'Clean comedian' has a message for youths
Pep rallies and football games aside, Brainerd Area Youth Ministries has another option for area students during this homecoming season.
The school year's first of three BAY rallies will be on Wednesday night. The featured speaker will be comedian Daren Streblow and Silverline will perform.
Dale Kuglin, BAY Ministries director, expects 700-900 students to attend the BAY rally at Tornstrom Auditorium. He said the event is open to anyone, but the program will be geared toward youths.
"Our challenge is to point kids toward Christ," Kuglin said. "Our methods have changed, but our message hasn't."
Comedian Daren Streblow will perform at Wednesday's BAY rally and on Oct. 13 at Tornstrom Auditorium. The Wednesday night show will be geared toward youths while the Oct. 13 show will be for families.
Streblow, a "clean comedian," discusses real life issues in his routine, something he calls "little pains" or frustrating life instances.
Many of his jokes stem from his childhood - having braces as a teenager or just trying to be cool - while others are about adult grievances. For example, he described having his wife sell all of his stuff at a garage sale as a little pain. Childbirth or having disrespectful children are other topics he sometimes pokes fun at.
"Getting people laughing at what brings them pain, that's the healing side of comedy," Streblow said.
Streblow said no matter who he's performing for - a church youth group or at a comedy club - his act is the same.
His jokes are all clean with no swearing or sexual innuendoes.
If you go
BAY rally featuring comedian Daren Streblow with music by Silverline
When: 6:45-8:30 p.m., Wednesday
Where: Tornstrom Auditorium, 802 Oak St.
Cost: Free. A free-will offering will be accepted.
Comedians Daren Streblow and Joby Saad
When: 7 p.m. Oct. 13
Where: Tornstrom Auditorium, 802 Oak St.
Cost: $8 in advance, $13 the day of the show. Tickets are available at Bethany Bookstore, online at www.itickets.com or by calling 800-965-9324.
"Not everything has to be about sex. It's so overdone," Streblow said. "There's a thirst for being funny without profanity or use of sexual innuendoes."
Streblow said some comedians use swearing and sex as a crutch in their act because it provides a shock value.
"You can use Christianity as a crutch, too," he said. "You can make an act so non-Christians think it's as funny as Christians."
Streblow, who lives with his family near Duluth, has performed in Brainerd in the past and frequently visits the area while vacationing. He performs nearly 120 shows each year around the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Streblow has a communications degree from the University of Minnesota-Duluth and was working at a radio station when he says God told him to become a comedian. He started performing at a comedy club in Minneapolis, but he said it didn't come easily.
"I would drive two and a half hours to do three minutes of comedy ... clean comedy in front of drunk college students," he said.
He continues to perform at clubs, but does a lot of work for church groups.
"There's a need for laughter in the church," Streblow said.
Streblow will return to Brainerd for a second show Oct. 13. He'll be accompanied by comedian Joby Saad, also known as "The Village Idiot."
HEIDI LAKE may be reached at heidi.lake@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5879.