MERRY CHRISTMAS

Upcoming Comedy
Wednesday, December 20 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Thursday, December 21 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Friday, December 22 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Saturday, December 23 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

Just want to wish everyone who reads this a happy holidays. It's been a great year for me, and things continue to look even better for the year ahead. I'm at the Comic Strip this week, and then will be taking some time to be with my family, who have been such a great support for me.

If you're jonesing for something to read, two folks whose writing I've been thoroughly enjoying are KELLY SOLODUKA and AMBER (I have no idea what her last name is). They can be found at http://www.myspace.com/soloduka and
http://www.myspace.com/bougieworld respectively. Fabulously entertaining stuff, especially if you're a believer in mouse sociopolitics, Jerry Bruckheimer, or Britney Spears' crotch.

NOTE: MPW MADNESS is on temporary hiatus from television. However there are some ongoing talks, and I expect to have some positive news to announce in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, there are shows booked through 2007 so I hope people will continue to check out the live events. The wrestlers and production team are some of the hardest working people I know and definitely worth checking out.

Update (edited)

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, December 11 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Wednesday, December 20 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Thursday, December 21 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Friday, December 22 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Saturday, December 23 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Sunday, December 24 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

Busy week this week. I host Hit or Miss Monday tonight at the Comic Strip. Tomorrow I'm filming lead-ins to the next episode of MPW MADNESS. Wednesday, is the filming for SURE-SHOT DOMBROWSKI (or at least my part in it) and Saturday is MPW's next live show--MPW JINGLE BRAWLS. The MPW show will be an afternoon show at the Alberta Ave Community hall and proceeds will be donated to Santas Anonymous, a classy gesture on the part of MPW.

I'm also trying to get my passport for a trip to the States next year. Why did I have to wait until you actually needed a passport to make this decision? The Passport Office is a nightmare, with people travelling for Christmas and with the new travel stuff coming in in January. Oh well. If that's the worst problem I have, I'm in pretty good shape.

Acutally the worst problem I have is Christmas shopping for my family. If anybody has any ideas, I'm open to suggestions.

Update
Upcoming Comedy
Monday, December 11 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Wednesday, December 27 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Thursday, December 28 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Friday, December 29 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Saturday, December 30 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

Busy week this week. I host Hit or Miss Monday tonight at the Comic Strip. Tomorrow I'm filming lead-ins to the next episode of MPW MADNESS. Wednesday, is the filming for SURE-SHOT DOMBROWSKI (or at least my part in it) and Saturday is MPW's next live show--MPW JINGLE BRAWLS. The MPW show will be an afternoon show at the Alberta Ave Community hall and proceeds will be donated to Santas Anonymous, a classy gesture on the part of MPW.

I'm also trying to get my passport for a trip to the States next year. Why did I have to wait until you actually needed a passport to make this decision? The Passport Office is a nightmare, with people travelling for Christmas and with the new travel stuff coming in in January. Oh well. If that's the worst problem I have, I'm in pretty good shape.

Acutally the worst problem I have is Christmas shopping for my family. If anybody has any ideas, I'm open to suggestions.

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, December 11 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Wednesday, December 27 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Thursday, December 28 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Friday, December 29 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Saturday, December 30 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM
Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

It's been a productive week for writing. I'm still plodding away on a teleplay I've been pecking at for some time. We also did the lead-ins for the next MPW show. RIPPER and I are working together pretty well, although I don't think my own performance was as good as last week. However, I'm told most people watch don't watch wrestling for the announcers. They wrestling for the wrestling--though you wouldn't know it from how little of it some of the other wrestling shows put on.

KATHLEEN MCGEE is hosting a Comedy Contest at the Sidetrack Cafe December 14. Go down there and vote for who you think the funniest person is. The contest will be running regularly and is open to pro comics and people just starting out, so if you want to compete for the prize ($400), contact her through the contest myspace at www.myspace.com/kokaneecomedybattle . It's a lot of fun, so I encourage you to sign up and bring your friends since the winner will be decided by audience reaction. The December 14 show is all booked up, but she's hoping to run more shows in the future.

Incidentally, this isn't the first room Kathleen's hosted. She also ran rooms in the Thirsty Turtle and Blue Chicago, so this isn't her first trip to the dance. I remember Blue Chicago with a lot of fondness since I cut most of my open-mic teeth there when I was starting out. I also cut my teeth on those five dollar steaks, but that's another story.

Thinking about where I've come from reminds me to be grateful to the people who have helped me along my way, giving me a place to write or perform. Whether its' writing, comedy, wrestling, or life in general, there have been a lot of people who stood behind me who don't get recognition. From the staff of the clubs to the editors at the paper to the friends and family who have provided me with so much encouragement over the years, I offer a heartfelt thank you.

Update

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, December 1 - Kid Stuff

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, December 11 - The Comic Strip

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

Quiet week this week (at least professionally). I've been getting lots of writing done though, so that's always a nice feeling. People often ask me where I get my ideas. I actually find ideas easy. It's turning those ideas into a decent column that's the work. My next column, on kids, runs this Friday in the Edmonton Journal.

As well, a new episode of MPW MADNESS airs this week at the usual time. It'll feature SHANE O'RYAN's return to action and the INSANE IRISHMAN/FINAL CHAPTER match I went on about at some length a few weeks ago. Filming the lead-ins for the show was as smooth as it's ever gone. RIPPER and I are working like a well-polished machine. Or a well-oiled shoe. Or something.

Wednesday Night.

If you're wondering what every comic in the city will be doing Wednesday night, they'll be listening to CJSR at midnight. Here's why:

Powermann and Lars co-host a weekly radio show with a focus on stand up comedy every Wednesday at midnight (MST) on CJSR 88.5 FM. or you can tune in online at www.cjsr.com This week their guest is Doug Stanhope! He was host of the Man Show and Girls Gone Wild. But to comedians he is known for comedy and he is the HUGE!!!

"Ask anyone whose opinion matters, and they'll tell you Doug Stanhope is one of the top ten stand-ups in the world today. [...]" Chortle UK

If you have a question for Doug email us here at kkcjsr@hotmail.com.
Doug Stanhope myspace http://www.myspace.com/dougstanhope
Doug Stanhope website http://www.dougstanhope.com/"

Update

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Journal

Friday, November 17 - The Best Announcer in the World

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

First of all, thanks to all who sent in birthday wishes. It means a lot.

My next Jounal article runs this Friday, and it's on my experiences as an announcer for Monster Pro Wrestling. Speaking of MPW, no pies in this week's MPW show, but it will feature two title matches: NITE vs. HEAVY METAL for the Jr. Heavyweight championship (It was a show-stealer live) and MASSIVE DAMAGE vs. DARREN "THE BOMB" DALTON in a barbed wire match. And yes, the shorts to which I refer in the article, are indeed the ones Massive Damage is wearing in the match.

The XM radio tapings at Yuks went well last Friday. I was the first act up on the late show, which means I didn't get as much of a chance to suss out the crowd as I would have liked. Still, I had a decent but not spectactular set. A lot of guys from Calgary came down, so it was great to see them. If I was better at names, I'd mention them, but they definitely established themselves as guys to watch. I also was glad to see KERRY UNGER again. On and off stage he's such a cool guy. If you get a chance to see him, do so. If you've seen the cartoon Yuk Yuks ads that run in SEE magazine every week, he's the guy behind them. Funny stuff. He's also part of THE NE'ER DO WELLS, a band that does some really funny songs. Look 'em up on myspace.

KATHLEEN MCGEE was co-middling Sunday at the Comic Strip with ANDREW IWANYK, while WELBY SANTOS headlined and KELLY SOLODUKA hosted. I enjoy watching all four of these guys (and gal), but I was most blown away at how much Kathleen and Kelly have both improved over the past few months. I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Watching other people grow and develop is one of the coolest things in comedy.

Rehersals are underway for SURE-SHOT DUMBROWSKI, a feature length movie directed by TIM MCKORT. I have a small role, but I intend to be the best Russian Goal Judge ever. In other movie-ish news, BILL GEE, LARS CALLEIOU and I shot a short teaser to promote the Edmonton Journal's ed magazine with the help (and camera of DON CAMPBELL). Alternate takes also included a cameo by the one-and-only MAX MAULT. If it makes the website, I'll let everyone know.

