So that's where construction workers party...

Usually I'm a fairly adventurous person, but when it comes to South Bend night life, I try to just stick with Notre Dame staples. My thoughts on this are two-fold. First, my Midwestern upbringing has taught me, "If it ain't broke don't fix it." Since I have been thoroughly enjoying the typical South Bend haunts, I had little incentive to stray from the beaten path. Second, a couple townies at a bar can be an entertaining novelty, but walking into a bar to be met by a gawking gaggle of them is just unnerving.
My commitment to this blog (and the prospect of cheap beer), however, drove me to explore the greater St. Joe County, namely The Riverside Tavern at 100 N. Center St. in Mishawaka. One Friday a month, the tavern hosts a comedy night. Admission was $12 at the door and the show started at nine.
I arrived late and was greeted by a welcoming committee of five middle-aged bikers who whistled at me and yelled things that I would be embarrassed to repeat on this blog. Great start. Upon entering the tavern, I decided that if I ever ended up as the kind of person who lived in my parents' basement and played lots of video games I would probably spend most of my time here. I would not have been short on company.
As I surveyed the crowd, I was very glad that I had come with friends. There was not another college-aged person in sight and the majority of the patrons were sporting beards and cut-offs. By far the liveliest one in the crowd was "Number Five." The man was dubbed Number Five by one of the comedians when Five started yelling in the middle of the comedian's set that he was a member of cement mixers' union #5. He looked like the kind of guy who probably chewed tobacco on the bus in middle school. Throughout the show, he shouted out his own comedic contributions and interesting anecdotes from his days of cement mixing.
The comedians themselves were pretty good, although I never quite enjoyed the humor as much as Number Five. The headliner of the night was Billy Ray Bauer, who has appeared on "Comedy Central" and "Bob and Tom." The humor from all three comedians was racy and often walked the fine line between funny and awkward. For the most part, though, I enjoyed their routines, especially Bauer.
Though perhaps not the best $12 I have ever spent, the night was certainly a memorable departure from my typical weekend. Moral of the story: If you're in the mood for something different and entertaining, consider The Riverside Tavern. If you are not a burly male, or don't have a couple of them to accompany you, be prepared for whistles from men who have fewer teeth than Paris Hilton has brain cells. Two and a half out of five stars for The Riverside Tavern, check it out at your own discretion.