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The Edge Comedy Show is an original stand-up comedy showcase based out of Chicago Illinois. 

Since 2001 Edge Comedy has been bringing fresh, intelligent, original stand-up comedy to venues all over Chicagoland and the Midwest. 

If you like comedy that has a point to make. If you like groundbreaking original comics like George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Doug Stanhope, Sam Kinison, Dave Chappelle, Zach Galifinakis, Todd Barry, Mitch Hedberg, Patton Oswalt and others (not to say any of them perform in our shows). If you prefer your stand-up on HBO rather than on The Tonight Show. If you are tired of jokes about drive thrus, marriage, and bad airplane food. If you love The Family Guy and The Daily Show. If you understand that there truly is humor in everything....
 
Then The Edge Comedy Shows are exactly what you've been looking for.
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Currently The Edge Comedy Shows can be seen at the following locations;

Wednesdays* & Thursdays 8:30pm, Fridays & Saturdays 10:30pm at The Edge Comedy Club at The Chicago Center for the Performing Arts, 777 N. Green St., Chicago.

Thursdays*  8:30pm Open Mic at Pressure Billiards and Comedy Cafe, 6318 N. Clark, Chicago.

August 2nd 2008 8:30pm The Pub at Midtown, 71 W 1st St. Manteno IL

September 6th 2008 9:30pm The Oasis Cafe 2009 Franciscan Way, West Chicago IL

September 7th, 21st, October 4th  and 18th 8:30pm Bada Brew, Crest Hill IL

Other shows are still being scheduled in Milwaukee WI, Vinos Bar and Grill in Gardner IL, and more.

We are always looking for new venues to put up shows, if you are interested in having an Edge Comedy Show at your venue, or have  a suggestion for a venue, please contact Dave Odd at edgecomedy@hotmail.com.

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THE HISTORY OF THE EDGE COMEDY SHOW

So you're asking yourself, "If Edge Comedy is so original, innovative, and different, then why does it have such a generic name?"

Well there's a story behind that, and since you asked. Here it is.

February of 2001 Chicago comedian Dave Odd returned to the Chicago comedy scene after a three year hiatus. What he found was a bleak scene, still suffering from the stand-up fallout of the mid 1990's. There was only one club in town, and of the few showcase rooms that were running, new comics weren't welcome among their illustrious ranks, it seemed . What to do?

Well, if you can't beat 'em, make your own game. That's exactly what Dave did. He asked Joe Tozer, owner of the Lyons Den (which had the best open mic in Chicago comedy history) if he could put on a show there. Joe agreed, and said in all the years he had a comedy open mic there, no one ever asked to put up a showcase. So the date was set, April 15^th 2001. Tax day...and Easter Sunday.

Needless to say, not a lot of people will come see a show on Easter Sunday or Tax Day. Nine people showed up. The show went on, if not for the sole amusement of the other comics in the room. So Dave regrouped and looked at some other venues.

Dave came across The Beat Kitchen in the Roscoe Village neighborhood of Chicago. It was the perfect venue for a comedy show. Great stage and sound, nice back room, trendy neighborhood, and it was an indy music venue, that attracted and indy music crowd. Perfect.

So he talked to the booker and got a date set. May 22^nd  2001. It was a Tuesday, not the best day to put on a show, but it wasn't a Sunday, or Easter, or tax day. 

Dave's idea was to give every show he produced a different theme. This particular show was booked with edgier comics, Kelly Williams, Andy Lurie, Shay Shay, Matt Andrews, and Dave Odd, hence the show was called “The Edge Comedy Showcase”. In addition to stand-up comics, Dave booked improv group “I Miss High School” and kick-ass funk band “Chubby Nothin’ and The Bone”, his logic being if nothing else, there would be a dozen other performers in the room to see the show.

May 22^nd rolled around and 42 paying customers showed up to see the show. With parents, significant others, and performers there were about 65 people in the audience and they took up every seat. The show was a huge success, the audience was happy, the booker was happy, the performers were happy, Dave was happy.

On a subsequent meeting with the booker he asked Dave to put on a show once a month. Dave agreed. He also said that he really enjoyed “The Edge” theme and was wondering if Dave could book more like it. He agreed. After five shows the name kind of just stuck. So that is why the show is called “The Edge Comedy Show”, not to be confused with Edge shaving gel, or the sports Edge on ESPN, or The Edge water park, or about a million other things called The Edge.

Since that fateful day in the spring of 2001, The Edge Comedy Show has been seen over 1,000 times, by over 30,000 people, in over 60 different venues, in over a dozen cities, showcasing over 500 performers….

and it ain’t stopping anytime soon.

 You can also check out www.DaveOdd.com

Thanks,
Dave Odd