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting the home of wrestler "MR. INTENSITY" MARK POSEY (and of course his wife, the lovely Mrs. Intensity). ECLIPSE and HEAVY METAL came along as well, and we discovered that Mark has a box full of old wrestling magazines from the days when the territories thrived and wrestling was treated as real. It made me realize how much times have changed, and how fortunate the MPW guys are. As far as I know, MPW is the only independent Canadian wrestling promotion with television, so our wrestlers gain some invaluable experience. If you happen to be reading this and are interested in getting involved in MPW as a wrestler, contact them through the www.monsterprowrestling.com website.

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Friday, November 10 - Yuk Yuks (Edmonton)

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, November 17 - The Best Announcer in the World

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

They're having XM radio tapings at Yuk Yuks this Friday night. I'm on the 10:30 PM show with SEAN LECOMBER and a number of others. Hope to see you there.

This Friday night on MPW MADNESS I'm told we'll see the footage of my character getting pied by the Heatseekers. I expect there might also be some wrestling too, so tune in.

I MC'd Monday at the Comic Strip. MCing is one of the most personally challenging spots for me, but it's also one of the most rewarding. A good MC warms up the crowd and convinces them that the show they're going to see is the greatest show they will ever see. I've noticed a good MC also affects the way other comics, especially less experienced ones approach a show. A bad attitude is contagious and if the crowd isn't responding well, sometimes comic will go on stage already surly and hostile towards the audience. Other MCs are so great that when you go up, you feel ready to give your best, because they've made the crowd feel so welcome and comfortable, that you have a lot of freedom to do what you want.

Rehearsals for 'Sure-Shot Dombrowski' in which I'll be playing a small role start this Sunday. BILL GEE, LARS CALLEIOU and I are also planning to shoot something for the Edmonton Journal website on Monday. I'll keep everyone posted.

Upcoming Comedy
Sunday, November 5 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, November 6 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Journal -TBA

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

MPW Vendetta went really well. (My latest Art Gallery column is finally written and posted at www.monsterprowrestling.com in the News section.) There was some chaos backstage before the show and that's when you really appreciate having veterans around. WHile MASSIVE DAMAGE dealt with logistics, STEVE RIVERS really stepped up and got everyone organized for the promos and the show. I really enjoyed SHARP vs. INFERNO and NITE and HEAVY METAL told a cool story in their tag match.

My favorite though was FINAL CHAPTER vs. INSANE IRISHMAN. FInal Chapter was wearing a mask and a jumpsuit which makes him more initmidating, but also means that Irishman had to really use his face and body language to convey the story. Ironically, when you're trying to make someone look like an unstoppable monster, it's the guy getting his butt kicked who makes or breaks the match, and Irishman did a great job. It's always more fearsome when the guy fighting impossible odds is someone you care about, and considering he hasn't been back long enough for us to really get to know him as a competitor, Irish did an awesome job of making himself both likeable to the crowd, and also gutsy as he put everything he had into the match and refusing to back down. I hope that match makes it to TV as it is a great example of two guys putting a match together in a way where regardless of the outcome, they both leave looking better than when they went in.

(Funny story: My parents came out for the night and Mom had a great time clapping and cheering and joining in for all the chanting (this is especially funny if you know what my mom is like). Anyway, during the NITE/SICILIAN ASSASSIN vs. HEAVY METAL/STEVIE SAINT tag match, Stevie was playing the role of the plucky, resilient good guy, who despite taking a severe pummeling from the bad guys, can't be put away despite the villains' best efforts. While Nite was choking Stevie, a "Let's go Stevie!" Clap-clap-clap! chant broke out with my Mom joining in. The funny part was, Nite's mom was sitting beside mine looking all sad. When my mom talked to her, Nite's mom was like, "I know he's supposed to be a bad guy, but I really wish people would cheer for my son. Deep down, he's a very nice boy.")

At The COMIC STRIP last night, Radio personality PAUL BROWN was the host. Paul's a great guy, and even offered to listen to some of my commentary and give me some pointers. THE PAUL BROWN show takes place Weekday mornings on 100.3 the Bear and also features YUKON JACK who I've worked with for MPW. So give them a listen. The shows were great and also featured POWERMANN who hosts his own radio show with LARS CALLEIOU on CJSR FM 88, Wednesdays at midnight.

Anyway, I'm up again at The Comic Strip tonight. CHRIS NANNARONE is headlining, and ANDREW IWANYK will be the MC, so it should be an interesting evening. Hope to see you there. I'm also MCing tomorrow at the Strip for Hit or Miss Monday, which is a great chance to check out the UP and Coming comics in the Edmonton scene. I find MCing the most challenging spot on the show, but also one of the most rewarding. I hope to see you there. Come up and say hello.

El Updat-O

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, October 30 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Thursday, November 2 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Saturday, November 4 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Sunday, November 5 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, November 6 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal (subject to change)
Friday, November 3 - Strictly Ballroom

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Other appearances
Friday, November 3 - MPW Vendetta-Kingsay Hangars, Edmonton

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

I had the pleasure of MCing for NAVIN PRATAP at THE COMIC STRIP last night. Long time followers of this blog may remember NAVIN as one of the guys I first watched many moons ago and he and ANGIE ISMOND were really instrumental in my comic development. It was a real joy to be able to bring him up as a headliner and see how much he's grown as a comedian.

The best part about my life is the wild characters you meet. Whether it's running through the snow with wrestler HEAVY METAL looking for a psychic fair or an open restaraunt or driving with comic MAX MAULT listening to Blue Oyster Cult and making up ridiculous jokes about different animals walking into the bar, ("This duck walks into a bar. The bartender says, "What can I get you?" and the duck says: "Just the bill." Ba-dump.) You meet people you will never encounter anywhere else.

Lots of rumours floating around on a number of different projects I've been working on, but no official news to report. I've been offered a small movie role (and I like tendering offers a lot more than I like auditioning, I'll tell you that). As well, there's been talk that MPW may be making yet another leap forward and I've been approached about a comedy radio taping. As always, we'll see what happens, and I'll believe it when I see it, but it is exciting to have my name attached to all these rumors. Trust me--if anything comes of these things, I will be the first to brag about it. Except, kind of I already did though I really have nothing to brag about at this point. Oh well. Hatched or not, chicken-counting has always been a guilty pleasure of mine.

A couple weeks ago I saw the play (G)LISTENING, directed by HEATHER FITZSIMMONS-FREY who was the dramaturge (don't ask me what that is--I still don't know exactly) on my play THE SATANIST'S WIFE a few years back. The play finished it's run, so it's kind of pointless to plug it, but I did want to say how much I liked it. I especially liked the way the two actors were able to use space and movement and facial expression to convey so much emotion. There was a lot of dance-style lifts and moves and twists, and it was really cool. I've said before how much I admire performers who can express with their faces and body language and (g)listening did not disappoint. And there was dirty stuff too.

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, October 30 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Thursday, November 2 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Saturday, November 4 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, November 6 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal (subject to change)
Friday, November 3 - Strictly Ballroom

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Other appearances
Friday, November 3 - MPW Vendetta-Kingsay Hangars, Edmonton

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

Hard to believe October is nearly over. Work on MADNESS is taking up a lot of time, but the finished product is worth it. With VENDETTA coming up, we really tried to promote it on this upcoming week's show, so check it out this week--we filmed a music video of RIPPER rapping and me dancing. We're gangsta. I hope it doesn't get cut to make room for wrestling (I know, I know, a wrestling show that puts the priority on the matches--crazy)I haven't had time to get a Art Gallery piece for the www.monsterprowrestling.com website, so I feel guilty. There's still lots of cool things to check out on the site though, so give it a look.

I feel like I've been incredibly busy lately. I've also started trying to have a social life again, and justified it to myself by saying it's research. Sometimes having a type A personality isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I could have sworn I had more to write about. How can a professional write put together such a boring blog? Oh well.

Speaking of cool blogs, POWERMANN has a nifty new theory about male/female relations up on his myspace account. It's cool reading. And CHRISTINA's record release party is this Friday. I hope there's cheese.

Y'all Need an Update

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, October 30 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal - TBA

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Other appearances
Friday, November 3 - MPW Vendetta-Kingsay Hangars, Edmonton

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

I am a poor self-promoter. One of my articles ran Friday in the Journal and I didn't even realize it, until someone called me about it. For those of you who are wondering about DJ DERVISH, he spins at SUBURBS on Jasper Ave. on DAZ OONTZ nights.

