Tom Dreesen and Letterman Talk Comedy Club Days
Last night Tom Dreesen was a guest on Letterman and the two old friends started talking about the early days in comedy clubs, when they got their start together. It was nearly forty years ago, and Tom mentioned that he was there the first night Dave ever went up on stage at The Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard.
Dreesen brought some photos to share, including one of the Comedy Store Basketball Team, which he claims went 17-0 that season although it’s not exactly clear who were the teams who lost 17 games against them. Dave and Tom of course are part of the team photo as well as Jimmy Walker, John Witherspoon, Roger from Roger and Roger, Tim Reid, and George Miller. Dave played the power forward wearing number nine.
Dreesen shared a story about what he called the greatest ad lib under pressure he ever heard.
“We played at halftime at the Laker Stadium at the Forum. I remember this story; the greatest ad lib under pressure ever I’ve ever seen in my life, in my show business career. We went to the Laker game when no one knew who any of us were,” he said. “We got to the game way early so we could watch them practice. Now our seats were up in the cheap seats, we didn’t have any money; there was no one around us. And I don’t know where this guy game from, but the most menacing looking I’ve ever seen in my life; had a scruffy beard, a watch cap and a raggedy old coat, and he sat right next to Dave, and I went “oh, oh my god” and he reached inside of his coat and pulled out a knife this big. Not a switchblade, he had hunting knife, and he laid it in his hand and he said to Dave, without looking at Dave, ‘you got any money?’ And dave said ‘No, but ask around.'”
He also talked about a club, Showbiz in the San Fernando Valley where they performed with a bunch of unknowns like David Letterman, Tom Dreesen, Jay Leno, Robin Williams, Gallagher, and Michael Keaton.
He also might be the first person who hasn’t tried to sing to Dave.
