What are you lookin at?

When I did my first ever standup show in a comedy club it was in kitchener ontario. For years I studied comedy and even made comedy trees for certain type acts and their careers. Much like they do for bands I did them for comics. I knew the politcal comics, the one liners, the prop acts and the rocknroll comics. Kinison, Dice, Hicks and to a certain extent Miller and Leary. Comedy with a sense that they couldn't care less.

I remember the first time I ever saw a rock and roll comic. My first amatuer night in kitchener a comic named Dave Hook was on the show and all the other comics looked up to him cause he had done shows in toronto. Now I was more interested in seeing what he did cause he had leather pants on and smoked but didn't have attitude and seemed like a nice guy. A nice guy and leather pants seemed very un rock and roll to me.

I watched. He killed with both material and shock....horror a GUITAR. Now lots of comics look down on acts with guitars and even less so with acts that do parody songs but I don't. I watched his whole act and saw that the stuff I enjoyed the most was the material and he just sprinkled in songs in between. He owned the stage and I liked his confidence. A young comic came up and said to me

"Don't you know who that is man?"

"No ..I am sorry I don't"

"That is dave hook man the legend"

I know that sounds crazy but it actually happened and the comic who said it to me beleived it. I thought it was odd to be honest... a legend so early in his career.

Now Dave had won the best new comic competiton that year and the next year I was in the final in toronto where I was to compete nationally for the same title. I had a small CBC film crew falling me around cause people thought I was going to win..which i didn't. Before I went on they thought it would be a good idea that I ask dave for advice so they had that footage of the "rookie" asking the "veteran". It was a forced moment in a little green room and there is dave and I just looking at each other

"Umm Dave what do you think I should do..should I do blank or blank?"

"Hey man just do what you do and have fun..whatever you think is right"

You know I still remember the way he said it..it wasn't forced to be cool thing he really meant it. There was no rock and roll bullshit attached to anything dave said or did and that is why i liked dave. He always did well when I saw him and looked forward to seeing him on shows for the next few years.

Then time does something strange...you lose touch with people...you don't hang out much anymore. Some people move on and some stay the same etc (insert lame cliche here). Dave stayed in kitchener and I moved to toronto but when ever we ran into each other I thought of those great days on amatuer night where the bullshit didn't matter. No politics ...just five to ten people hanging out dreaming of something that hopefully matters.

A few years ago I spoke with someone who told me that dave was getting sick and that he had a tumor in his head. Since my wife works as a radiation therapist I thought I should call him and ask him if he is alright and if he needs any questions answering. He seemed in a good mood and we laughed about the old days and he was excited that I was married and I had a child. The angriest man alive has a child.

Over the next few years some of us would get together at a mutual friends house or at a show with Dave and it was great times. Dave would always ask about my son cause he knew of all the complications and showed interest. He never forgot to ask and I never forget things like that.

It is hard when you know someone is dying to try and say what you mean. Especially for me cause I never want to come across cliche or cheesy. Does someone need to hear the same thing from everyone.

Dave has recently done somethings that I think everyone who reads this blog should go read. I rarely point to other sites here but please if you have time please go read it.

www.davehook.com number seven "one flew into the cuckoo's nest"

I think it is important that everyone knows that when they leave that they live in the memories of others. There is a good five years there that were some of the best parts of my life and I thank dave for being there.

Dave whatever you choose to do..just do "whatever you think is right" and in case you are wondering my son is doing ok.