I also met the lead singer of the band SOLLIPSIS today. I haven't seen them yet, and they're looking for a drummer, but keep an eye out for them. I'm sure they're very good. Also on the music front, I believe CHRISTINA is having a CD release party on October 27 at the Stanley Milner Library. Check her website www.christina-music.com for details.

But what are YOU doing these days, Dan, I hear you ask? Stop promoting other people and let's hear what you've got going on. Well, right now, I'm just continuing with the usual gang of suspects (writing, comedy, MPW television) in my quest to become the bestcomedian/writer/pro wrestling announcer in the world. Not many people have that many slashes in their job description.

Cue self-indulgent music.

I've been thinking a lot about what makes the difference between a good and a great live entertainer. To me, it has nothing to do with the technical quality of your work as much as your ability to capture the imagination of the crowd. Watching RIC BRONSON one night, a nameless young comic remarked, "I've been listening to his jokes, and I don't see why he's so great." To me, that made the point better than I could ever hope to explain. Because the guy was listening to the jokes. He wasn't listening to the crowd. And the crowd was going nuts.

That to me is what makes comics like RIC BRONSON and wrestlers like CHI CHI CRUZ and STEVE RIVERS stand out. It's not the jokes or the moves that make you successful (which is funny coming from me, because I love hearing a cleverly written joke or a seeing move I haven't seen before). It's the right joke/move at the right time. What sets Bronson, Rivers, and Cruz apart isn't their joke-writing or phycsical ability. It's the way they're able to 'conduct' and 'pace' a crowd, bringing the energy up or down as it is needed. The jokes and the moves are just the paint brushes. It's the audience reaction that is the work of art.

One day I hope to get to that level. Right now I depend on the quality of my jokes to get me over with crowds. That isn't comedy. That's writing jokes and saying them out loud.

Right now, I'm a joke-writer. One day, I want to be a comedian. And I'm enjoying the journey every step of the way.

Happy Anniversary

Upcoming Comedy
Wednesday, October 4 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, October 30 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal - TBA

Television
(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

Last month was the busiest month I've ever done in comedy--21 shows. That sounds pretty good until you realize that's less than half of what Lars did in September. Still, it's nice seeing everybody getting stage time. I feel I've improved so much in the last month. I hope I can carry this momentum forward into October.

Speaking of which, October 5 will mark my second anniversary in comedy. It's such a big part of my life, it's weird to think I've only been doing it two years. But what a ride. I've gotten opportunities I never would have dreamed of and met some really cool people. I've also learned a lot about myself. If anyone were to ask me for a piece of advice about comedy, I'd tell them...well, I'd tell them to go ask someone who knows what they're talking about. But if pressed I would say, find what you're passionate about and do that. That isn't just for comedy, that applies to life as well. It sounds kind of pollyanna-ish, but with each and every passing day, I'm more convinced that it's true. These are the best days of my life, and they're only getting better.

PSA

-Just a reminder that it is Fun-drive week for CJSR. They raise a lot of their operating costs during this week to keep shows like Kamikaze Komedy (hosted by LARS CALLIEOU and POWERMANN) on the air. KKomedy is a great show. I listen to 80% of it every week (the rest is lost in a haze of static--stupid crappy radio) and it's the only place you can hear guests like Punk'd's ROB PUE and others in an uncensored environment.

YOu get free stuff for donating and a tax receipt if you give over 60$. If you want to make an investment in Kamikaze Komedy, independent radio, and freedom and democracy, call (780) 492-CJSR extension 7.

-Speaking of media stuff, we finished the voice over work for the next couple episodes of MPW MADNESS (Friday nights/Saturday Morning at 1AM on ACCESS TV). There will be some great matches in the next couple weeks, but one you definitely won't want to sleep on is NITE vs. STEVIE SAINT for the Jr. Heavyweight Championship. These two don't match up often--I've only seen it happen twice--but when they do, they make sweet, sweet slobberknockin' magic.

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Wednesday, September 27 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Thursday, September 28 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton
Friday, October 30 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, September 29 (UNCONFIRMED) - My Parents vs. the Computer

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AMOther Appearances
Friday, September 29 - MPW New Blood (11410 Kingsway Ave)

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-At long last the great Monster Pro Wrestling Commissioner debate will be resolved, this Friday at the Kingsway hangars at 7:00pm at 11410 Kingsway Ave. I won the voting, so I guess it's just a matter of accepting the official announcement. Thanks to all who voted. Feel free to come down--ticket information is at www.monsterprowrestling.com. I'm a big fan of traditional wrestling the way it should be, so I'm looking forward to taking steps to eliminating a lot of the outside interference that have marred many of MPW's matches as of late, especially with regards to the AMERICAN PATRIOTS.

-Monday at the Strip was a blast. I MC'd and LARS CALLEIOU headlined. To make matters better, during Lars' set, SEAN LECOMB(E)R(E) [sp?] got on the house mic and guested as "Lars' brain." It was hysterical watching Lars do his set while Sean chimed in with Lars' 'thoughts." I also met KRIS SHAW from Indianapolis. He's one of the most positive people I've met and he had a lot of great things to say about our local comedy scene and how supportive we are of one another. I hate to be arrogant, but I think he's right. I really love the other comics in town (but not in a gross way). I'm proud to be an Edmonton comic, and I can't think of a single comedian in Edmonton that I would want to see fail (It's those Inisfail comics you have to watch out for--they'll stab you in the back every time).

-It's unconfirmed but one of my articles might be running this Friday in the Living section. Huzzah!

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Wednesday, September 20 - Yuk Yuks (Edmonton)
Sunday, September 24 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, September 25 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Wednesday, September 27 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Thursday, September 28 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton
Friday, October 30 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, September 22 - Getting By With a Little Help From...

Television
(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Other Appearances
Friday, September 29 - MPW New Blood (11410 Kingsway Ave)

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-Monster Pro Wrestling is on television and not only did I forget to hype it here, I missed the premiere because I was doing a comedy show. I was also apparently on CITY-TV over the weekend for an interview Lars and I taped about the Sidetrack Cafe, and I missed that. I'd fire my publicist, except that I'm it. Anyway, MPW Madness is airing on Access television Friday nights/Saturday mornings at 1Am. We were in the studio earlier taping some lead-ins, and it was a lot of fun. There should also be some online content up at www.monsterprowrestling.com in the next little while.

-Speaking of shows on at ungodly hours, I hope you've had a chance to check out Kamikaze Komedy with LARS CALLIEOU and POWERMANN on CJSR FM 88.5 Wednesdays at midnight. It's a really great look at the local scene, plus they often have guests that range from the top names in international comedy, to--well--me. CJSR is a University station and run on fundraising. If I'm not mistaken, they're in the midst of a push to raise funds, so if you feel generous, feel free to invest in them with a donation on behalf of Kamikaze Komedy.

-If you listen to the radio station Magic 99 and hear a song called "No Regrets," that's Christina (also known as Christina Schmoke). She's a local singer/songwriter, and I've known her for a couple years. If you dig the tune visit or website at www.christina-music.com or call the radio station and request her. She also has a gig this Saturday at the Blue Chair Cafe, so if you want to see her live, check it out.

Upcoming Comedy
Wednesday, September 13 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Thursday, September 14 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Friday, September 15 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Saturday, September 16 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Sunday, September 17 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, September 18 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Wednesday, September 20 - Yuk Yuks (Edmonton)
Sunday, September 24 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, September 25 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, September 22 - Getting By With a Little Help From...

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-Last Monday was probably the most fun I've had doing comedy. Since there wasn't enough of a crowd to justify a show, but most of the dozen comics or so who were there still wanted to perform, LARS CALLEIOU hit upon the idea of all of us performing for each other, but with a twist--we had to perform another comic's jokes. Make sense? Anyway, we drew names and I got to be ANDREW IWANYK for an evening, while my material was performed by Lars. The highlight of the night was MAX MAULT doing ED WENDE. He could only remember one joke (not surprising since Max often has a hard time remembering his own material) so he kept repeating it over and over, finally ending with this exchange..

MAX: I'm going for that Moby's older brother look. Umm...Moby was a whale. And I'm going for that Moby's older brother look. (to Ed) Ed, what are some more of your jokes?

ED: Well, I do stuff about my parents and kids, where they...

MAX: Oh, yeah, right, right, right. (to the crowd) I'm going for that parents and kids look.

Classic. Afterwards, Lars bought everyone drinks at Sherlock's because he won money playing poker and because he's a cool guy, and then Max paid for my food at the Sidetrack, because...well, because he's one of the classiest guys on the planet, though you'd never know it from watching him on stage.

