Yelkich said Byelick thinks out of the box. “He’s looking to do some different things and explore different ideas and different viewpoints.” “As executive director, he’s brought a fresh view and a lot of new ideas,” Yelkich said. John Yelkich, president of the Hobart chamber board, says so far, there’s been no issues with Byelick in his after-hours comedy activities. She said Byelick is adding to the variety of life.īyelick said he tries to keep his Tomfoolery activities separate and away from his role as director of the Hobart chamber. “You can have the day job and then you can be doing something that makes your eyes sparkle with excitement.” “He’s kind of like Superman, ‘right?,’” she said. Piskol sees her partner Byelick as a sort of a superhero with an alter ego who can be serious when he needs to be and not-so-serious when the time is right. “When I hear people roaring with laughter, I just look at Michele and say, ‘Are you hearing this?’ Just to see them escape their woes for a couple of hours, it’s a great feeling of satisfaction,” Byelick said. “It’s one of those jobs that feeds your soul.”įor Byelick, hearing folks come out for a night of good, clean fun is worth all the effort. “And it has just turned into a true joy,” Byelick said. The couple have done more than 100 the past eight years. “We did one show, and people really enjoyed it.” “We just threw caution to the wind,” Byelick said. He ran meetings in corporate America, and Piskol ran a classroom for many years. “Neither one of us had any experience in entertainment.” “We envisioned this variety show with a few comedians and a live band,” Byelick said. “Michele encouraged me to put on a show … so, on the back of a cocktail napkin, we sketched out what we wanted to do.”īyelick and Piskol hosted their first show at Rodney’s Sports Bar inside Langel’s Pizza in Highland. “It just brings people together to have fun,” he said. “You could go see a play at a performing arts center, or you can go to Chicago anytime, but locally on a Saturday night, you might go see a band at a bar.”īyelick recalled telling Piskol how he always wanted to do a comedy show. “There was just a total dearth of casual entertainment options,” Byelick said.

The idea sprung early into Byelick’s and Piskol’s relationship when the two just wanted something fun to do without having to shell out money for gas, parking, dinner and a show in Chicago.

It puts on PG-rated comedy shows throughout Northwest Indiana. Since 2014, Byelick and his business partner and soulmate Michele Gonzalez Piskol, an education consultant, have produced Tomfoolery Fun Club. But Byelick has an antidote for that: comedy. Of course, business meetings and networking events can be on the stuffy side. This blog is a workshop for developing my analyses of The Beatles' music.“I think there’s an opportunity for entrepreneurs and small businesses in particular,” Byelick said. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band from 6-7:30pm. The Indianapolis portion of my Indiana lecture tour concludes today at the Irvington Branch (5625 E.Washington St, Indianapolis, IN) with the Indiana premier of 'The Beatles' Alter Ego, Sgt. I certainly didn't get bad vibes (and I did receive many nice compliments afterward), but during the program itself it felt rather sedate.

Up on stage, it was very difficult to feel any sort of response from my audience. But last night the auditorium seemed to dull that connection. I typically sense a very strong connection when speaking on the Beatles (that energy during the program at Glendale on Sunday was particularly strong).

Whenever performing in any context, there's a certain energy that exists between performer and audience. The auditorium also had an interesting effect on the audience. It felt rather similar to the academic programs I sometimes give at universities, which (obviously) have a more academic flavor. On the other hand, though, it had a much more formal atmosphere. On one hand, it was great to be in a super nice room with a huge screen and high quality speakers. It was very interesting speaking in an auditorium - it gave a very different atmosphere from the multipurpose 'community rooms' where I usually present. Yesterday I presented on A Hard Day's Night at the central branch off the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library.

Alter ego band indiana