User:ChadRiden/Chad Riden

Chad Riden is an American stand-up comedian. As early as the age of 8, Chad would sneak out of bed to watch David Letterman, thinking “THAT’S what I want to do.” In college Riden majored in Broadcasting, as “Jackassery” was not an option, and began working in local radio and television.. but was constantly reprimanded for being a smart-ass. In the fall of 2000, he sought work where this kind of behavior was appreciated and decided to embrace poverty and pursue stand-up comedy.

He found both in Nashville, where after doing open mics for only a few months, Riden had regular bookings at Zanies Comedy Showplace where he got to work with and learn from some of the biggest names in comedy. Chad hit the road full time in 2006 – traveling from North Dakota to Florida, Oklahoma to the Carolinas, and everywhere in between. In April 2007, he recorded his first cd, “FREEdumb” which has been downloaded over 168,655 times (as of November 2010).

Riden has appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman’s “Tony Mendez Show”, several Comcast On Demand specials, dozens of independent short films, and was on NBC’s Last Comic Standing for exactly one freaking second. He has performed at the Laughing Skull Comedy Festival (2010) and the Laugh Your Asheville Off Festival (2009) and continues to tour the nation using his smart-ass super powers for good, not evil.

Chad mostly tells jokes and stories about his life, family and the randomness around him with just enough jackassery in the moment to make each show unique. He can work totally clean, but generally puts on an R-rated show. He has done shows for theater crowds, club crowds, dive bar crowds, hipsters, blue-haired grandmas, a cop convention, a linux convention, corporate events, kindergarten classes and everything in between.

“Chad’s Orwellian tinted concepts of family, home and recreation provide the right amount of cynicism and criticism with wit to make it all worth while. In a realm of usually pesimistic and self-loathing performers, Riden spouts vitality with a handle on reality. Chad Riden has a presence uncapturable to the camera and undefendable to the will.” – Scot Nery

“His observations on the domestic sphere teeter amiably on the edge.” – The Nashville Scene

Over the course of a weekend in February 2011, Doug Stanhope called Chad Riden “wicked funny” once, “fucking brilliant” twice, and “stupid” only one time (which is pretty amazing, given that we’re talking about Riden).

“Chad Riden – good guy. Been through a lot. His heart’s heavy. World’s weighing on Chad. Weighs heavy on Chad. He’s got a burden.. but he’s a funny guy. It makes him a funny guy. That burden makes him funny.” – Marc Maron, WTF episode 209 (September, 2011)

Recorded shows
Riden released his first CD, FREEdumb, in 2007.

Appearances

 * Comcast On Demand: Morty’s “Trial By Laughter” (Indianapolis, IN) | 2011
 * NBC’s Last Comic Standing, Season 7 | 2010
 * Comcast On Demand: Crackers (Indianapolis, IN) | 2009
 * Howard TV’s “Killers of Comedy On The Road” | 2009
 * NBC’s Last Comic Standing, Season 6 | 2008
 * Comcast On Demand: The Punchline (Atlanta, GA) | 2008
 * The Late Show with David Lettermans “Tony Mendez Show” | 2002