Nights like that, you appreciate being a comic. Just doing what you love, and hanging out with other people who love comedy and life too. There's this cliche that comedians are often depressed and sad, and while there's sometimes some truth to that, comics also have a deep passion and love for life--at least in Edmonton. I wouldn't have traded last night for the world. People ask me how long it will take me to be succesful at comedy. I say I already have. My late brother and his wife had a quote they showed me about mountaing climbing: "The best climber in the world is the one who's having the most fun." That applies to a lot of other things too.

-For those of you wondering about this mysterious book project I've been working on, you can learn a bit more about it at 10otherwomen.blogspot.com. The short version is, it's going to be a book on dating and relationships. I think there may be one or two books about that already on the market, but I really think I'm onto something (end Sarcasm). It's going to be at least partly autobiographical, but I have a "unique" attitude towards dating and a tendency to misbehave in my personal life, so I'm looking for stories to help give a more balanced perspective.

UPcoming (edited--September 9)

Upcoming Comedy
Wednesday, September 13 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Thursday, September 14 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Friday, September 15 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Saturday, September 16 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Sunday, September 17 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Sunday, September 24 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, September 25 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, September 22 - Getting By With a Little Help From...

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

Thanks to everyone who wrote in about the article on my brother. It meant a lot to me that people connected with it and shared their own stories of loss as well. Reading everyone's stories was very moving and a couple times I found myself overwhelmed with emotion. I try to make a point of answering anybody who takes the time to write in as soon as possible. In this case, though, it may take a few days before I get back to everyone, partially from the number of responses, but mostly because of it is pretty intense emotionally. If you wrote in and didn't hear back from me, thanks in advance for your patience. I promise I'll get to everyone I can.


Before the MPW show, they played Dokken's "Tooth and Nail" CD which had me all a-twitter; I haven't heard that album in ages. From my 'Martial' Art character's point of view, that turned out to be the high point of the show. The show was great, but also one of the darker and grimmer shows (and bloodiest) we've put on as from top-to-bottom of the card, the 'bad guys' unrelentingly dominated the show. As a fan, I'm notorious for cheering for the bad guys, but as a character I really got pulled into the hopelessness of the situation from the broadcast table, and I hope that genuine emotion comes through on the DVD. I expect this show will be mostly remembered for the sheer bloody barbarism of the main event between MASSIVE DAMAGE and DARREN 'THE BOMB' DALTON, but there are a lot of other things that happened on the show that led up to it that I hope people appreciate. CHI CHI CRUZ vs. BORIS THE BRUISER was a really cool piece of storytelling the way it started quiet and descended into a nightmare, while BIG JESS and 'ALL AMERICAN' STEVE RIVERS managed to draw in the crowd without using outside interference or blood or gimmicks. The match most in danger of being overlooked because it was early in the card and didn't have a lot of build is AJ SANCHEZ vs. BOBBY SHARP, but if it's a sign of things to come, then both these guys have pretty bright futures.

(Bye the bye, according to reports, I won the voting for MPW commissioner. Thanks to all who voted in. They're planning on making an announcement at the next show. Look forward to HEAVY METAL singing how he "feels pretty and witty and bright" very shortly as per my campaign promises.)

I had in mind to do a ramble about comedy, but this is already getting a bit long. Maybe I'll save those thoughts for a rainy day. I always worry both with comedy and with wrestling that if I fill this space with too much 'shop talk' casual readers will get bored or annoyed that i'm wrecking the magic for them. Personally, i think knowing more about something makes it more fun and gives me a deeper appreciation for it, but I certainly understand why people might hold a different opinion.

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, September 4 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Wednesday, September 6 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Wednesday, September 13 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Thursday, September 14 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Friday, September 15 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Saturday, September 16 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Sunday, September 17 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Sunday, September 24 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, September 25 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, September 1 - Remembering Tom
Friday, September 15 - Getting By With a Little Help From...

Other Appearances
MPW Last Rites - Friday, September 1

Upcoming Short StoriesThe Girl Who Feared Lightning - Check www.blackgate.com for details.

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-Pretty cool night last night at the SIDETRACK. LARS and I filmed an interview with CITY TV along with a number of the other musicians about the Sidetrack's open mic. A lot of other comics came down including KATHLEEN, ANDREW, TRAVIS ROBINSON, the elusive SHAWN GRAMIAK and MAX MAULT. An attractive redhead even gave Max her number, which was awesome. It's nice to see the ladies discovering what the rest of us already knew: Max is the Man.

To the left (I hope) is a pic of the soon-to-be-Comedy Superstars from the night, plus Open Stage host Ben Spencer: (L to R: TRAVIS ROBINSON, SHAWN GRAMIAK, LARS CALLEIOU, KATHLEEN MCGEE, BEN SPENCER (in the back), DAN BRODRIBB, ANDREW IWANYK (bottom). Not Pictured: MAX MAULT--but he was gettin' lucky, so he's excused)



At the Fringe on Saturday, I saw Doug the PUsh-up guy. He's a street performer who does push-ups for money. It's actually kind of inspiring. And goes to show you can make a living doing anything.

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, September 4 - The Comic Strip
Thursday, September 14 - The Comic Strip
Friday, September 15 - The Comic Strip
Saturday, September 16 - The Comic Strip
Sunday, September 17 - The Comic Strip

Living Articles in the Journal -TBA

Other Appearances
MPW Last Rites - Friday, September 1

Upcoming Short Stories
The Girl Who Feared Lightning - Check www.blackgate.com for details.

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

Thanks to all who voted in the poll at www.monsterprowrestling.com. Hopefully, they'll announce results at the next show, September 1

I finally finished the sequel to "...Lighting" as well as a couple more articles. I'm hoping for good things from them.

Interesting week at the Comic Strip. Monday was marred by a tough crowd. Nearly have the audience was from one group and they were more interested in socializing and being disruptive than watching the show. I felt bad for the other people who came to watch the performance. ANDREW IWANYK and Lars really laid into them, which I respect. Wednesday I was on a show headlined by Ric Bronson, and he did great despite being a little bit under the weather.

Unfortunately I fell asleep and missed Kamikaze Komedy with Lars and POWERMANN, which is disappointing because it featured The Ne'er Do Well's KERRY UNGER. They've got some great tunes. The myspace link for the Ne'er Do Wells is http://www.myspace.com/the_neer_do_wells and Kamikaze Komedy is at http://www.myspace.com/kkomedy

TOP SECRET PS: I've got a new writing project on the go, that I'm excited about...and maybe you can help. Keep an eye on this space for details

Martial Art Wants You--Wait, Not YOU, Evan Inferno

In my last blog entry, I forgot to mention that there's a poll on www.monsterprowrestling.com asking who should be the new commissioner, and my alter-ego, "Martial" Art McNeil is on the ballot. My broadcast partner Ripper is also on the ballot, and while I have no doubt he will get more votes than me (I'm the Tubbs to his Crockett, the Jannetty to his Michaels, the Mick Mars to his Tommy Lee) , I'd like to keep the final tally respectable so we don't have to hear him crow about it all over the next DVD taping.

Remember, if elected I promise to take the focus off wrestling in MPW and on more "family friendly" sports entertainment: diva searches and washed-up gimmicks from the past. Wait, someone beat me to it. Okay, how about MPW Musical Theatre. Who wouldn't pay to see The HEATSEEKERS do Jazz Hands or hear HEAVY METAL sing 'I Feel Pretty.'

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, September 4 - The Comic Strip
Thursday, September 14 - The Comic Strip
Friday, September 15 - The Comic Strip
Saturday, September 16 - The Comic Strip
Sunday, September 17 - The Strip

Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, August 18

Upcoming Short Stories
The Girl Who Feared Lightning - Check www.blackgate.com for details.

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-It was nice to see TRAVIS ROBINSON at the Sidetrack last night, doing his first set in a year or so. "I feel like an alcoholic about to take his first drink," he told me and confessed he hoped the set would go badly. Instead he got two applause breaks out of three jokes. That's comedy: Just when you think you're out, they pull you back in.

-Article coming out this Friday. I haven't been in for photo shoots so they've been using file photos. BOO! I want to see myself in the paper.

-Next MPW show looks to be LAst Rites on Friday, September 1. They're running Friday instead of Saturday, and it could be their last show at their current location. Check www.monsterprowrestling.com for the particulars. The NITE/HEAVY METAL/STEVIE SAINT Jr. Heavyweight match should be particularly cool.

