Sunday, July 1, 2012

Evolve or Die

Saturday June 30th, 2012 – St. Charles, IL

   It was a genuinely fun experience playing radio host all week on WNTA, but now it’s over and I have my work cut out deciding what to do next. Most of us long standing club comedians are in the same predicament and are going through a similar metamorphosis. We have to evolve or die.

   I tried to squeeze as many of my comedian friends on the air with me this past week as I could, for many reasons. First and foremost, I thought they deserved to be on the air. I handpicked those I knew would be good guests, and lo and behold they were. Second, it made me sound better too. I knew everyone personally, so that allowed me to sound like I actually knew what I was doing.

   I enjoy being a host, and never worry if the guest takes the spotlight away. In fact, I want them to shine so it makes for good radio. I’ll lob in meatballs all day and let my guests hit them out of the park time and time again. I love it when a guest gets on a roll. It’s my job to get them started.

   One of the greatest radio guests anywhere is Tim Cavanagh. What a brilliant comedy mind that guy has, and I have been a fan since before I ever stepped on a comedy stage. I first heard him on The Dr. Demento show, and then got to work with him in person and we have stayed in contact.

   Tim does music and comedy and is an amazing talent. Why he isn’t at the tippy top of the heap of megastars is beyond me, and one of the reasons I feel so out of place on this planet. Tim has a work ethic like nobody I’ve ever seen, and always cranks out new songs and jokes that are at the cutting edge of brilliance every time. He was the last guest I had yesterday, and he was hilarious.

   I knew he would be, and that’s why I chose him. He has an angelic face but is devilishly clever and knows how to keep it entertaining. If I were in charge of comedy, he’d be right up there on a list of royalty with a lot of others the public has never heard of. Too bad for them I’m a piss ant.

   Still, that doesn’t mean I can’t be a champion for the cause of recognizing talented entertainers whenever I can. It might have only been in Rockford, IL and only for a week of fill in shows, but everyone who came on was great and I hope they and the listeners too had as much fun as I did.

   If you’ve never enjoyed Tim Cavanagh before, find him at www.timcav.com. He’s outstanding both as an act and as a person. Another guest I had on was Brad Tassell. Brad is in Las Vegas for a few months doing a show called ‘Comic Therapy’, and I think he’s really on to something big.

   He’s getting his degree as a therapist, and putting this show together is a splendid idea for what my opinion may mean. See it for yourself at www.comic-therapy.com. Another guest I had on is Dale Irvin. He’s got a Friday Funnies video he does, and you can get that at www.daleirvin.com.

   Today I had lunch with Jan McInnis and Todd Hunt. Jan and Kent Rader are doing ‘The Baby Boomer Comedy Show’, which can be found at www.babyboomercomedyshow.com. Todd is an outstanding speaker and can be hired for corporate events at www.toddhuntspeaker.com. There, I think I’ve spread at least a bit of good energy today. Check these people out, they’re all talented.

Posted via email from Dobie Maxwell's "Dented Can" Diary

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