The Wake

When you think of sketch comedy, two things probably come to mind: “Saturday Night Live” and “Mad TV.” When you think of locally produced cable access shows only one thing probably comes to mind: why would I waste my time watching that? What you may not know is that the Twin Cities has its own locally produced sketch show called “Nate On Drums” that could easily rival either of this genre’s giants in terms of originality and taste. Not only is “Nate on Drums” funny, it features local music, too. It’s so good that Channel 45 has picked it up, which is a big leap for a show that was once on cable access.

Operating out of a studio in Mound, Minnesota (on Lake Minnetonka), the cast of “Nate on Drums” is a small, tight-knit group. “I love doing this,” David Harris said, reflecting on the time spent with his cast members. Aside from being one of the four main onscreen personalities, David also functions as the show’s segment producer. He met cast-mate and creative director Motion Price at the University of Minnesota when they were paired together as roommates by chance.

“The whole show is put together by about eight or 10 people,” Motion told me. Most of them went to high school together, where the idea of filming these hilarious sketches originated.

The format for this show is simple and effective: write three or four really funny shorts, have four really talented people act them out, and have a live musical performance close out the show. “Nate on Drums” is tasteful, amusing, and incredibly original.

Aside from playing with such local bands as Cowboy Curtis and Coach Said Not To, Nate Perbix is the show’s host and namesake. Introducing the segments from behind his drum set, Nate is often guilty of impeccable wit and the inability to keep a straight face. According to Harris and Motion, Nate is the show’s access to the local music scene, and a big supporter of getting bands on the show. All the music, from background clips and segue ways to in-studio performances, is done by bands from that the cast knows or submissions they receive from local groups. February’s show, for example, featured a performance by The Screens and a soundtrack including The Repeats and The Amber Estate, among others.

Ranging from animation to ad-lib dialogues, “Nate on Drums” epitomizes variety. The ideas always seem fresh –-showing evidence of a good sense of humor and an interest in developing the characters. The show, which ends its first season with a final episode on March 6, is moving out of what the cast called its “experimental phase.” Whatever the experiment may have been, it was successful. “Nate on Drums” has seen ratings increase for each consecutive episode aired on Channel 45.

For season two, they plan to run an episode every week (as opposed to the once a month time slot they have right now). When asked about being television late on Sunday night, Motion said, “We’re on at the same time as syndicated episodes of The West Wing. I think people like seeing something they haven’t seen before.” Something they haven’t seen is what the audience should expect should expect, especially if you happened to see this month’s episode featuring cast member Linnea Mohn’s “Sex Bomb” segment.

“The show is a reflection of our different backgrounds,” Motion told me. Upon watching an episode, this becomes clear, but not in a way that is distracting. The influences of animation, drama, and music collide in a format that allows for this sort of variety. There is obviously a similar sense of humor among the people involved, and an extreme joy in making each episode. “We’ve got full time jobs,” said writer Caleb Rick. “But this is something we definitely like making time for.”

On a recent episode, while introducing a segment, Mohn claimed, “These are the people I work with – Nate, David, Motion. They’re nice, polite young men, which in reality means they’re boring.” Sorry Linnea, but I’m going to have to disagree. The cast of “Nate on Drums” is far from boring; they’re spectacular. They also love what they do, which is of equal importance. If you call yourself an aficionado of the local music scene, or if you really want to see some great comedy by some Twin Cities talents, then you need to watch “Nate on Drums.” Don’t forget – the season one finale airs on Sunday, March 6 at 11:00 p.m. on Channel 45.