Upcoming Comedy
Wednesday, August 9 - The Comic Strip
Monday, August 21 - The Comic Strip

Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, August 11 or 18 (TBA)

Upcoming Short StoriesThe Girl Who Feared Lightning - Check www.blackgate.com for details.

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-In today's EDMONTON JOURNAL, SCOTT MCKEEN wrote a column on none other than ANDREW IWANYK. Scott has written some good stuff in the past, including a piece on grown-up geeks that I really liked. It's also great to see Andrew getting more and more recognition. I performed with Andrew twice on Monday (once at the Comic Strip, once at the Sidetrack--to two vastly different crowd reactions) and he really is one of the hardest working comics out there. he has his own vision and refuses to give up on it. I really think he could make it in this business, so go check him out now so you can say you knew him back when...

-I finished work on the pilot for the Monster Pro Wrestling Madness Televsion show. It's tentatively scheduled to run Saturday, August 26 at midnight on Access (Channel 9) all across Alberta. MPW is planning their Alberta Ave. Show for the 26th as well, so you can go catch the show live, and then run home and see them on TV. It's a wrestling extravaganza! We're also going to do the post-production stuff for the Massacre show this week, so hopefully that will be out soon as well. Check out www.monsterprowrestling.com for the latest updates.

-Work continues apace on my various short stories. I'm very happy with my spelling.

-I might be at the Comic Strip this last weekend in August. It hasn't been confirmed yet, but check back to this blog or my site, and I'll let you know as soon as I have something confirmed.

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Sunday, August 6 - The Comic Strip
Wednesday, August 9 - The Comic Strip
Monday, August 21 - The Comic Strip

Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, August 11 or 18 (TBA)

Upcoming Short Stories
The Girl Who Feared Lightning - Check www.blackgate.com for details.

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-Once again, I've been remiss with my updating. My brother passed away a couple weeks ago, and I've been focused on that. Something like that really makes you re-evaluate your priorities. One thing both of me and my brother were committed to is living the kind of life that we wanted instead of what others wanted for us. I guess I'm even more grateful now for the opportunities I've had, now that I've been reminded it can be taken away at any moment.

-It looks like MPW is in negotiations for some province wide television exposure, so it's back to the Idiom control room to get ready for the pilot. I'm very excited about it, but I'm also a little sad that my brother will never get to see it. We used to watch wrestling together as kids, and once put on a 'match' for my father's birthday complete with entrances (the finish was a splash off the coffee table as I recall).

-ANDREW IWANYK did very well at Just For Laughs, and a major studio has expressed interest in him. That's great news. Andrew's one of the most talented guys I know, and he inspires me a lot with his work ethic and unique vision.

At Last...and UPDATE

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, July 24 - The Comic Strip
Wednesday, July 26 - The Comic Strip
Sunday, July 30 - The Comic Strip
Sunday, August 6 - The Comic Strip
Wednesday, August 9 - The Comic Strip
Monday, August 21 - The Comic Strip

Upcoming Short Stories
The Girl Who Feared Lightning - Check www.blackgate.com for details.

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

Has it really been this long since I've updated this sucka? Guess so. Sorry all. I've been spending my days trying to get a crazy amount of writing done (including a new short story, 'The Girls' teleplay, a bunch of new columns...and a special project I'll talk about in a minute.) and my nights hanging out at the comedy clubs begging for stage time and enjoying the company of some great guys and gals. (which reminds me--Andrew Iwanyk should be on his way for Just For Laughs shortly. If you're in the Montreal area, make sure to check him out. I don't know the dates of his performances off hand, but e-mail Just For Laughs at their website)

I was also offered a role in another indie flick. It's scheduled for shooting this summer, but they're still raising financing, so we'll see what happens.

I finally got back to the Sidetrack these last couple of weeks. Awesome fun. It's good to see Ben Spencer again, and while nothing will replace the old location, it's still a good time. There's some good talent there, and the fries are still great. I also bumped into TRAVIS ROBINSON, who I haven't seen if over a year. It was great to catch up with him.

I'm excited to announce that I'm working on a new book-length project. The project is going to be on romantic relationships. POWERMANN, the world's fattest contortionist and co-host of Kamikaze Komedy on CJSR told me that me writing a book on romance is like him writing a diet book--maybe I'll quote him on the dust jacket. Anway, in order for the book to be a success, I'm hoping to interview a number of people on their experiences dating in the new millenium, so if you have some good stories to share, or know anyone who does, send them my way.

For those of you...

...who are just here to see the results of the Great T-Shirt Battle (You'd have to read my most recent column for that last column to make sense) the results are in the second paragraph.

Upcoming Stuff

Comedy
Monday, July 10 - The Comic Strip
Monday, July 24 - The Comic Strip
Wednesday, July 26 - The Comic Strip
Sunday, July 30 - The Comic Strip

Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, July 7 - Pirates!!!
Friday, July 21 (subject to change) New Age Friend

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in ed magazine...bla, bla, bla...MySpace...bla,bla bla...

-Last week, I was a guest on Lars and Powermann's Kamikaze Komedy on CJSR 88.5, and it was a lot of fun. They're on pretty late (midnight on Wednesday night-Thursday mornings), but I've been told they're having a super-sized episode on July 5 starting at 10pm, so check it out. They're an unlikely pairing but an entertaining one, and you might even learn something about the inner workings of the comedy business.

-I spent most of the weekend answering mail brought about from my latest column. It's great to hear from people. I write for myself, but it's gratifying to know that others are reading and enjoying. Thanks to everyone who wrote in; on the t-shirt poll, Captain Charisma defeated the Utah Jazz by a fairly wide margin. (71% were the final numbers in the Good Captain's favor)

-Monday I got an unexpected bit of stage time at the Strip. I've said this before, but I really, really, really love doing comedy. There's no feeling in the world like it. Some of the new guys are coming along really well, too. MATT LISAC may be starting to find his stride.

Blink and you'll Miss It Update

This will be a short entry as I'm hard at work on the sequel to my short story "The Girl Who Feared Lightning," which will be available shortly in Black Gate magazine. I don't even have time to cut and paste my upcoming dates as I usually do. Feel free to scroll down and ooh and ahh at my busy schedule--and take advantage of the opportunity to see me live with...

...TOM WILSON of Spongebob Squarepants, Freaks & Geeks, and--oh yes--Back to the Future fame is in town at THE COMIC STRIP, and I'm honored to be middling for him. The first show last night went phenomenally well. Come on down and check out the show. If last night was any indication, the weekend should be awesome.

-Also, if you haven't been listening to Lars and Powermann on KamiKaze Komedy Wednesday nights at midnight on CJSR, you're missing out. It's a really refreshing look at the comedy world from the perspective of two guys just starting out (relatively speaking) in the biz. Coincidentally, I'll be on the show next Wed (June 21). I have no idea what I'm going to talk about, but with Lars and Powermann at the helm, it should be entertaining.

-

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Wednesday, June 7 - The Comic Strip
Sunday, June 11 - The Comic Strip
Thursday, June 15 - The Comic Strip
Friday, June 16 - The Comic Strip
Saturday, June 17 - The Comic Strip
Sunday, June 18 - The Comic Strip

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Edmonton Journal:
- June 9
-June 23

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every week in the Edmonton Journal's ed magazine supplement.

Other upcoming appearancesFriday,
Wednesday, June 21 - Kamikaze Komedy Radio Edmonton (CJSR FM 88.5)

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-Apologies to those expecting to see me on Saturday at The Comic Strip. There was a scheduling mishap. I went down anyway and caught a great set by DEZ REED. I love how spontaneous and unselfconscious Dez's performances are. He puts himself out there for you to either love or hate. And his Star Wars closer on the early show made me laugh until I cried.

-The Wetaskiwin MPW show went great. The guys who didn't bring merchandise wished they had. The guys who did bring merchandise, wish they'd brought more as most of them sold out (I've got to make a 'Martial' Art McNeil t-shirt). I think we've found ourselves a new market. Assault & Battery and the Heatseekers went thirty-five-plus minutes in stifling heat. All four guys were pretty tired out afterwards, but they did a heck of a job reminding the fans how exciting a properly executed tag match can be.

-Monday amateur night at the Strip was postponed for the week. The comics and staff closed down the club and watched the hockey game instead, which was it's own kind of fun, especially with the insightful hockey commentary of MAX MAULT. Too bad the Oilers lost.

