Matt Banwart is a comedian who started in Chicago and is currently based out of Austin, Texas. His debut stand up comedy album Town Kid released at #1 on Amazon and iTune’s comedy charts. Online his TikTok and Instagram accounts have generated tens of millions of views. Matt can be found working comedy clubs all over Austin and across the country.
Matt is the founder and occasional host of Roast Battle Chicago, the hit live online show out of Zanies Chicago. Roast Battle Chicago’s has a combined online following of over 200,000. he has hosted and judged shows alongside guest judges like Jeff Ross, Dusty Slay, and Robert Kelly!
Matt has opened for numerous past and current cast members of SNL, and some of the biggest names in comedy. Recently he was featured on the 312 Comedy Festival, Maddison Comedy Week, and Floodwater Comedy Festival.
Many moons ago, Matt was President of Iowa State University’s “Stand Up Comedy Club” (abbreviated SUCC) which he registered as a sorority. Marking Matt the state of Iowa’s first-ever male sorority president. He is very proud of this. Almost as proud as his father was when he won his 6th grade pinewood derby.
Headlined – Arcade Comedy Theater – Pittsburgh
Headlined – Last Best Comedy – Bozeman
Headlined – Joystick Comedy Club – Iowa City
Headlined – The Lou Room – Baltimore
Headlined – Lucky Cat – Cedar Rapids
Headlined – Comedy Bar – Dubuque
Headlined – Comedy Cabin – Janesville
Headlined – Barrel Of The Bottoms- Kansas City
Headlined – TeeHee’s Comedy Club – Des Moines
“Headlined” – Don’t Tell – Iowa City, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Omaha, Erie PA
Featured – Skyline Comedy Club – Appleton
Featured – The Drop Comedy Club – South Bend
Featured – Louisville Comedy Club – Louisville
Featured – Vulcan Gas Co. – Austin
Featured – Comedy Shrine – Aurora
Featured – Market Comedy Lounge – Valparaiso
Featured – Backline Comedy Club – Omaha
Featured – Boss’s Comedy Club – Sioux Fall
Hosted – Zanies – Nashville
Hosted – Zanies – Chicago
Hosted – Laugh Factory – Chicago
Showcased – Zanies – Rosemont
Showcased – Comedy Bar – Chicago
Festival – 312 Comedy Fesitval
Festival – Floodwater Comedy Festival
Festival – Madison Comedy Week
Matt Banwart first started performing improv comedy in high school speech. Later, in college, he founded the short-lived improv comedy group “Peaked in High School”, which won multiple Des Moines Improv Comedy Death Matches. Eventually, eventualy joining Iowa State University’s premiere improv comedy troupe, “Grandma Mojo’s Moonshine Revival”.
Matt also started writing and performing stand up comedy in college, at the age of 18. He has been performing stand up comedy for 8 years and has done shows all over the United States. Matt has performed as far east as Spokane, Washington and as far west New York City, New York.
Professionally, Matt is passionate about video production, digital marketing, and teaching small business owners how to better use social media. Some early work he is proud of is the “Transparent Comedy Tour”, a comedy tour and web series about traveling comedy. For stand up comedy Matt enjoys playing all venues, especially colleges. Matt has performed at Truman State University, St. Edwards University, and (of course) Iowa State University.
