The Collegian

Issue date: 11/12/09 Section: Down the Hill

Media Credit: William Clayton

Comedian Kris Peters hadn't been back to Hillsdale, Mich., in15 years. The last time he visited the suburban city he was a high schooler getting his first taste of the college life with his sister, then a student at Hillsdale.

He remembers partying hard at Sigma Chi fraternity and thinking, "If this is what it's like, I'm going to love college."

Perhaps that experience affected his comedy routine, which is geared toward the college demographic; unfortunately for Peters, there was only one college student at the grand opening of Johnny T's "Next Door Comedy Club" Saturday night.

The banquet hall at Johnny T's is great for evening entertainment. Its classy pillars divide the room into thirds, with a stage as the focal point. Along the sides of the room run two symmetrical areas for patrons to relax, drink cocktails and socialize. Each dining area is elevated, affording great views of the dance floor and the stage.

In the back stands a full service bar waiter's station and a doorway to the kitchen from which the good-natured servers emerge with food and beverages from the restaurant in the building's adjacent half.

The room was less than half full with a small but lively crowd gathered in a long L-shaped table celebrating the anniversary of a local rubber plant. Peters took the stage around 9:45 p.m. for the show slated for 9, but no one seemed to mind.

Peters started strong, but his college humor took its toll on the middle-aged crowd and soon, the group split into side conversation. The women were letting loose sporadic shrieks while the men rolled with low, slightly curbed laughter, distracting the noticeably frustrated comic.

Peters did his best to combat the mostly disinterested audience, and in the end succeeded by interacting with the crowd and making fun of the "baldies" and zinging a host of jokes on the boss' expense.

"Every now and then you have a gig where you just destroy it," said Peters, examining the facility at Johnny T's. "This place definitely has that potential."

Penny Alcock, Johnny T's Banquet Coordinator, said the biggest advantage of the building is its seating capacity.

"Most comedy clubs seat 70-75 people-we seat 350," Alcock said. "Now that the economy has hit the bottom, we're trying to bring it back and give local people something to do."

Alcock said she does not book any dirty comics and that she tries to attract the college crowd by having a DJ play music after the comedy for however long each night's crowd is willing to stick around.

The house DJ, Trent Kuster, owner of "Sound Generator," said he is willing to play music all night long, depending on the crowd's enthusiasm.

The next show is Saturday, Nov. 21, and college students will receive half off the $10 cover with a college ID.

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