CANNIBAL CORPSE Drummer PAUL MAZURKIEWICZ On His Comedy Improv: “I’m Just Telling Stories, That’s All I’m Doing Here”

It’s not every day you hear about a death metal drummer taking the stage not with blast beats, but with personal anecdotes. Yet that’s exactly what Paul Mazurkiewicz, longtime drummer of Cannibal Corpse, has been doing in a series of performances at The Commodore, a small improv and sketch comedy theater in Tampa, Florida. Just don’t call it standup comedy.

“Well, man, it’s funny because I know it’s gotten on Blabbermouth [that I was doing it], and it got on Blabbermouth the first time I did it. This is my third time doing this. But everybody thinks I’m doing standup comedy. I don’t know why they list it as I’m doing standup comedy. I’m not. And if you read what it says, it’s pretty self-explanatory what the situation is,” Mazurkiewicz revealed (via Blabbermouth)

Mazurkiewicz explained that his appearances are part of a loosely scripted improv show, where he simply tells stories — stories from life, music, or random moments that struck him as worth sharing — while a troupe of comedians crafts impromptu skits based on those tales.

“What happened is — we were talking sports earlier — I’m from Buffalo. I still play ice hockey. That’s what I’ve been doing my whole life. I started skating when I was five, and I’m still playing. So, a guy that was on my team, I guess it was about a year ago, ’cause the first one I did was last March [of 2024], he was, like, ‘Hey, I got a little kind of weird thing for you,’ and asked me if I wanted to… He’s involved with The Commodore, this place in Tampa that’s kind of an improvy kind of a comedy shop, and they do different kinds of shows, but a lot of it, the thing is improv. And he said, ‘Hey, man, that would be great. Maybe what you would do is go up and tell some stories, tell a story for five minutes.’”

From there, the evening unfolds in a collaborative rhythm: Mazurkiewicz shares, the comedians riff, and the crowd gets a show that lives somewhere between metal memoir and absurdist sketch comedy.

“So I’m just talking, kind of like I am now. I’m doing an interview and I’m talking about a story, whether it was [actor] Jim Carrey or anything that was, I felt, worthy of talking about, that has happened to me in my life or the band, but specifically me. And then they would do the troupe, which is like six or seven individuals, the guys and girls would do comedy skits, like improv skits.”

“So I talk, I do my thing, I go sit down, they go up on stage for about 10 minutes, and they just go off the cuff. And it’s loosely based on what I’m talking about, I guess. So, I do, maybe, I guess it’s like four stories I end up talking, and then they do the comedy like that. So it’s maybe a little over an hour of a show. But that’s it.”

Despite the confusion around the format, Mazurkiewicz isn’t particularly bothered. He’s just doing a favor for a friend and having a bit of fun with it.

“I don’t know how it got twisted to where I was doing standup comedy, ’cause it’s obviously completely different than that. But, yeah, it was all because of the guy. My friend asked me if I would like to do that, and he knew I probably had some cool stories and could help the comedy place out. And I was, like, ‘It’s something different. Why not?’ And, yeah, here I am about to do it for the third time. So, yeah, it’s fun stuff — a little different, like I said, for me. I’m not used to doing that. But it was cool. So, I’m looking forward to doing it again.”

Asked whether he’d consider turning the show into a touring project, he’s more hesitant. It’s one thing to jam with Cannibal Corpse in front of thousands, quite another to stand solo in front of a crowd and tell stories with no drum kit to hide behind.

“It’s weird. At first I was, like, ‘Man, I don’t know. This isn’t me.’ I’m not that much of a guy who wants to be up there talking like that. I’ll do interviews, and I feel like I can talk, I suppose, but I’m not a lead singer. I’m playing the drums. I don’t talk in front of people like that. It’s actually a little nerve-racking.”

“When I first did it last year, I was, like, ‘Oh my God. I’m so nervous,’ because I’m just telling stories. That’s all I’m doing here. I’m by myself in front of people telling stories. So it’s that whole speaking to a large group, and they’re listening to your every word here. And I’m on a stage, and I just don’t do that.”

Despite the nerves, Mazurkiewicz says he’s adapted — and maybe even improved — with each appearance.

“So I was a little concerned at first, am I gonna get up there and freeze up? Or am I gonna start fumbling my words and sound like a complete idiot? And I did all right. I guess I did fairly well, it seemed. They asked me to come back again, and I did the second one in November. And they wanted me to do it again. So it was, like, ‘All right, cool.’”

“I mean, I don’t know if I’d wanna take it to that extreme of like — am I that guy that’s gonna wanna go up and do it and [go], ‘Oh, let’s take it on the road.’ It was done for my friend and their comedy club and all that. But hey, you never know. Like I said, I’m having fun doing it, so who knows what the future holds?”