Rob Gleeson, a sophomore finance major, is making a name for himself in the Denver comedy scene and is being recognized for his work due to winning DU’s version of Last Comic Standing on April 11 and being awarded runner-up last Saturday in the Laughing Bean’s Cinco de Mayo comedy showdown.
Since Gleeson was the winner of DU’s Last Comic Standing, hosted by the DU Programming Board (DUPB), he was able to perform in front of about 300 students and some DU faculty at Comedy Works in downtown Denver.
Gleeson, a Milwaukee native, has been involved with stand-up comedy for more than year. He has participated in shows at the Squire Lounge and hosted local clubs. Gleeson performs in Denver as a weekly event.
“I do five to eight shows a week in Denver,” said Gleeson. “A busy night is a Saturday with two shows and a slow night is a mike in a bar in front of ten drunks,” said Gleeson. “It is tough to perform at a bar in front of drunks who think that their Bud Light bottle is a microphone.”
Some of his “schooling” came from hanging out at comedy clubs even when he wasn’t performing, because getting to know the local comics is key to getting your foot in the door, said Gleeson.
Gleeson started doing stand-up for a black box theater in Denver, where he did his first 10-15 minute sets opening for their shows every weekend.
Gleeson soon moved over to Comedy Works, where he found an environment more welcoming for his comedic style and has been involved in the Denver comedy scene since.
Gleeson also opens regularly for nationally touring headliners at Loonee’s Comedy Club in Colorado Springs.
Some of the topics Gleeson covers relate to personal experiences and observational humor.
“I think that self-deprecation is funny, but you have to be careful because if you take it too far the audience feels sorry for you and that’s not funny, that’s group therapy,” said Gleeson. “Dating is a good topic because I’ve always had a hard time with it. I’ll do a great show and a cute girl will come up to me afterwards and say ‘Hey you were really funny, how do I get back to the freeway from here?'”
Gleeson comments on the DU party scene as he is also a full-time college student.
“I don’t drink, a lot of my friends do, which is fine but if I black out and piss my pants I want to be able to remember it. ‘Hey mom, guess what I did last night?'”
Gleeson will be featured in two shows this May, one of which is Cure for Cancer and the other Laughs for Leukemia. He performed at Laughs for Leukemia in 2007 as well.
“Apparently dick jokes cure cancer,” said Gleeson. “Just kidding, I’m not big enough to tell dick jokes.”
Laughs for Leukemia, hosted by Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity, will take place on May 28 at 8 p.m. in Davis Auditorium alongside national headliner and Gleeson’s personal friend Denis Donohue. The Cure for Cancer dates and location have not yet been determined.
