Comedian Charlie Berens performs at the Mayo Civic Center this weekend

(ABC 6 News) – You might recognize him from his series, The Manitowoc Minute, or maybe you are familiar with his journalism work; Comedian and journalist Charlie Berens will play two nearly sold-out shows at the Mayo Civic Center on Saturday night.

With a passion for comedy and news, Berens will combine the two during his stand-up show. But for him, the fun also has a much deeper meaning.

“Hearing other people’s stories, or stories of mine, and how they remind them of theirs. The end of the day, that’s really what you’re doing this for. Because you think you have something inside your head that you think other people can relate to and maybe that can make their life somewhat more fun,” said Berens.

“At its best, I think that’s what this is and that’s my favorite part.”

When asked if he has any fan-favorite moments, he says there’s been a lot of run-ins at Kwik Trip.

While he won’t give away too much about his show, you can expect to hear some Rochester-related content. Berens says one part of the show will be a Craigslist kicker auction. Finding something on Craigslist in the Rochester Area and then auctioning it off to an audience member. Money from the auction will then be donated to charity.

“I just say, you know, if you’re bored, or they sell beer there too. You know. So those are two good reasons. I’ll tell you to say ‘hi.’ There will be a lot of other Midwest folks there. Whatever you do, just start saying goodbye as you walk into the building and you’ll get out at least four hours later.”

Berens has a New York Times bestseller, The Midwest Survival Guide. When asked if he will do an updated version, he says it’s not in the works currently but he probably will one day.

Berens is playing two shows on Saturday. One at 5 p.m. and the other at 8 p.m. Limited tickets are available.