From a reader:
As a Midwest kinda guy, I have a suggestion for what plays well in northern
Indiana: You need to be yourself.
Therefore, bring a couch, your laptop, beers, and Cosmo. Arrange for a
projection screen behind the stage and bring about 10 episodes of The Simpsons.
Wear a bathrobe and slippers. Come out and welcome the crowd to an evening
with Jonah Goldberg. Then crack the beer, make yourself comfortable, and order Cosmo to take his usual place on the rug beside you. Then have the AV guys roll the first episode….and repeat…and repeat…
Hey, similar methods worked for Andy Kauffman.