BY REBECCA KRELL

 

Evan Berke needed to make a change in his life after surviving a nearly fatal crash. He was in the car with some friends in his hometown just outside Atlanta. The tragedy left him with a scar on his right hand and a new attitude toward life. He decided to put aside his lazy high school habits and pursue something of meaning. "Get busy living or get busy dying" became his new motto, so he decided to get busy.

     He wasn’t sure what that meant, but early in his freshman year, Berke went to an open mic night at the Upper Deck for a typical night out with friends. He wasn’t planning on it, but in keeping with his new motto, he got up and performed his first stand-up routine with no preparation. Just another night grabbing drinks with friends led him to his dream career.

     Berke, who has since been a regular on the Charleston’s growing comedy scene, most recently took his career to a new level when he produced and hosted the comedy portion of the Jail Break festival on April 27, something that he never dreamed he’d accomplish when he came to the College of Charleston as a freshman in 2009. The festival, at the city’s spookiest spot—the Old City Jail—combines local talents in music, art, comedy, dance and more.

     While the Charleston improv scene was already thriving, the same was not true for comedy. "The stand-up scene wasn't much of anything. It was kind of just those guys using the Upper Deck to get drunk and use a microphone," Berke says. But he felt comfortable in this pressure-free, laid-back environment.

​     After his first show, Berke realized this was something he was born to do. It was clear he had a natural talent for comedy. He started off small, as one of the unknown acts in stand-up shows, but he quickly made a name for himself around town

     He even gained the respect of a more established Charleston comedian, Dusty Slay, who has been active in the comedy scene for nine years. He hosts a weekly stand-up open mic night at Big Gun Burger Shop and has traveled to cities like New York and Los Angeles to tell jokes. Slay was also the winner of the Charleston Comedy Festival Stand Up Competition in 2011 and 2012. When asked what kind of jokes he tells, he replies, "the funny kind."

     Slay met Berke at his first attempt at stand-up at the Upper Deck. The two quickly became friends and often performed in the same comedy shows. "I'm not a great role model, but I tried to show him a thing or two," Slay said.

     Their relationship has grown over the years from mentor/mentee to more along the lines of two sidekicks working to better their cause. The pair has teamed up and even taken their act on the road to promote the Charleston comedy scene. They have performed several shows in Atlanta, and they hope to travel together in the future, but for now they’re content performing in the city that gave them their start. They did just that at the Jail Break Festival.

     A room in the third floor tower of the old jail was transformed into a hauntingly funny chamber of jokes for the weekend-long festival. Slay was just one of several comedians Berke will introduced that evening. Other acts included Andy Rider, Jason Groce, Sam Jackel, Vince Fabra and Myles Hutto. Being able to perform alongside his mentor, Slay, in the city that gave Berke his start three and a half years ago was an honor for the recent college graduate.

     Berke says he would not have had the opportunity to perform at events like Jail Break if he had chosen a different town for school. "You have a whole city out there that's really at your fingertips,” he says. “Whatever you want to do you can do it."