Comedian Dana Goldberg: Naturally hilarious

The first time I heard Dana Goldberg was last year when Dede Frain (founder of Babes Around Denver) hosted a women’s comedy event. So, when I heard that she was being featured at eden bar and cuisine lounge for a ‘One Night Only’ performance Nov. 15, I knew I was going. Since the news, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to chat with the comedienne about all things comedy, joy and contact embarrassment.

I am so glad that Pam Van Nostern and Jen Scully are doing this. We need more comedy.

I completely agree with you, especially in this day and age. I think, more than ever, people need to laugh right now.

There are not a lot of comediennes telling our stories as lesbians, intelligently, because sometimes it’s just offensive or painful.

Absolutely. I know that feeling. I don’t like being in those audiences. I get contact embarrassment. You’re there going ‘I feel really bad, for you.’

Ha, ha, that’s hilarious! That’s just how I feel.

It’s like bad karaoke.

I am fascinated by the idea of becoming a comic. How do you go from being funny with your friends, being a funny person, to this is what I want to do with my life?

What a great question. I think for me, the first time I went on stage, actually I won my high school talent show, but I don’t count that for some reason. I ended up doing a ten minute stand up routine when I was 17, and I won. Which was interesting, because I was telling jokes about the teachers in high school.

So, this is kind of in your blood.

There was something within me from a very early age that wanted to be on stage. I auditioned for ‘Stomp’ a couple of times, because I have a drumming background. It didn’t work. But, I knew that there was something with performing that I connected to.

What was your first show that made you know, this is it?

I auditioned for a show that used to be done in Albuquerque called “Funny Lesbians for a Change.” It raised [money] for higher education scholarships for women. It’s where I saw Suzanne (Westenhoefer) before she exploded. She headlined this event. And I was like, I wanna do this. The noise that was in the room, the laughter that’s being resonated toward this person on stage on such a high level, it’s affecting me. I want that.

I love it. You caught the bug.

So, I went and auditioned for this same show a few years later. And they said, we’ll give you seven minutes. And I was like, OK. So, I was practicing. Literally Robyn, I went to my sister’s house. Did my routine into a lint brush. And all of her friends were stoned.

Haha! The perfect audience.

I did my routine. I thought I was the funniest thing they’d ever heard. So it was a super good way to start.

You’re like, ‘yes I’m awesome.’

I’m like, I’m a natural. And now I’m there going on stage, I can see my heart beating through my shirt. I performed my first set in front of 650 people, in a sold out theatre in Albuquerque. And when I hit my first big joke, I heard the most deafening laughter I had ever heard.

Right on.

When you’re in the audience it’s being projected toward the stage and it’s loud. You don’t even know what it sounds like when you’re on stage. I felt nothing like I’d ever felt in that moment. I felt like I could fly that night. For the rest of that seven minutes, my feet didn’t touch the ground. I was just so blown away.

What a great feeling.

I’ll be honest with you, and I think most comedians are like this. We need, whether we’re going to admit it or not, validation. And whatever form it comes in, it may not be personal, you know like I don’t need validation from my partner. I know who I am. For some reason, something inside of us, [we put] ourselves in a vulnerable situation in front of large masses of people with immediate feedback. And either they love you or they don’t. It’s interesting because it’s a mind fuck.

Right!

A lot of us function off of that. What I’ve had to learn through the years is a bad night is not a reflection of me as a comic or a person. It’s just a bad night. It doesn’t determine my worth as a comedian.

Sure because sometimes the energy just isn’t going your way.

If it’s a bad night, I’m like OK, something needs to change. I grow the most when I don’t do well. If I’m killing it every show, I’m not learning anything.

Instant feedback, a little bit tougher than other professions.

I don’t feel like my profession is hard. It can be challenging. But just like any other passion, some people are born to be doctors, some people are born to be teachers, some people are just born to be comedians. So when you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing things start to fall into place and the ease of it shows itself to you. If you’re always butting your head up against the wall, I’m like, why are you doing this?

Then it sounds like you made just the right choice.

I make people happy. I spread joy. How great of a job is that?

Dana Goldberg will be spreading her brand of joy Thursday, Nov. 15 at eden bar and cuisine lounge, 3090 Downing St. Doors open at 7 p.m. More info.