Married At The DMV

This is what the newleyweds in the audience told me tonight - that they had been married 2 weeks ago - in the DMV... I didn't know you could do that - is it like a ship's captain sort of thing? Does the driving instructor marry them? Did they have the reception at Conoco? Did they honeymoon at JiffyLube?

This was just one of the side-splitting moments from tonight's show at Wits End Comedy Club in Westminster, CO. I had the privledge of opening for two funny guys - the feature act was Kris Shaw (from Indiana) and Denver's own Darrell Collier was our headliner.

I brought my 17-year old son with me - he has an itch to do comedy - it was a good learning experience for him... and really fun for me to have him in the audience.

If you're in the Denver area, and reading this blog... and looking for something to do tomorrow night or Saturday, then come on out to Wits End in Westminster... find out more at www.witsendcomedyclub.com.

Keep Laughing!

It Was A Peachy Night!

My friends know that whenever someone asks me how I'm doing, my pat response is to say "peachy."

Well, tonight - things WERE peachy!!

I performed at 1st Pres church in Peachtree, GA for about 300 in attendance. It was a great night of performing comedy and leading in worship.

Sam DeCarlo is the coordinator of this series of outreach events (they do one every other month) and he was fantastic to work with.

The church was very warm and kind and seemed to be quite receptive to the humor AND the music - so I not only felt delight - I also felt fulfilled in my calling.

Thanks again, 1st Pres at Peachtree City! You made my night!

This Just In...

I'm blessed... some might call it lucky... others might say fortunate. But from where I sit, I am blessed...

Deep down inside of me - my passion is to entertain, to make people laugh, to make people feel better about life, to give people a break from the stress of growing older every day - to tell jokes, to sing silly songs, and all the other antics I enjoy doing.

And it seems that I am being allowed to do this more and more -

It is the realization of a dream - - or maybe it's simply being allowed to do what I have been wired to do my entire life...

Regardless of which set of phrases I use from the above few paragraphs, the bottom line is that here I am, being offered the chance to earn some money by using my God-given gifts in humor and other creative talents and abilities to make people laugh.

And, though it might sound an awful lot like one of those famous people winning a gold statue, I just have to say...

Thank you, God.

time to catch up

lots going on in the comedy world...

many comedy gigs coming up - check out my growing schedule at www.danmcgowan.com.

since last we spoke, i have become a regular opener at Wits End in Westminster, CO. It's a fun club with a great audience who enjoy laughing at funny material.

I have also been featured regularly at the new Improv that recently came to town. Very exciting.

Comedy Works has opened a second club in the Denver Tech Center area - this will be fantastic for folks down south who love comedy but can't quite get downtown or further north.

I have been enjoying more church and corporate performances and one of my goals for 2009 is to try my hand at cruiseship comedy... i know, i know - NO JOKES ABOUT THE TITANIC!

And - perhaps the most fun part of comedy for me - I continue to meet new comics in town and build great friendships with comics I have already gotten to know! Denver comedy really is a great "scene" (I hate using that word but I am not cool enough to know any other term.)

If you stop by and read this stuff, let me know. You can post a comment here or just send me an email at dan@danmcgowan.com.

KEEP LAUGHING!

Almost One Hundred

Tonight was the first "Just Pure Laughs" show to take place at Denver's new Improv Comedy club in the Northfield area of Denver. Overall, it was a success in that Improv made money, comics made some money, the audience laughed and Improv wants us back. All good!!

Show included Rubi Nicholas, Ron Maranian, Stephanie McHugh, Kevin Ladd, Bob Meddles and myself as headliner.

It was an interesting night for me - I felt very relaxed during my set - probably more so than ever before, which was great! I even joked with a guy and his mom in the front row - something I never really do - but it just sort of happened naturally, which was great. I flubbed a couple of jokes that I never flub - and it actually surprised me.

We had a little under 100 in the audience - was hoping for more, but was glad to have that many! If these can grow, and word of mouth spreads, I'd love to see the place filled!

Clean Comedy is not dead - it's just been resting for a while...

If You Can Read This You're Too Close

Creativity seems to be bursting out of me these days - nothing in particular - feels like a clump of creativity that's been building up over time... making it's way to the surface and exploding out of me in the form of comedy writing, silly songs, blah blah blah...

This is a good thing!

Because I've been in a bit of a dry spell for a while.

Saw the new Batman movie the other night - wow! Loved it. Heath Ledger owned the screen. Can't believe they signed Drew Carey to play the Joker in the next film...

