By Katy Shenk
Student Life Editor
Interested in hearing modern rock music and three professional stand-up comedians for free?
This Saturday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m., the Mainstay performance venue will be hosting Brad Gunson’s modern rock band Gunson Roses alongside comedians Mark Joyner, Bunny Themelis, and Mike Moran.
Washington College students with an ID can attend all shows at The Mainstay free of charge.
Located on Main Street in Rock Hall, 20 minutes away from Chestertown, The Mainstay is an informal storefront performing arts center dedicated presenting local, regional and national level talent at a reasonable price, according to Programming Manager John Thomas.
The venue has hosted performers from various musical genres, including jazz, blues, rock, folk, Americana, classical, and world music.
Thomas, the woodwind instructor and director of the WC Jazz Ensemble, had a younger generation in mind when coordinating the event.
“The comedians Mark Joyner, Mike Moran, and Bunny Themelis, as well as Brad Gunson himself, are all millennials with an edgy take on modern life, relationships, and politics,” he said.
Thomas said he thinks combining a top Baltimore band with some of the mid-Atlantic’s favorite comics should make for a memorable off-campus excursion.
Guitarist Gunson and Gunson Roses play a mixture of original music and covers, including Herbie Hancock, Queen, Prince, and Lady Gaga. Gunson not only plays onstage, but also acts as emcee for the show and contributes his own comedy act.
Joining him is Joyner, a native of Baltimore and host of the Monday Sidebar Open Mic at the Sidebar Tavern in his home city.
According to a Mainstay press release, “[Joyner’s] edgy conversational brand of comedy and almost childlike enthusiasm is hilarious and downright refreshing.”
Audiences can expect to hear subject material ranging from poverty and racism to lizard people conspiracies and classic cartoons.
Moran is also a Baltimore-based improviser, comedian, and writer. In addition to hosting the Confessionals Podcast, Moran has opened for other notable performers, including Creed Bratton, Chris D’Elia, Michael Ian Black, and more.
Described by Thomas as a “truly alternative comedian”, Moran brings a clever humor to serious topics like depression, addiction, and death, according to a Mainstay press release.
Rounding out the trio is Themelis, a Canadian-born, Baltimore-raised comedian who lives with “the coolest” dogs in the world, Miss Toni and Zeus, according to her website.
Themelis also hosts the “2Geeky” web series and the Superior Saturday Mic at the Charm City Comedy Project in Baltimore.
The Mainstay promises to “defy your expectations and make you question your Facebook status,” according to the event description on their website.
The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main St, Rock Hall. Tickets can be reserved by calling ahead and showing ID for access or at the door.
Other upcoming Mainstay performances include: Sept. 17: Joe Holt Welcomes Nevin Dawson, Sept. 22: Cowboys and Frenchmen, Sept. 24: Joe Holt Welcomes Steve Herberman, and Oct. 1: Joe Holt Welcomes Marsha Gilliam.