Brief Update

Upcoming Comedy
Wednesday, May 24 - Yuk Yuks
Thursday, May 25 - The Comic Strip
Friday, May 26 -The Comic Strip
Saturday, May 27 - The Comic Strip
Saturday, June 3 - The Comic Strip
Wednesday, June 7 - The Comic Strip
Sunday, June 11 - The Comic Strip
Thursday, June 15 - The Comic Strip
Friday, June 16 - The Comic Strip
Saturday, June 17 - The Comic Strip
Sunday, June 18 - The Comic Strip

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Edmonton Journal - TBA

Articles at www.joseyvogels.com (viewer discretion advised for sexual content)
Thursday, May 25 - The Time I Couldn't Get It Up

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every week in the Edmonton Journal's ed magazine supplement.

Other upcoming appearances
Friday, June 2 - MPW Fury (as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
Saturday, June 3 - MPW Aftermath (as 'Martial' Art McNeil) [POSTPONED UNTIL SEPTEMBER]

Wednesday, June 21 - Kamikaze Komedy Radio Edmonton (CJSR FM 88.5)Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-Camp Wars was a lot of fun. It looks like the plan is to cut it together into a half-hour TV show, so I'll likely have to do more audio. Watching the boys get ready for the show, I was struck by how much passion CHI CHI CRUZ has for the business. He helps the younger guys with their matches, and always gives everything he has in his own matches, no matter how big or small the show. Afterwards, he's always looking for ways to improve in order to deliver the best possible show. He's been wrestling for 20 years and he still loves what he does. I find that really inspiring.

-I'm still not sure if my next Journal article is running this Friday or next Friday. Apparently there were some complications with the layout. My editor explained it to me, but it was like explaining chess to a goldfish. My job is to write the best articles I can and wear a clean shirt to the photo shoots. Everything else is up to her.

-Tomorrow my final article will go up on Josey Vogels' website. It's been a great experience, and I've really enjoyed hearing from people all over the country. I have mixed feelings about tomorrow's article. It's kind of embarassing, but I think it's also pretty funny. We'll see, I guess.

Upcoming Comedy
Thursday, May 25 - The Comic Strip
Friday, May 26 -The Comic Strip
Saturday, May 27 - The Comic Strip

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Edmonton Journal - TBA

Articles at www.joseyvogels.com (viewer discretion advised for sexual content)
Thursday, May 18 - Fantasy Island: Sex Vampires & Kama Sutra Pirates
Thursday, May 25 - The Time I Couldn't Get It Up

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every week in the Edmonton Journal's ed magazine supplement.

Other upcoming appearances

Sunday, May 21 - MPW Camp Wars (as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
Friday, June 2 - MPW Fury (as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
Saturday, June 3 - MPW Aftermath (as 'Martial' Art McNeil)

Wednesday, June 21 - Kamikaze Komedy Radio Edmonton (CJSR FM 88.5)

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-I was doing an interview for CBC after the radio taping last night, and I remember saying how much I enjoy doing comedy in Edmonton. It's true. This is a very supportive community for comedy, and a great place to develop. The show was great. I was the first comic up and I felt a little stiff, but overall i was satisfied. STEVE MCCARTHY, SEAN LECOMBER, and LARS CALLEIOU had really good sets as well. It was kind of neat seeing Lars on a Yuks stage. Never say never, I guess.

-Did another photo shoot for the Journal for my next three articles (got a free piece of cake out of the bargain too. Yum.). We haven't settled on dates to run them yet, but I'll post them once I get word.

-Lots of MPW stuff coming up. CAMP WARS is a free show this Sunday at the MPW training facility. As well, they've got FURY in Wetaskiwin on June 2, before returning to Edmonton for AFTERMATH in the usual location at Alberta Ave. Community Hall. www.monsterprowrestling.com for ticket info.

We Want the Airwaves

Upcoming Comedy
Sunday, May 14 - The Comic Strip
Monday, May 15 - The Comic Strip
Thursday, May 18 - Yuk Yuks, Londonderry Mall (CBC Taping)

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Edmonton Journal
Friday, May 12 - Computer Dating

Articles at www.joseyvogels.com (viewer discretion advised for sexual content)
Thursday, May 11 - Strip For me
Thursday, May 18 - Fantasy Island: Sex Vampires & Kama Sutra Pirates
Thursday, May 25 - The Time I Couldn't Get It Up

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every week in the Edmonton Journal's ed magazine supplement.

Other upcoming appearances
Sunday, May 21 - MPW Camp Wars (as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
Saturday, June 3 - MPW Aftermath (as 'Martial' Art McNeil
Wednesday, June 21 - Kamikaze Komedy Radio Edmonton (CJSR FM 88.5)

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-I've been invited to take part in CBC Radio's So You Think You're Funny Comedy Contest. It takes place next Thursday in the Edmonton Yuk Yuks in Londonderry Mall. It promises to be a great evening with some of the best local guys in the business out strutting their funniest (and cleanest stuff) so I hope to see you there.

-In other radio related news, I'll be appearing on KAMIKAZE KOMEDY radio on June 21 for CJSR FM 88.5. Hosted by LARS CALLIEOU and POWERMANN, Kamikaze Komedy Radio is a great look at comedy from an insider's perspective. They often have guests on board--I believe SHAWN GRAMIAK will be up next week and KELLY SOLODUKA often fills in when either Lars or Powermann are out of town on gigs. It's a great show because you can hear the passion Lars and Powermann have for the business. I hope you'll give it a listen. It's every Wednesday night (or Thursday morning, technically) from midnight to one. At the very least, you'll be able to put a voice to some of the people I talk about so much.

Latest News

Upcoming Comedy
Wednesday, May 10 - The Comic Strip
Sunday, May 14 - The Comic Strip
Monday, May 15 - The Comic Strip

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Edmonton JournalMay articles - TBA

Articles at www.joseyvogels.com (viewer discretion advised for sexual content)
May 4 - Sex is Boring
May 11 - Strip For me
May 18 - Fantasy Island: Sex Vampires & Kama Sutra Pirates
May 25 - The Time I Couldn't Get It Up

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every week in the Edmonton Journal's ed magazine supplement.

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-I got an e-mail from the publisher saying that Cold Flesh, the anthology of zombie stories including my story 'Glass Houses' is the second best-selling book in the history of the publisher. Hooray for all of us who contributed as well as the good folks at www.hellboundbooks.com who made our dream--or more precisely--our post-apocalyptic animated cadaver soaked nightmare--a reality.

-MPW Massacre was a great show with an eye-popping finish. I'll keep you posted on the upcoming DVD release. In the meantime the next show is MPW Aftermath on June 3 at the Alberta Ave. Community Hall. Ticket info is at www.monsterprowrestling.com. I've also heard rumors about taking the MPW show on the road next month. I'll keep you posted as details develop. In the meantime, MPW has their FREE show at their training facility, where the second round of the King of the Camp tournament will be underway.

-I expect my live appearances to slow down a little over the next couple months, as summer is the slow season for both wrestling and comedy. I'm planning to use that time to focus on my writing. I'm developing a sitcom as well as trying to get some more short stories and done and get some columns in the 'bank'.

re: Vogels columns

-Also, for those of you who can't find the guest columns on Josey's website, go to either of her columns (My Messy Bedroom or Dating Girl and click on the pink link on the right side of the page.

Or use this link: www.joseyvogels.com/guestcolumn.html

Re: updating my website

I know, I know.

I'll get to it.

Promise.

-Dan

update

Upcoming Comedy
Wednesday, May 10 - The Comic Strip
Sunday, May 14 - The Comic Strip

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Edmonton Journal
May articles TBA

Articles at www.joseyvogels.com (viewer discretion advised for sexual content)
May 4 - Sex is Boring
May 11 - Strippers
May 18 - Fantasy Island
May 25 - When Good Sex Goes Bad

You can meet Dan at MPW Massacre, Saturday, May 6 at Alberta Avenue Community Hall (.9210-188Ave., Edmonton, Alberta). Doors open at 6pm.

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every week in the Edmonton Journal's ed magazine supplement.

