Odd man out

IT’S GETTING ODD IN HERE Dave Odd appears stoic during hosting duty at Pressure.

New comics worship him or use him as a stepping stone. Audiences pack his rooms or cringe at his haphazard productions. Established comics despise him or hail him as the scene’s tragic hero. Regardless of your involvement with Chicago stand-up, you’ll inevitably run into Dave Odd.

“I’ve done more for the Chicago comedy scene than anyone,” claims Odd, who’s performed stand-up for eight years himself. “I’ve put up over 1,000 shows since 2001. This year alone, I’ve put up over 200 comics at Pressure [Billiards & Café], which, I think, is more than other rooms have done in their entire history.”

There’s no denying Odd’s a workhorse. When he’s not on the road, Odd spends his hours e-mailing, following up on bookings, taking the stage at open mikes, putting together-slash-hosting comedy showcases and flyering the holy hell out of college campuses. He’s currently running three shows, and next month will add a bunch at Pressure and Kitty Moon. After spending so much time involved in the local scene, Odd’s developed a set of beliefs as to how it operates. “The Chicago comedy scene is like the high-school cafeteria, where everyone has found their little clique,” he says, the first thing out of his mouth when we meet. “The reason I put up shows now is because those cliques wouldn’t give me stage time when I started out.”

That’s all well and good for some; others see Odd’s actions causing more harm than good. “Dave Odd breathes this attitude of entitlement to stage time just by virtue of being a comic, and it sticks with [young comedians] throughout their careers,” says Mark Geary, coproducer of the vaunted Lincoln Lodge. “To get ahead, you have to work your nuts off, self-promote and prove you deserve stage time.”

The Lincoln Lodge, Chicago Underground Comedy and the Elevated are widely accepted as the most consistent alternative stand-up rooms in the city. The Lodge’s booking philosophy has an eye toward the top of the top. As a result, the room gives off a vibe of exclusivity. While Odd’s shows are intentionally more inclusive, Geary feels they’re nonetheless detrimental. “Adding more showcase rooms doesn’t do anything other than thin the pool, like having eight McDonald’s on the same block,” he says. “The community needs to consolidate and produce more open mikes.”

The trouble is that, outside of Odd’s shows and a handful of open mikes, there are few opportunities in Chicago’s comedy landscape for new performers to work out their kinks. As such, he’s the first to give these comics a showcase slot—a huge source of pride for Odd. “All these guys you see on the scene now started with me,” he says, “and it’s because, one, I don’t hold incredibly high standards for what I put in my show and, two, I give everyone a chance. They shouldn’t not be able to perform just because they’re not friends with the right people.”

One such comic is Mike Bridenstine, now a Lincoln Lodge staple. A few years ago, Bridenstine started touring the open-mike circuit. His first paid showcases were booked through Odd. At the time, Odd had shows at the Holiday Club, where there was no spotlight or stage, and the Chase Café, where the stage was a coffee table. While he’s grateful for the opportunities Odd provided, Bridenstine feels his responsibility to Odd ends there. “Other people gave me stage time back then, but they don’t go out of their way to remind me,” he says.

Geary and Odd have their stark differences, openly shared on Chicago’s stand-up message board (groups.yahoo.com/group/chichahahago). In fact, neither can make a comment, however innocuous, without the other jumping in. Geary might be the most vocal, but he’s not the only one. “People tell new comics, ‘Don’t work with Dave Odd. He runs crappy shows, kills rooms and exploits comics,’?” Odd says. “But they also say, ‘Oh no, you can’t perform at the Lincoln Lodge yet.’ Well, my stage time gets them to that level.”

For the time being, Odd remains a constant presence in Chicago: New comics get stage time, audiences get shows of varying quality. While his outspoken nature might rub his peers the wrong way, the scene as a whole is learning to accept Odd as a necessary part of Chicago stand-up. “Like him or not, he’s doing what he loves and he’s a funny, prolific joke writer,” Bridenstine says. “The thing is, if Dave Odd weren’t the first person to tell you how great he was, he might be the most respected comedian in Chicago.”

Dave Odd opens for Frank Townsend at The Improv Friday 24.