Stand-up comedian, actor, and musician Pete George is coming to Mansfield on January 1 for a one-of-a-kind comedy show. The event will take place at The Back Room to kick off 2014.
“My hour show is half regular stand-up, and, in the second half, I use an electric guitar,” George said of his routine. “I use guitar effects, and I do a full history of rock,” which, according to George, includes an uproarious version of Van Halen’s Eruption and a heavy metal polka song.
George is a former Parma resident that currently resides in L.A. He has appeared in several blockbuster films, ranging from “The Shawshank Redemption” to “The Majestic,” and has performed over 7,000 shows in his 20+ year career—so it might be safe to say that he knows how to entertain.
In fact, George was exposed to the entertainment industry as a young lad. “I grew up in a musical family. My father was the first accordion soloist in the military at WestPoint,” George said. “And his full-time job in the Army was to play the accordion.”
Music is a very important part of George’s life, which is why he incorporates it in his show. “I played in my father’s band, off and on, growing up and then played in some different bands in Cleveland,” George said. “And I thought: ‘What a really great angle to include [in my comedy]’ because you rarely see a comedian using an electric guitar let alone a regular guitar.”
George’s stand-up is lively and full of experiences that are sure to make you laugh out loud. “My stand-up is basically (based on) things that have happened in my life,” George said. “When I was in high school, I was in a learning-disability program for three years—and I don’t even have a disability. A lot of humor comes out of that.”
George has been described as an intelligent comedian, He draws on the oddities of life and turns them in to hilarious situations. “I would have to say that people describe me as somewhat high energy,” George said. “I’ve been told a lot that my humor is very smart. Even when I do adult stuff—some bluer stuff—it’s still really smart.”
George spent some time in Mansfield while filming “Shawshank” and has fond memories of the people. “I remember everybody being extremely friendly,” George said of Mansfield. “And as far as working on the film, there are such great memories.”
George is looking forward to seeing how Mansfield has changed since his last visit. “I’m just curious if the downtown area has changed much. Because when you have a major film, a lot of times towns change—I mean in a good way,” George said.
The Back Room Bar is located at 880 Laver Road in Mansfield. The Pete George show begins at 8 p.m. with doors opening at 7 p.m.
