Michael Palascak

Palascak is currently touring with the other Last Comic Standing finalists, going from city to city to do 20-minute sketches. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, he will take the stage at the Honeywell Center in his hometown, Wabash.

Palascak was born in Wabash and attended Wabash High School, where a lot of his jokes originate. “I like to talk about what is going on in my life and a lot of it comes from the sports I played and the interactions I had,” he said.

When he was 18, he went away to college as an English major and his parents moved to the Chicago area. “I didn’t really know anyone when I went back during breaks, so I spent a lot of time in Border’s bookstore. I was looking at books on stand-up comedy, found a venue near my home and signed up immediately.”

During his routine, Palascak will often joke “I became an English major so I wouldn’t have to worry about job offers,” and he lived up to it by creating his own job.

In his first set, Palascak said, “I sounded just like Jerry Seinfeld. I always watched the show and enjoyed him as a comedian.” Palascak also drew inspiration from Mitch Hedberg, a comedian known for being shy onstage. “I always related with his shyness and it played itself out in my comedy.”

Above all, Palascak learned over time to “take it all in, watch it and be original.”

Part of Palascak’s originality comes in the form of cleanliness. Unlike many comedians today, Palascak does not rely on swearing or crude jokes to be funny. “I think some people use swear words to get a quick laugh and when I started I really didn’t want to do that,” he said. “I wanted to do something I could enjoy with my parents and so I just talk about my life and road experiences.”

“My parents will be there and it will be a great excuse to catch up and see friends and family,” Palascak said.

Tickets for the Last Comic Standing tour are available at honeywellcenter.org and range in cost from $22 to $50. The Honeywell Center is located at 275 W. Market St., Wabash.