Check out Dan Brodribb on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-I left a pen in the dryer and got inkstains all over one of my favorite dress shirts, so anybody who knows how to get ink out of a dress shirt, e-mail me through my website www.danbrodribb.ca. I've heard spot remover, Crest toothpaste, water and vinegar, and nail polish so far. Or maybe I'll just leave it and wear it to the MPW show at Alberta Ave. Community Hall this Saturday for the first blood match between Massive Damage and Darren "The Bomb" Dalton in case they decide to bring their shenanigans over to the announce table like at Mayhem (as always ticket info is at www.monsterprowrestling.com)

(If this next part reads familiar, it's because I cribbed it nearly verbatim from my myspace blog at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb)

Saturday I was in Red Deer middling for PAUL SVEEN and MC ALLISON SMITH. The show went well and I got a kiss from a pretty girl, though she said she'd prefer to make out with Allison. I would be okay with that. Allison is very charming and one of the best people I've seen at dealing with audience members after the show. Still, as a woman in comedy, I'm sure she's had some stories, although I wonder if anything will beat the proposal KATHLEEN MCGEE got one evening at the Comic Strip (you'll have to ask her the story yourself--this is a family blog).

Sunday, I got the call from Yuks to do some time. Peter Kelamis was headlining. I had never seen him before, and he's hilarious. It was a busy show for a Sunday--180-200 peeps and they were great. I was pretty good too, if I do say so myself. I ran into a couple women I was pretty close to back in college, a pair of sisters from Poland. It was cool to see them again, and one of the staff fell in love with one of them at first sight. I wish he'd said something to me earlier--I would have been happy to arrange an introduction...except that it's been so long, I couldn't remember one of their names.

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Saturday, April 29 - Legion, Red Deer
Wednesday, May 10 - The Comic Strip
Sunday, May 14 - The Comic Strip

Upcoming WritingLiving
Articles in the Edmonton Journal
May articles TBA

Articles at www.joseyvogels.com (viewer discretion advised for sexual content)May 4 - Sex is BoringMay 11 - Strippers
May 18 - Fantasy Island
May 25 - (Title TBA)

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every week in the Edmonton Journal's ed magazine supplement.

Check out Dan Brodribb on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-For those of you wondering why my column didn't run today in the Journal, it's becaue GRAHAM ANDREWS will be using the space for a four part feature on mental health. It's some powerful writing, so do check it out.

-If you're looking for something to do, check out the local comedy amateur nights: Hit or Miss Mondays at THE COMIC STRIP or proam night Wednesdays at YUK YUKS Both are extremely affordable and give you a chance to see not only new talent develop, but you can also watch established vets work out new material.

Had a great time after the Comic Strip amateur night Monday night hanging out with some comedy buddies: Shawn Gramiak, Max Mault, Kelly Soloduka, Don Campbell, Bill Gee, and various attractive (and a couple drunk) women. Hope I didn't forget anyone. It was lots of fun. Max Mault is one of the funniest humans alive. Plus, he seems to think I'm funny and that's good for the ego. Shawn Gramiak knows lots of cool words too. As a writer, you gots to give respect for that.

-WEdnesday at Yuk Yuks I had my first 'request.' It was flattering that people know me well enough that they now my jokes and want to hear them again. Or maybe it just means I'm overplaoying Yuks. Either way, it was pretty cool.

The next MPW show--Massacre--is Saturday, May 6 at the Alberta Ave. Community hall. If you come down, be sure to say hi before the show or at intermission. I'll be in the at the Canadian Broadcast Table, calling the action.

Update (EDITED)

Upcoming Comedy
Saturday, April 29 - Legion, Red Deer
Wednesday, May 10 - The Comic Strip
Sunday, May 14 - The Comic Strip

Upcoming Writing

Living Articles in the Edmonton Journal
May articles TBA

Articles at www.joseyvogels.com (viewer discretion advised for sexual content)
May 4 - Sex is Boring
May 11 - Strippers
May 18 - Fantasy Island
May 25 - (Title TBA)

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed magazine supplement to the Edmonton Journal
Check out Dan Brodribb on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-Had a good set Sunday at Yuk Yuks. It was new material night, and I didn't have much written. The MC, LARRY VASEO[sp?] suggested I go up and talk about my day. I'm one of those guys who prefers to write, edit and polish jokes before I take them up, but Sunday, I actually felt confident enough to give it a try. That's the whole point of comedy--to keep pushing yourself to develop. Okay, maybe the point is a network deal and a sitcom, but the development thing is a close second.

-Here are some pictures that KATHLEEN MCGEE was kind enough to send me. The first is from the Friday night fundraiser for the Distress Line. I'm really proud of the comics that came out to help me for this cause. They're great people and great friends as well as great comics. The show went well despite a late start caused by the Oilers game going into overtime (comedy has always been at the mercy of sports. Home games tend to drop attendance at comedy clubs and bar shows with televisions often mean we can't start til the game is done.)



Distress Line Fundraiser (L to R): Andrew Iwanyk, Powermann, Roxanne S. (event organizer), Dan Brodribb, Lars Callieou, Kathleen McGee. Not pictured: Todd K.











-This one is Me, Lars, Kathleen, and Andrew Iwanyk at...I think it's Prism. Realistically though, it could be any one of what feels like a million places--Hill 426 of open mic Viet Nam. No one who hasn't been there can hope to understand it. It's just you and your buddies, trying to make it out alive. But the bonds you do forge are really something special, and I'm glad to have these memories to share with them once we all achieve our dreams and these turn into 'the good old days.'

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Friday, April 21 - Student Distress Centre Fundraiser
Saturday, April 26 - Legion, Red Deer

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Edmonton Journal
Friday, April 28 - Online Dating (this should be a good one)

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed magazine supplement to the Edmonton Journal

Check out Dan Brodribb on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-Well, my work on MPW MAYHEM is finished; we did the last of the replays yesterday. Word is that EL NINO had some mic trouble on AGGRESSION, so they might not be able to use it. Nino, RIPPER and I may have to go in and re-do it. That's what they get for trying to do a show without the Martial Art-ster. Although, I really sympathize with KENNETH BARR the mad genius behind IDIOM Inc. who is in charge of putting the shows together. Seems like every show ends up needing extra work, like some kind of wrestling Goodfellas: "Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in."

-Starting May 4, a series of my articles will be appearing on www.joseyvogels.com. Josey is a popular relationship/sex columnist. Josey's informal writing style was definitely an influence on me when I started writing non-fiction, so I'm pretty excited. The columns will be sex-themed so if you're a) offended by sexual content or b) my Mom, stay away.

-Meeting with a guy from a production company this week about some scripts o' mine. Wish me luck. Better yet, wish me Emmys. I'll remember you all on Oscar night.

-Who is Kelly Donald and how has (s)he gained virtually uncontested master of the Memory Game leaderboard at www.toddk.ca? I'm this close to putting out a bounty. No one's memory is THAT good.

-Finally, for those of you looking for something to do this Friday, here's the press release on the Distress Line Comedy For A Cause fundraiser. Hope to see you there:

The Distress Line is pleased to present a comedy fundraiser on Friday, April 21 at Debney Armouries in Edmonton featuring some of Edmonton's fastest-rising and most talked about local comics.

Hosted by DAN BRODRIBB (2005 Comedy Idol Finalist, humor columnist for the Edmonton Journal), the fundraiser will feature gala performances by ANDREW IWANYK (upcoming appearance at Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, 2005 Comedy Idol Finalist, POWERMANN (2006 Funniest Person with a Day Job winner, co-host of Kamikaze Komedy Radio show), KATHLEEN MCGEE (Funniest Person with a Day Job Finalist), and TODD K (Winner Red Deer College Comedy Contest), as well as a headlining performance by LARS CALLIEOU (2004 Comedy Idol Winner, finalist in CBC Stand and Deliver and Corner Gas Comic Genius competitions, co-host of Kamikaze Komedy Radio show).

WHEN: Friday, April 21, 2006 (doors open at 7:00, showtime at 8:00)

WHERE: Debney Armouries Junior Mess Hall 8403 Roper Road, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

HOW MUCH: $15.00 in advance, $20.00 at the door. For ticket information call Roxanne at 707-4038 or e-mail debney_JR@yahoo.ca.

Congratulations

Upcoming Comedy
Friday, April 21 - Student Distress Centre Fundraiser
Saturday, April 26 - Legion, Red Deer

Upcoming WritingLiving Articles in the Edmonton Journal
April 14 & 28

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed magazine supplement to the Edmonton Journal

-Congratulations to POWERMANN for winning The Comic Strip's 'Funniest Guy with a Day Job' contest. I don't know if strictly speaking Powermann's extracurricular activities as a University station radio host and world's fattest contortionist qualify as a 'day job,' but it could just be sour grapes on my part. Seriously, congratulations, Powermann.

