Comedian Costaki Economopoulos could have adopted a stage name to make life easier, instead he put all those syllables to use to bill himself: “the biggest name in comedy.”
Economopoulos is best known for “The Economonologue,” a weekly segment on the nationally syndicated “Bob & Tom Radio Show.” He’s also appeared on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” and written jokes for late night TV and Bette Midler. He performs Saturday at M.J. Barleyhoppers in Lewiston and we asked him three questions by email about his act.
1. How would you describe your style as a comedian?
I'm a "writer-driven" comic. It's all about the ideas and the words and the human expression and the craft. I love jokes. I love the puzzle of putting together a sequence of words and ideas that make a room full of strangers laugh out loud.
2. What topics do you like to use for your comedy the most and why?
I have shifted towards things personal to me. My wife. My kid. My thoughts. My experiences. I can write a great joke about jury duty or whatever, but if it's about me and my real experience it has another level to it.
3. With how divided people are about American politics these days, do jokes about politics go over better or worse?
I actually have a master’s degree in political science. I used to be quite political. Slowly over the years I have moved away from it, especially in the last few years as I've gotten better about talking about me and my experiences. And this year, maybe because everyone is doing it, I'm doing almost no political comedy at all. It's all around us. So my show is currently a pleasant respite from politics.
If You Go WHO: Comedian Costaki Economopoulos WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11 WHERE: M.J. Barleyhoppers Brewhouse, 621 21st St., Lewiston COST: $15 at the door, $12 in advance at brownpapertickets.com
