Aspiring actor and Laughing Tap co-owner Matt Kemple first came to Milwaukee in 2005. He’d only intended to stay for a year, but he’s still here 20 years later.
During that time, he helped build Milwaukee's comedy scene, including through his work creating and running the annual Milwaukee Comedy Festival. The festival, now in its 20th year, kicks off today, Oct. 7, and runs through Sunday.
Kemple was featured in a Milwaukee Record article in July, recounting his evolution from performer to producer. He joined WUWM’s Rachel Owens to talk about his 20 years of making Milwaukee a funnier place.
“There's all those tiny little things that make Milwaukee a little bit different,” Kemple says. “And I think that's why you're going to get a unique flavor in the festival — not just because we have comics from all over, but because we have this incredible talent pool here in the city already.”
Aparna Nancherla kicks off the festival at Lakefront Brewery tonight, with comics Patton Oswalt, Sean Patton and Punkie Johnson headlining various Milwaukee venues throughout the weekend. You can get tickets at mkecomedyfest.com.
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