See ya soon!

keyword is hodge podge

truly a hodge podge of info here...

had a fantastic time in Williamsburg, Virginia performing at the Kimball Theater along with Steve Mason, Joey I.L.O. and producer/host of the evening, Teresa Roberts Logan. A great audience and just a fantastic time in this historic part of our country.

last night was a fun night for me - I was added to the list of "regular performers" at Wits End Comedy Club in Westminster, CO. This is a wonderful honor and I'm very grateful for the chance to work as a "week-long" emcee for upcoming shows!

sad news in Denver comedy - - Larry Killingsworth, 55, passed away this last weekend. Larry was a very unique fellow - a plumber by trade, a comic at heart. Larry had the amazing knack of turning any back room of a gas-station into a successful open mic night! And when he wasn't running rooms or performing, he would travel around to other rooms to watch his Denver comic friends perform. You always knew Larry was in the audience by his contagious, jovial, gut-wrenching laugh. Larry will be missed by the entire Denver comedy scene.

UPCOMING SHOWS
July 1 - Star-Spangled Laughter at Festival Playhouse in Arvada
July 3 - Just Pure Laughs at Nissis in Lafayette
July 4 and 5 - Performing in Montrose, CO
July 11 - Just Pure Laughs comedy show in Parker, CO
July 21 - New Faces Contest at Comedy Works in Denver, CO
July 28 - Just Pure Laughs comedy show at the Improv in Denver

Thanks for stopping by...

Weekend In Williamsburg

I'm heading to Williamsburg - historic Williamsburg - near Richmond - historic Richmond - in Virginia - historic Virginia...

Doing comedy at the Kimball Theater - and, I hate to say it, but, yeah - the historic Kimball Theater.

Me, Teresa Roberts Logan, Steve Mason and Joey I.L.O. Quite the variety show!!

I'll let you know how things went upon my return.

Not Really Funny - But I Wanted To Share

Today...

Got me some 4x4x8 wooden posts... some cee-ment... a post-hole digger... some H20... the neighbor kid who's way younger and stronger than me... and we dug ourselves 3 post holes, filled 'em with concrete, stuck posts in 'em and later this week I'll be putting fence slats and a gate on them posts...

NOW maybe my wife will be happy...

Writers Write

Yes, tis true. Writers write...

So, why haven't I been writing? Guess I could offer all the same lame excuses most of us would offer - been in a slump... haven't been inspired... been too busy... the dog ate my jokes...

On one hand, I feel pretty good that between my verbal material and jokes I have about 60 minutes worth of material overall. Mixing and matching, I can get about 45 or so for corporate and about 45 or so for church events.

But I can feel that I need more. I need to trim down my collection of witty anecdotes to only the best and then see how much "ultra-A" material I have... after that, write more material that is, hopefully, of the "A" variety.

What I've noticed, however, is that when audiences continue to laugh at the standard material, it's easy to fall prey to the "Demon of Procrastination" and simply "wait for inspiration." Sometimes that does happen. The other night I penned a couple of new jokes - and I have a few others I've been bantering around, trying to refine.

Tonight I am in a contest over in Westminster at The MadCap Improv Theater. We have 5 - 7 minutes to fill, so I'm doing all my material that usually gets good laughs. I only know two other comics on the show - the other names I don't recognize. Sometimes those "dark horses" can come out of nowhere and steal the votes - and with $100 cash on the line, well, I don't wanna take any chances! (That would just about fill up my minivan to get me back home after the show!)

Don't forget to tip your wait staff...

Don't Look Now, Here Comes Some Comedy

What's coming up on the ol' comedy schedule, you ask?

TONIGHT - at Wits End in Westminster. 2 shows. 8pm and 10:30pm. I'm opening and our headliner is a great guy from LA named Danny Villalpando! Call Wits for info.

Thursday, May 1 - the FINAL round of the semis for The Boulder County Comedy Contest! We have 9 comics competing and our headliner is the amazing SAM ADAMS! I'm the emcee/host.

Tuesday, May 3 - Battle of the Comics at the MadCap Improv in Westminster. A fun night of clean comedy and we're competing for $100!

Friday, May 9 - I'm performing for an education appreciation dinner in Denver. Private event.

Thursday, May 15 - Be Happy Laughing Comedy Show in Boulder! For more info check out www.behappylaughing.com.

Sunday, May 18 - I'm one third of a 3-man comedy show at the MadCap Improv Theater in Westminster. Check out www.danmcgowan.com for more info.

For ALL of the above shows, you can find out more info at www.danmcgowan.com.

THANKS FOR SUPPORTING LIVE COMEDY!

Cheech and.... ME!

Last night I had the distinguished honor of performing comedy and emceeing a fundraising event for Le Gente Sports League which is an organization that offers a full spectrum of sports activities for kids in the Pueblo, CO area. It's an amazing organization and last night the keynote speaker was none other than Cheech Marin (of Cheech and Chong fame - as well as TV, film, animation and many other accomplishments.)

What a great evening - and what a great guy!

It caused me to think how we "non-celebs" always seem so surprised whenever we meet someone who is famous and simply assume they are not nice people! Why is that? Maybe it's because we know, deep down, that if we were not careful, we could be jerks if we ever became famous! Who knows. But it was a pleasure to meet Cheech and hear him speak about the positive influences that Latinos have had on the entertainment industry.

