Dave Odd has been performing stand-up comedy in Chicago since 1997 and has been producing rooms since 2001. He has produced over 1,000 shows. He started Dave Odd Productions Entertainment, and his shows are under the label of Edge Comedy. Recently, Odd has taken over the North side by creating two venues that are putting up nearly 5 shows every weekend. Pressure Comedy Café and Kitty Moon have given Dave Odd and other Chicago comedians new homes where they can perform and hone their craft. The two venues are across the street from each other; Pressure is located at 6318 N. Clark and Kitty Moon is located at 6237 N. Clark. These are also two of the only places you can catch comedy on the weekends without going to a major comedy club. Every Friday night at 8:30, Pressure Comedy Café offers an interactive improv show called Under Pressure Imrov. Next at 11:30 p.m. comes the Crowd Work Show where audiences are encouraged to heckle the comedians. I was on the scene for the first Crowd Work show, and it is a fun way for audiences to participate and for comedians to learn how to handle unruly audience members. Also, every Saturday at Pressure there is The Stand-up Comedy Squeeze at 8:30 and 11 p.m., which showcases some of the best talent in Chicago.
The shows at Kitty Moon take place every Friday night at 8 and 10:30. At the first of the month, audiences can catch The New Faces Show, which spotlights the newest arrivals to the Chicago comedy scene. I attended recently and it was fun to see bright new talent in its early stages. The last Friday of every month is a contest in which some of the best Chicago comedians compete for a cash prize. The weeks in between are filled with a variety of themed shows such as Storytellers or Alter Egos. In two nights at two venues, audiences see 5 different shows, and Chicago comedians have 5 opportunities to perform weekend shows.
Tickets to all showcases are $10, $5 for students. Chicagoans can see great comedy for half the price of going to Zanies or another nationally known club. The comedians aren’t household names (yet), but are some of the freshest talent in the city.
Dave Odd lives and breathes the Chicago comedy scene and is proud to boast, “There are a lot of places where comics can develop and grow as performers.” Dave Odd recognizes the buzzing scene has its problems as well, “There is some infighting and separation that isn’t necessary. Some of the new comics find the Chicago scene to be too cliquey, while the comics inside the cliques think new comics are too needy and whiney. Dave says that some Chicago comics are too arrogant, but some comedians would say the same thing about Dave. They would say he takes too much credit for the scene and comedians who have become successful after starting with him. Dave admits that he is a controversial character in the scene because, “I am very outspoken about the cliques, and I call people out when they are being ridiculous.”
Like him or not, Dave Odd is an undeniable force on the Chicago comedy scene. If you are an up and coming comedian, he is a man you should get to know, especially if you want to get stage time in this city without having to kiss ass. His fans sing the praises of his rooms as places to enjoy cheap, solid stand-up comedy.
• "The Struggling Comic" appears exclusively in Lumino Magazine. Dustin White is a comedian/writer/actor living in Chicago. You can reach him through his Web site at www.dustinwhitecomedian.com.
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