On the Edge
The Chicago comedy show celebrates seven years on the scene with three nights of stand-up performances.
by Diana Bae
Dave Odd says he knows talent the minute he sees it. He can tell from the start of a performance if that comedian is going to make it big or not, he claims.
For seven years, that’s how he’s run the Edge Comedy Club in Chicago: finding new stand-up comedic talent and giving the performers a stage. “I’m just trying to help out the scene,” Odd says. “It’s really hard for new guys to get a break. I’m the guy that’s there to give them their break.”
Edge’s seven-year anniversary lineup will span three nights, starting on Thursday with a showcase of new comics that have emerged over the past year. Friday and Saturday will feature the Best of Edge Comedy, during which the more well known performers will hit the stage. “The lineup is pretty good,” says Adam Burke, a comic who got his start with Edge over a year ago. He will be showing off his skills on the mic Saturday. “There are so many strong performers here,” he says.
Those performers have been specifically handpicked as the city’s best to watch by Odd, who has been a stand-up comedian since the late ’90s. Eight different comics will hit the stage each night at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts (777 N. Green, 312-733-6000).
Odd founded Edge in 2001 as a way to showcase up-and-coming comedic talent in Chicago. “I’ve always had the philosophy that if somebody is funny, they should get booked,” he says. At the first official Edge show, there were 42 people in the audience. Today, they have shows throughout Chicago and the suburbs and at around 90 different venues.
One factor that may have helped the group’s success is the city in which they perform. While Chicago’s comedic entertainment is usually associated with sketch and improv, Odd says that it also has one of the best stand-up comedy scenes in the country. “If people want to see just really raw, smart, intelligent stand-up comedy, Chicago is the place to be,” he says. “People here are doing stand-up because they love to do stand-up. They’re really dedicated.”
With Edge, Odd tries to create a place for Chicago comedy to thrive and for comics of all levels to bring their dedication. “I’m just trying to put up the funniest people and bring in an audience to see them,” he says.
For more information, visit theedgecomedyclub.com
by Diana Bae
Dave Odd says he knows talent the minute he sees it. He can tell from the start of a performance if that comedian is going to make it big or not, he claims.
For seven years, that’s how he’s run the Edge Comedy Club in Chicago: finding new stand-up comedic talent and giving the performers a stage. “I’m just trying to help out the scene,” Odd says. “It’s really hard for new guys to get a break. I’m the guy that’s there to give them their break.”
Edge’s seven-year anniversary lineup will span three nights, starting on Thursday with a showcase of new comics that have emerged over the past year. Friday and Saturday will feature the Best of Edge Comedy, during which the more well known performers will hit the stage. “The lineup is pretty good,” says Adam Burke, a comic who got his start with Edge over a year ago. He will be showing off his skills on the mic Saturday. “There are so many strong performers here,” he says.
Those performers have been specifically handpicked as the city’s best to watch by Odd, who has been a stand-up comedian since the late ’90s. Eight different comics will hit the stage each night at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts (777 N. Green, 312-733-6000).
Odd founded Edge in 2001 as a way to showcase up-and-coming comedic talent in Chicago. “I’ve always had the philosophy that if somebody is funny, they should get booked,” he says. At the first official Edge show, there were 42 people in the audience. Today, they have shows throughout Chicago and the suburbs and at around 90 different venues.
One factor that may have helped the group’s success is the city in which they perform. While Chicago’s comedic entertainment is usually associated with sketch and improv, Odd says that it also has one of the best stand-up comedy scenes in the country. “If people want to see just really raw, smart, intelligent stand-up comedy, Chicago is the place to be,” he says. “People here are doing stand-up because they love to do stand-up. They’re really dedicated.”
With Edge, Odd tries to create a place for Chicago comedy to thrive and for comics of all levels to bring their dedication. “I’m just trying to put up the funniest people and bring in an audience to see them,” he says.
For more information, visit theedgecomedyclub.com
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