Charlie Berens doesn’t just understand the Midwest, he’s bottled its essence—one “Keep ’er movin’” at a time—and turned it into a comedy phenomenon that resonates far beyond America’s heartland. Now the Emmy-winning journalist-turned-comedian is bringing his distinctive brand of flannel-clad humor to the Strip, proving that you don’t need to abandon your roots to make it big in the Entertainment Capital of the World.
Since launching the web comedy series The Manitowoc Minute in 2017, Berens has transformed regional quirks—the passive-aggressive goodbye that lasts 45 minutes, the culinary reverence for cheese curds, the unique ability to find something “different” instead of actually disagreeing—into viral gold. His social media following of over 10 million represents a diaspora of Midwesterners who finally have someone articulating their particular brand of polite awkwardness.
Like another Midwestern comedian, Kathleen Madigan, growing up in a large Catholic family has given Berens plenty of comedic material. In his 2025 special Neighborly, he jokes about the large brood from which he came. “Do you know what it’s like being the second oldest of 12 kids? I’ll tell you. You’re the second oldest and then you’re seeing another kid come and then another kid come and then another kid come, and you just watch your inheritance go down and down and down and down.”
The special, filmed at Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton, Wis., features heartfelt, funny tributes to the family members who shaped him. His parents sit in the audience as he affectionately roasts their parenting style and the chaos of running a household that could field its own baseball team. His Grandma Sue even makes a cameo appearance, offering her own commentary from her seat, a moment that captures the collaborative, good-natured spirit that defines Berens’ approach to family humor. Rather than simply mining his relatives for punchlines, he celebrates the quirks and wisdom that come from growing up surrounded by people who know you too well to let you get away with anything.
His three sold-out tours, including 2024’s 127-show Good Old Fashioned Tour across 88 cities, demonstrate the kind of Midwestern determination his act celebrates. His New York Times bestseller, The Midwest Survival Guide, is being developed for TV, a natural evolution for someone who’s been perfecting the art of sketch comedy since his Manitowoc Minute days.
Berens’ Vegas appearance is part of his current Lost and Found Tour and follows his 2023 debut special, Midwest Goodbye. He’s also expanded his platform through the Cripescast podcast, where he explores Midwest connections with diverse guests, and the Bellied Up podcast, co-hosted with “Myles The You Betcha Guy.” The latter captures the spirit of small-town bar conversations, taking live calls every Thursday from Midwesterners and fans worldwide who want to belly up to the virtual bar.
What makes Berens particularly suited for Vegas is his ability to make regional comedy universal. “You’re either from the Midwest, or you know people in the Midwest,” he recently told Revue West Michigan. “So a lot of people are familiar with it, and I don’t have to change up too much from my show in order for people to understand what I’m talking about.”
The Venetian Resort. 10 p.m. Feb. 21, starting at $39 plus tax and fee. venetianlasvegas.com
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