomplished I've ever felt in my life was last year during the King of Comedy finals. ... As I walked outside, you could see steam rolling out from the venue," DeWees said. "It was the coolest thing ever because there were just so many people packed inside. ... We knew we had made it at that point."
The Comedy Moshpit features special shows around the holidays. The Halloween Hootenanny will take place on Oct. 26. On Nov. 23, The Comedy Moshpit will hold its Thanksgiving Eve Heckler Night.
"We took a comic's worst nightmare, which is being heckled, and turned it into the whole scheme of the show," Lentz said. "Since everybody knows it's part of the show, nobody gets offended."
Season passes are available for use on every Wednesday between Oct. 5 and Dec. 7. The $20 season pass grants the ticket holder access to Indiana's King of Comedy 2011, the Halloween Hootenanny and Thanksgiving Eve Heckler Night.
As Lentz and DeWees continue to plan for the future of The Comedy Moshpit, they are looking to bring in nationally recognized headliners.
"The sky is the limit," DeWees said. "We're not the type of people to say we're done because we have what we want. We make a goal, achieve it and then say ‘That was cool, what's next?' And I think that is really what is going to drive this show onwards."
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