-Hope everyone's going to have a Happy Easter. I need to finish up some MPW voiceover stuff. I missed the last show, and apparently my replacement EL NINO, THE SICILIAN ASSASSIN did an able job as a replacement. I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, it's a lot of pressure off me; on the other, it's disconcerting knowing you can be so easily replaced. As Lars sometimes says, "You're only as good as your last show." In some ways though, it's a welcome pressure. I love the feeling of constantly being expected to deliver--and I fully intend to live up to the challenge.

Short update

-I've joined the myspace revolution. Come say hi at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb andI'll add you to my friends list once I figure out how.

-My life has been pretty crazy for the last couple weeks, and I have a question for the people who know what I'm talking about: Can you look around and see if I left a pair of my jeans at your place? They're my last good pair, and it's driving me crazy that I can't find them.

4:30am update

Upcoming Comedy
Saturday, April 8 - Yuk Yuks, Edmonton
Sunday, April 9 - The Comic Strip
Wednesday, April 12 - The Comic Strip
Friday, April 21 - Student Distress Centre Fundraiser
Saturday, April 26 - Legion, Red Deer

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Edmonton Journal
April 14 & 28

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed magazine supplement to the Edmonton Journal

-The sound was messed up on the latest MPW recording, so I had to go in to re-record portions of my intro. It was kind of fun. I had to match what I was saying to what my mouth was already doing on the video, so it was an interesting challenge. Hopefully it won't look too much like a kung fu movie. The DVD is called Mayhem, and should be available at the April 8 MPW show, if you're interested in picking up a copy. Tickets to the event and other DVDs are available at www.monsterprowrestling.com

-A fellow from a local production company has expressed interest in potentially collaborating with me on something. I'm meeting with him on Saturday. Hopefully it will turn into something.

-I wasn't expecting to use the words 'red-hot,' 'Stettler,' and 'crowd' in the same sentence, but the Stettler show was fantastic. I was opening for KERRY UNGER and the show went great for both of us.

-On the subject of comedy and comedians, KELLY SOLODUKA seems to have made the Leap in the last couple months. His writing and stage presence have grown in leaps and bounds. Make sure to see him if you get a chance.

Dream Come True

Upcoming Comedy
Saturday, April 1 - The Legion, Stettler
Saturday, April 8 - Yuk Yuks, Edmonton
Sunday, April 9 - The Comic Strip
Wednesday, April 12 - The Comic Strip
Friday, April 21 - Student Distress Centre Fundraiser
Saturday, April 26 - Legion, Red Deer

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Edmonton Journal (subjects to be announced)
March 31
April 14 - (Subjects to be announced)
April 28

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed magazine supplement to the Edmonton Journal

-Well, a dream came true last night, as I got to guest spot on a show featuring MITCH FATEL, who is a really big influence on me. Watching Mitch shows you that there is room for people with their own voice. Thanks go to LARS CALLIEOU for lobbying to get me on stage and to RICK BRONSON for allowing it. I was told there wouldn't be guest spots so I showed up completely underdressed (I mean I had clothes on, but not stage clothes). I'm sure I've written in a previous entry how important it is to always have your 'working boots' with you. I should take my own advice.

-Did the photo shoot for next months Journal articles. I'm especially nervous about the one appearing in the article at the end of April. I think we got a pretty good view of the inside of my nostrils. But the photo guy liked the lighting so guess which one's the keeper. Sigh.

-Monday amateur night at The Comic Strip was great, not just for the comedy, but because so many guys came down that I don't get a chance to see anymore. I've always been a bit of a loner, but I do appreciate that there are some great guys (and gal--Kathleen McGee) trying to make it locally. The highlight of the night for me was MAX MAULT (I believe I may have told the infamous 'Max Mault Rye & Coke Incident' in an earlier entry'), who toned down his usual histrionics to do some jokes. It's great to see comics who are unafraid to grow and evolve. Max also gave me a little pep talk after the show, about how he'd watched me develop over the time I've been doing comedy. His words meant a lot, because it's easy to lose sight of how far you've come, when all you're focused on is where you are or where you want to be.

Some days you get the bear...

Upcoming Comedy
Saturday, April 1 - The Legion, Stettler
Saturday, April 8 - Yuk Yuks, Edmonton
Sunday, April 9 - The Comic Strip
Wednesday, April 12 - The Comic Strip
Friday, April 21 - Student Distress Centre Fundraiser
Saturday, April 26 - Legion, Red Deer

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Edmonton Journal (subjects to be announced)
March 31
April 14 - (Subjects to be announced)
April 28

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed magazine supplement to the Edmonton Journal

The trouble with being a comedian is that if you have a bad day at the office, it's in front of a whole bunch of strangers. Last night I had a bad day at the office. Comedy is unique in that there is no way to 'practice' at home; the only way to get better is by performing in front of a live audience. I'm not bothered for myself when I do poorly--I recognize the only way to get better is by experience--but I always feel bad for crowds who paid money to watch my growing pains. If there's a bright spot, it's that I was a last-minute replacement, so another comic's name was on the marquee, and that's the name the crowd will remember. Sorry, Dana.

-MITCH FATEL is at The Comic Strip all weekend. Check him out if you get a chance. Like DEREK EDWARDS and MIKE WILMOT, he doesn't come to town often, and he's really worth seeing.

-MPW is hosting a free show at their training site (9774-54 Ave, Edmonton) Sunday at 2pm. Doors open at 1. A lot of the MPW mainstays will be there, and ladies, it may interest you to know that one of them will be BRADY ROBERTS, who was the March 14 Hunk of Day at www.ProWrestlingDaily.com, putting him in the same illustrious company as wrestling sex symboll L'il Nate and BG James.

Notes from the Weekend

Upcoming Comedy
Wednesday, March 15 - Yuk Yuks, Edmonton
Sunday, March 19 - The Comic Strip
Saturday, April 1 - The Legion, Stettler
Saturday, April 8 - Yuk Yuks, Edmonton
Sunday, April 9 - The Comic Strip
Wednesday, April 12 - The Comic Strip
Friday, April 21 - Student Distress Centre Fundraiser
Saturday, April 26 - Legion, Red Deer

Upcoming Writing

Living Articles in the Edmonton Journal
Friday, March 17 - Son of Elvis

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed magazine supplement to the Edmonton Journal

-The MPW Mayhem taping was awesome. MASSIVE DAMAGE and A.J. SANCHEZ crashed through a table; I got a massage from two pretty ring girls. I think any objective observer would agree that I had a better night. I so much prefer doing commentary live as opposed to in post-production. Unfortunately, I will likely be doing just that for the next show, as I’m already booked to do a middle spot at Yuk Yuks. MPW is calling for a battle royal main event, which are a bitch to do commentary for, but are awesome to watch live. We may have to re-do parts of this one, as I completely blew the finish of the Johnny Handsome/Synn vs. Steve Rivers/Darren ‘The Bomb’ Dalton. Plus I kept accidentally referring to Darren Dalton as ‘Adam Bomb.’

-Commentary is a lot of fun, although it’s a lot harder than you might think (though not as hard as actually wrestling; I did a sixty minute broadway with the ringside barriers before the show, and my arms are still sore) Basically, you’re trying to juggle a few different things.
1) Commentating on the match
2) Introducing the characters
3) Advancing or explaining the storylines
4) Hyping merchandise and the next show (check out http://www.monsterprowrestling.com/ for details)
5) Establishing your own character
When I started, I tried to completely ignore 5) as I believed then (and still do) that it’s the wrestlers and the wrestling that make the show, not the commentators. My broadcast partner RIPPER insisted that we set-up a relationship between our two personalities, and I’m glad he did. We’re not the most polished tandem out there, but I think we have pretty good chemistry. In some ways we represent extreme versions of the two common stereotypical wrestling fans--me as the smarkish, uptight internet dork and Ripper as the loud-mouthed, beer-swilling caveman. Every wrestling fan knows people like us, and I think that makes us relatable and hopefully adds character to the DVD releases.

-Speaking of strange chemistry, LARS CALLIEOU and POWERMANN are hosting a comedy show on CJSR 88.5 from 1am-3am Thursday nights/Friday mornings. Good for them. I’m interested in hearing what they sound like together as they are very different personalities. Then again, like with MPW, maybe that’s what will make the show great.