Comedian Ben Miller comes from an unusual background for a comedian: He’s a former scientist with an Ivy League education in material design and engineering.

Based in New York, Miller began his foray from science to comedy about eight years ago. During the dark days of the COVID-19 lockdown — “the deep introspective times,” he also calls them — Miller began making a series of science-oriented comedy videos on YouTube.

“There wasn’t a lot of in-person comedy happening. There was a lot of time alone in your room, so what other choice do you have other than turning the camera on yourself?” he said.

He laughed when asked if they were popular, paused a beat and answered, “No, they were not popular. Despite my lack of popularity in the videos, I foolishly persisted.”

It’s a good thing he did, because far more people saw the material live in the one-hour show that Miller developed from the video efforts, “Stand-Up Science.” It enjoyed a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, toured more than 50 cities internationally and, last but not least, came to Bend in February 2024.

Artist-in-residence

Miller returns to Bend this week with “Volcano,” the new show he’s performing at Midtown Ballroom on Saturday.

“Volcano” is Miller’s one-hour set inspired by a month spent as an artist-in-residence in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park in February 2023.

“It’s a lot of jokes,” Miller said, laughing. “The thing that I like to point out to people is sometimes they see that it’s a science-y show, and they’re like, ‘Well, this is not really for me.’ But I’ve written the show to be as accessible as possible. I’ve written the jokes, like, in New York City at comedy clubs for random audiences that are not expecting anything like that. I’ve toured the show in Europe. I’ve toured the show across the U.S. I think it’s enjoyed by people all around.”

Miller has already performed the show previously in Salem, Eugene and Seattle. This time around, he brings it to Corvallis (Friday), Ashland (Sunday), Spokane (Tuesday) and Portland (May 29), along of course, with his Bend performance Saturday.

“Every time I’ve gone to the Pacific Northwest, it’s been really, really fun. The crowds have been good. There’s been a lot of excitement at the shows,” he said. “Even if you’re having fun touring the Midwest, if you’re driving seven hours between shows, it’s just, like, boring flatlands. Whereas the Pacific Northwest, just driving between shows is a pretty spectacular experience.”

Lake of fire

It’s unusual for artist-in-residence programs to host a comedian, and sure enough, Miller was Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park’s first one ever. “And who knows, maybe the last,” he said, laughing.

“In the past, they’ve had, like, musicians, or like, painters, photographers, or people with actual artistic talent. I was like, ‘I don’t know, why don’t I apply and see what happens there?’ And they were generous enough to let me spend the month there.”

While on the island, he spent the month exploring the park, meeting with scientists and learning as much as he could about volcanoes and the history and culture of the island and state of Hawaii. And of course, he wrote jokes.

In the resulting show, he talks about his time as artist-in-residence, Hawaiian history and, of course, volcanoes. The new show is R-rated, and for a bit of insight as to why, you can check out short videos of his show at benmillercomedy.com/volcano.

During the month he was there, the 4,091-foot volcano Kilauea was active.

“It was really cool that I got to, almost every night, go hang out and see a beautiful lava lake erupting,” he said. “It was pretty spectacular to get to witness.”

While Cascades volcanoes are “more explosive and dangerous, the Hawaiian volcanoes in general are a little bit safer and more contained,” Miller explained.

Nonetheless, the 24-year resident of Central Oregon interviewing the comedian had never (knowingly) stood 200 feet above a crater full of lava. Miller, on the other hand, had.

“You could hear the fountain,” he said.

Strange areas, area rugs

As Miller said, he’s performed around the U.S. and world, and not always in typical performance venues such as theaters or clubs. He’s brought science and laughs to all manner of venues, including parking lots and rooftops.

But the weirdest was when he performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

“I happened to find some bookings for a show at a store called John Lewis, which is sort of like a department store, like a Sears or IKEA or something like that,” he said. “ I don’t think they’d ever put on a show before. There’s no hosts (or) someone bringing you up there.

“They literally just set up a microphone in the middle of their store. You’re telling jokes next to area rugs. I don’t know what you’re expecting when you’re going shopping for furniture at a department store, but you definitely don’t expect a random guy telling jokes at you when you turn the corner.

“I was just trying to tell jokes to married couples that were having arguments and their marriages were falling apart, and I was like, ‘What do you think about this?’ It was a very surreal experience.”

Nerdy disruptions 

Given Miller’s mashup of comedy and science, his shows attract a fair share of scientists — including ones who know more than a little about volcanoes.

“I’ve definitely had vulcanologists come see the show,” Miller said. “I appreciate the challenge because I feel like if I get something wrong, the vulcanologists will be vocal about it before or after the show.”

Miller makes for an unusual pick as an artist-in-residence, and his brand of humor makes for unusual, more sober and sobering heckling.

“Most of the hecklers I get are people trying to correct a fact that I said,” Miller said with a chuckle. “Definitely very pedantic heckles.”

If You Go

What: “Volcano,” a science comedy show by Ben Miller

When: 8 p.m. Saturday, 7 p.m. doors

Where: Midtown Ballroom, 51 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend

Cost: $25 plus fees

Contact: midtownballroom.com