It was a great night and I'm very grateful to have been a part of the gala!

Pure Laughs Produce Joy!

Tonight I was joined by 6 of Denver's hilarious comics in an evening of clean comedy for The Smoky Hill Vineyard Church located in Aurora.

The Vineyard Church did an excellent job of promoting the show because they had over 425 in attendance - not something they expected! It was so cool to see people from the church heading into the sanctuary to bring in more chairs as the audience continued to file in to the event, which took place in their "Mosaic Cafe" just off the main sanctuary.

The performing comics included myself, Isaac Camargo, Spencer James, Kevin Ladd, Ron Maranian, Dmitri Davelle and Bob Meddles.

One of the comics told me he's going to visit that church this coming Sunday! Hope he knows they probably won't let him get up and tell jokes during the sermon... well, he'll find out!

What a great night of comedy it was! The audience really seemed to have a great time and the comics did a great job of bringing clean, G-rated comedy to an audience of all ages!

More comedy nights at The Vineyard are coming soon!

Twenty-Five

Just wanted to mention that 25 years ago today my wife and I got married.

I would tell her the news - except she's sleeping right now. And if I've learned anything after 25 years of marriage - it's to never wake a sleeping wife...

Happy Anniversary Darling!!

How Do You Make 11 People Laugh?

It ain't easy!

Even when you have three comics on stage, all of whom have performed many times, for many venues of all shapes and sizes - bringing what they feel is their best material.

A while back, I learned a valuable "rule of thumb" for comedy. Comedy involves three elements that are summed up with the acrostic, MAP. Material / Audience / Performance. When all three of these elements are working together at optimum levels, you have a fantastic comedy show experience. When one or more of the elements is, for whatever reason, not operating at prime - you have a weak experience. Sometimes the "fault" lies with the material. Sometimes with the audience. And sometimes with the performance.

There is no magic way to ensure that every comedy performance will be. How COULD there be when you have at least 3 major forces that must be working in tandem?

What you are left with, then, as a performing comic, is the reality that sometimes you will suck as a performer, sometimes your material will suck and sometimes the audience will suck...

And there's always another show next Tuesday...

Clean Comedy

Since I work as a "clean comic" I am often asked to define or describe clean comedy. Which, to me, seems a bit backwards. The very question presumes that un-clean comedy is "the norm" when, in reality, it's not. Over the years comedy, like most art forms, has continually stretched the boundaries of the proverbial envelope and to many people the artform has become "less clean" than it once was. And yet, in many ways it hasn't.

I don't know that comedy is "clean" or "dirty" or "raunchy" so much as it is "obvious" or "blatant" or subtle." As a kid I remember seeing many comics on television who you would never classify as "dirty." Yet, if you listened to what they were talking about, there was no mistaking the content of their material. They were just clever and creative. As opposed to so much of entertainment today that is blatant and leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination.

Perhaps we have just become lazy in our entertainment content?

Which is easier? To show a man and woman completely naked rolling around on the floor having sex? Or create sexual tension in a scene through creative writing and story-telling with the same man and woman completely clothed? I would say it's easier to simply show two people naked because there is absolutely no creativity needed.

Same is true of our comedy. We can use all the obvious words and phrases in our act - words and phrases that everyone has heard a million times. Or, we can take 10 more minutes and see if there might be any other way to talk about sex, for example, than to take the obvious route.

There is a fantastic Denver comic who uses the phrases "having relations." We all know what he's talking about and for him, in his act, it works amazingly well. He tells us - without telling us - and everyone laughs.

In the coming weeks I may dialogue here about my thoughts on clean comedy so feel free to come back, read, comment or yell at the screen.

In the meantime - go tell a joke!

Laughs On The Horizon

Just wanted to let you know of some upcoming laugh opportunities...

April 1 (no fooling) - The Battle of the Comics at MadCap Improv Theater in Westminster, CO
April 3 - Boulder Comedy Contest at Nissis - stop by at 6:30 for dinner, 7:30 for show.
April 8 - Private corporate event for firemen - no smoking allowed!
April 12 - Private corporate event in Denver
April 15 - After Tax Laugh Attack at Festival Playhouse in Arvada, CO
April 17 - Red and Jerry's Comedy show in Denver
April 18 - Clean comedy at The Vineyard Church in Aurora, CO
April 19 - Private Fundraiser event (opening for Cheech Marin!)
April 20 - Clean comedy at 1st Methodist Church of Castle Rock, CO
April 25 - Comedy at Wits End Comedy Club in Westminster, CO

April has lot of laughs! Come on out and enjoy!

New Blog, Now Blogdom

Here it is - the newly created comedy blog of Dan McGowan called "Just Pure Laughs." That's what this will be! A hybrid of anecdotes, cartoons, chronicle of my adventures in comedy and more! And, of course, whatever YOU add to the mix via your comments.

So - enjoy!

And don't forget to tip your wait staff...