Sammy Arechar is known as a luxurious comedian who creates elegant jokes about a not-so-fancy life.
“Someone–without my consent–once referred to me as a ‘Luxury Comedian,'” says Arechar. “I felt that it was to my advantage to put the audience under the assumption that I would talk about having an expensive lifestyle only to find out I tell jokes about Arby’s and still living at home with my parents. I think it’s a good form of misdirection.”
Friend Arechar on Facebook and you’ll see this luxurious persona amplified. “The whole ‘Luxury Comedian/Luxury Jokes’ is very much influenced by the music I listen to, a lot of rap & hip-hop,” he says. “It’s very satirical, just to carry myself or describe myself the way a rapper would in his songs. Saying my jokes are luxury, like how a rapper would describe their car or possessions, is nothing that I would ever say on stage.”
But that online persona is certainly hilarious. Take a Facebook status from March 9th for instance where Arechar is on the quest for some fancy shoe paraphernalia. That day he was “dropping some stacks on these Versace shoelaces.” Fancy. A recent lunch was described as “rap game meatloaf sandwich”–just like any rapper would. And his online persona is not only a way for Arechar to be funny; it’s also allowed him to gain a bit of a following.
Those fans were on hand for Arechar’s performance at the recent Raw: Natural Born Artists Milwaukee event on February 28th at the Rave Bar. “Raw’s mission is to provide independent artists within the first 10 years of their career with the tools, resources and exposure needed to inspire and cultivate creativity.” (Raw mission statement) This is a community of artists that works for artists, hosting monthly showcases in 54 cities across the United States and counting. These showcases cull together artists from across the artistic spectrum for exciting and eye-opening events.
“I caught wind of Raw when Bryan Morris was in their showcase in Madison,” Arechar says. “I thought it was a very neat way to bring in and showcase local talent. I sent them a demo of my material and a few interviews later I landed a spot. It was a good feeling landing a gig like that, very thrilling.”
On the show itself, Arechar says that it “was something for everyone. Paintings, Clothing, Music, Dance, Fashion, Make-up/Hair, Accessories, and Performance Art. It was a big night of firsts for me. It was the first time I performed at a mixed art showcase, my first performance at the Rave, my first time networking with people in other fields of work as opposed to comedians and bookers. The first time I made merchandise: I invested in stickers, pins, and hand outs. I made connections and met a lot of interesting people. Now I’m in cahoots with a few people on a few projects, and I grew more confident in myself. It was worth all the stress I put myself through.”
That confidence was on display as Arechar commanded the stage, even amidst the din of conversations that were taking place around the other artists’ displays. “I have a joke about a pizza, where I beatbox for about a minute. I thought I would be the only one beatboxing. Come to find out, the band before my performance had a beatboxer. I still did my joke, but before I started it, I locked eyes with the beatboxer. It was a subtle piece of crowd work,” He says. “It’s one of my favorite jokes to do. It makes for a nice surprise to the audience. It’s a good way to incorporate music and to bring the energy back into the crowd that’s been on their feet all night.” It was a perfect joke to tell on a night when so many different artists of different genres were joining forces. (And the pre-beatbox stare-down added to Arechar’s hardcore rapper persona.)
So, Milwaukee comedians, take a note from Sammy Arechar, submit your work to Raw, and join the ranks of the luxurious.