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.