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Promotional art for The Pride Of Cleveland
Cover image credit: Promotional image via Comedy Dynamics

The Pride Of Cleveland

Dave Hill

Comedy Dynamics · 2020 · 57 min

Guitar solos and deadpan swagger in a Brooklyn basement.

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Released , on Comedy Dynamics.

Dave Hill walks onto a cramped stage strapped with an electric guitar, dressed like an immaculate power-pop frontman, and proceeds to deliver arena swagger to a small room. The trick is that he genuinely knows how to play, yet uses his riffs mostly to punctuate deadpan observations and stories about small indignities.

His extended account of opening for Snoop Dogg captures the dynamic well, turning backstage confusion into slow-burn narrative comedy. Other bits cover testing loud solos at Guitar Center, going to church with his elderly father, and drafting pickup lines tailored strictly to New York subway riders.

Recorded at Union Hall in Brooklyn and directed by Jim Biederman, the 57-minute performance caught Hill at a steady point in his career as an author, musician, and fixture of New York alternative comedy. Rather than leaning on parody songs, he uses the amplifier like another voice in the room, underscoring each dry confession with heavy metal noise.

Notable bits & set list

3 bits

  1. What really happened when Jesus turned water into wine / Loaves and Fishes

    Gently absurdist comedic retelling of biblical events

  2. The time Dave Hill opened for Snoop Dogg

    Self-deprecating storytelling combined with shredding guitar riffs and hot licks

  3. Pickup lines that will only work in New York City

    Abjectly silly, geographically specific one-liners and jokes

How it plays

Tone
Gently absurdist, playfully self-deprecating, and abjectly silly
On stage
Affable, playful, and charismatic with a jolly demeanor, blending the swagger and sauce of New York City with classy renaissance-man styling
Pace
Energising and charismatic, seamlessly weaving between guitar playing, storytelling, riffing, and jokes
About
Navigating life as a Z-list celebrity, Biblical stories and miracles, Music and playing guitar, Dating and romance

What the critics said

Praised by The Comedy Bureau as a pretty perfect blend of stand-up comedy and guitar shredding, highlighting Dave Hill's ability to orchestrate an entire comedic experience with animated charisma and seamless transitions.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: comedydynamics.com, allmusic.com, primevideo.com, thecomedybureau.com, nextupcomedy.com, apocalypsenowpodcast.com.

Details

Released
Runtime
57 min
Where
Comedy Dynamics
Director
Jim Biederman
Topics

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