Back in late 2024, we caught up with Milwaukee—by way of Michigan’s Upper Penninsula—comedian Raegan Niemela, who was preparing to host on of her final installments of Cowboy Killers at Cactus Club before moving the monthly showcase to Falcon Bowl in Riverwest. Since then, she’s added to her list of impressive opening credits, performed at comedy festivals all over the country, and has hit her stride with Cowboy Killers in the cozy confines of the Falcon’s Nest (the secondary venue that doubles as Falcon Hall’s green room).
On Thursday, March 26, Niemela’s Cowboy Killers will make the jump to the 250-capacity Falcon Hall. The show is making the sizeable leap to the significantly larger space in order to host an “ICE Out Now!” benefit that will blend comedy, music, and interviews. The community-focused edition of the comedy show aim to raise funds for local immigration-based organizations, educate, and entertain audience members in the process. Prior to this week’s show, we spoke to Niemela about this show’s background, making the move to Falcon Hall, and why “stand up comedy is literally why we’re in this position” as a society right now.
Milwaukee Record: The last time we spoke for an interview, it was late 2024 and you were getting ready to do your last show at the Cactus Club after launching Cowboy Killers there. Since then, the show has been at the Falcon Nest. What has the last year-plus been like there? Have a lot of people followed you and the show to Riverwest?
Raegan Niemela: We’ve gotten a few people to migrate with us, but we also have a small but mighty group of Riverwesters who come every month. That’s been really cool to see it grow in The Nest. It’s a very intimate space in that back room and I think the show has gotten a lot more intimate and a lot more community-based. I think [Falcon Hall booker] Kitt [Pellegrini] and the Falcon Bowl do a really good job of fostering that environment.
MR: I would guess that space probably holds 40 people, tops. So I can imagine it’s very cozy and it puts the performers, literally, on the same level as the audience.
RN: It feels like a living room. There are couches and a carpet, and my friend Steph—who runs a vintage shop called Fresh To Death Vintage—got us all the decorations, so it feels like little western living room that you’re in. It’s just been really cool to foster what feels like a house show in a bar.
MR: Now you’re making the leap from the Nest to the Hall for this show. What led to that decision and what makes you feel like now is the time to do it?
RN: This definitely came about because of what’s been happening in Minneapolis the last couple months. Literally on New Year’s, I was working with Mike Lester, who is a phenomenal comedian in Minneapolis. So not only was I watching the news, but I know Mike and few other folks in Minneapolis, and I was watching comics out protesting and on the ground seeing what ICE is doing in their communities.
Generally, everyone at Falcon and in the comedy scene have just been upset, so it was something where I talked to Kitt about doing a show that is intended to raise money for organizations that will help the community should ICE come to Milwaukee. And I thought we should make it big if we could get it big, bring in bands—because bands have more fans than local comics—and bring creatives together to put feelings of grief towards something positive.
MR: You mention watching what’s happening in Minneapolis and throughout the country, and I know myself and so many others have this overriding feeling of helplessness. This is horrible, but what am I able to do? We have a small platform, you have a platform, and maybe if enough people work for one unified cause, it might make some tangible difference. It might not fix everything, but it will raise money for deserving organizations, raise awareness, and be at least a step in a positive direction.
RN: Speaking of raising awareness, this show will feature comedy and music, but there will be representatives from organizations—Voces de la Frontera, Comité Sin Fronteras, and Wisconsin ACLU—talking about those resources and how to community organize. There will be a learning portion with those folks and I’ll interview them about their resources and how people can get involved.
And I think there’s a two-sided edge to this for a comedian. As a person, I’m horrified with what ICE is doing. And as a comedian, there’s this enormous sense of responsibility I feel having done stand up comedy because stand up comedy is literally why we’re in this position right now. It’s from comics like Theo Von, Joe Rogan, Andrew Schultz, and Tony Hinchcliffe. It’s comics like that who have given this immigration policy a platform and that’s why we’re seeing what’s happening in Minnesota. And those are all comics who try to undermine local comedy and what small platforms can do for communities. It feels like a bit of responsibility for comedians to try to do something right now because comedy is part of the problem of why we’re here right now.
MR: And all change begins on a local level. That’s the most actionable change. And with the multifaceted aspect of the show, people are being led in for a numbers of reasons. Some will be there specifically for the cause. There will be people there because they love one of the bands or one of the comics, but they’re supporting a worthy cause in the process.
Who are some of the people that you’ve been able to bring to Cowboy Killers and work with over the last year and a half?
RN: One is Johanna Medranda. She’s actually going to be on this show again. She’s an amazing comic from Detroit and one of the producers of the Independent Comedy Club. Others that come to mind are Kayla Ruth out of Madison, Reier Cammerman, Edward Bell out of Colorado, Queeny Bitch from Chicago, Mitchell Potts also from Chicago, and Donny Townsend from Iowa.
MR: And on the other end of things, what are some credits and out-of-town opportunities you’ve had in the last year or so? It seems like you’re doing more festivals and regional tours lately.
RN: I opened for Carmen Christopher from The Bear. I opened for Dave Attell this last year, which was very cool. I just did Flyover in St. Louis, which is a very good festival with a million comics from all across the country that I was blown away by. And I opened for Ron Funches at Tree Town Comedy Festival in Ann Arbor.
MR: What led you to asking the comedians that will be performing on this month’s lineup?
RN: We have Luisa Noé, Ramie Makhlouf, Diego Avila, Kristin Lytie, and Johanna Medranda. Ramie, Diego, and Johanna are first generation immigrants—the children of immigrants—so it’s a cause that’s very near and dear to them. Luisa is an immigrant. She’s here on a visa and her college has been affected by what’s going on with Trump’s immigration policies. The Kristin Lytie is someone I went to when I had the idea for this show. She’s a union organizer in Green Bay and a phenomenal comic as well. She really gave me the push to do the show and she’s doing really good work with unions and community organization up in Green Bay. So they’re all directly affected.
I care because these are my friends. We’re peers and we do comedy together, but they’re also people I see every day of the week. We have barbecues in each other’s back yards, we’ve crashed at each other’s homes. I’ve fed them and they’ve fed me. They’re my comedy family, so I’m really happy to be in a position to be able to do this show. I’m just going to do a little time up top, then pass it over so everybody can get their jokes out. I don’t need to be the center of it. I’m just facilitating. Oh, and there are bands. 10KCK is the opener and Los Mitoteros, who do the Latin Night at Bremen every month, jumped on the show as well.
MR: Is there anything else you’d like to say beyond what you’re up to right now and the development of this show?
RN: No, I think I just want to reiterate the work Kitt is doing at The Falcon Bowl and how nice it is as a performer to be able to run a show at a venue that aligns with your values and gives a shit. That’s not always the case. We’re pretty lucky to have as many good rooms in Milwaukee as we do and we’re very lucky to have them open their doors to us.
The Cowboy Killers “ICE Out Now!” showcase will take place at Falcon Hall (801 E. Clarke St.) on Thursday, March 26. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Voces de la Frontera, Wisconson ACLU, and Comité Sin Fronteras. Tickets to the 8 p.m. show (doors at 7:30 p.m.) can be purchased in advance or at the box office.
