April 17 and 18, 2009
Mainstreet Center
Time: 8:00 pm
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Presenting -
Mike Sjerven – Sam Adams – Deacon Gray

Mike Sjerven won the 2003 Colorado University Comedy Contest by combining his unique material with his smooth, confident delivery. He also placed 2nd in the 2002 Wits End Comedy Club New Talent Contest.

These accomplishments, along with his repeated performances at Denver’s Comedy Works Almost Famous showcases have solidified Mike’s place as a rising star in Denver’s exploding comedy scene.

Mike’s comedy defies classification, as he can be a sharp social critic one minute and a hapless, confused individual the next. Audiences have responded by laughing, clapping, ordering more drinks, and sometimes hot wings. One satisfied customer even offered Mike a coupon for 10% off a tattoo (as of yet, said coupon has gone unused).

Mike has appeared on shows with such national acts as Jake Johannsen, Jim Gaffigan, Kathleen Madigan, Bobby Collins, Vince Morris, Don Friesen, Louis Johnson, Troy Baxley, Roger Rittenhouse, and Bryan Kellen.

SAM ADAMS

On the record, he is Sam Adams, an award-winning Denver, Colorado-based sports columnist, radio talk-show host and television commentator. Off the record, he is a stand-up comedian and emcee who does NOT look like the guy on the beer bottle.

The year 2003 was meaningful for Adams. In his second year of performing stand-up Adams took the third-place bronze in the competition at Denver’s famed “Comedy Works” – one month after being named Colorado’s “Print Journalist of the Year.” Capturing audiences with his clean and clever brand of humor, Adams has opened shows and shared the stage with a number of touring headline comedians and national recording acts. The list includes crowd-pleasing comedians Tom Dreesen, John Caponera, Bryan Kellen and Darryl Collier, as well as music’s Grammy Award-nominee Freddie Jackson, the Stylistics, the S.O.S. Band, the Delfonics, the Chi-Lites, Cuba Gooding Sr., Firefall, Dotsero and Nelson Rangell to name just a few.

Count on an interesting “situation” when Sam Adams is around. He’s been mistaken for Eddie Murphy at a bar in Nebraska. He bumped into the King of Soul, James Brown, at a Starbucks. And no, he didn’t bite off more than he could chew in an encounter with former boxing champ Mike Tyson.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Sam Adams is a versatile showman on stage – a former musician and vocalist who has been known to break into song when looking back at his days of being broke. And those days weren’t too long ago – just ask the “Repo Man.” Give him credit for coming quite a ways as an entertainer in a short time. No, really – give him credit. VISA and Master Card refuse to.

In July, 2003, the Denver Business Journal gave Sam Adams a favorable citing after a performance for “bringing down the house with a string of well-delivered lines that were notable for their lack of profanity, scatalogical or sexual references.” He was pleased by the review – especially after learning the definition of scatalogical! Everyone should take time to appreciate the clean taste of laughter … from Sam Adams.

DEACON GRAY

“Best Comedy Guru” — The Westword (April, 2006)
“No Joke, This Guy is Funny” — The Daily Oklahoman (March, 2000)

Deacon Gray began his stand-up comedy career at a small club in his home state of Oklahoma in 1986. After working on his act for a few years, (and completing college), he set out on the road and toured the United States.

Since then, Gray has performed across the country and worked with such notable comedians as Dave Attell, Lewis Black Drew Carey, Dave Chappelle, David Cross, Ellen Degeneres, Craig Ferguson, Jeff Foxworthy, Bobcat Goldthwait, Kathy Griffin, Mitch Hedberg, Bill Hicks, Sam Kinison, Richard Lewis, Norm MacDonald, Paula Poundstone, Brian Regan, Chris Rock, Bob Saget, and Wanda Sykes.

Gray was selected as Oklahoma’s Funniest Person five times, and was selected to represent the state on Showtime in the 1991 National Lampoon Laugh-off at the Sahara hotel in Las Vegas.

Deacon has also performed corporate shows for clients such as American Airlines, Sonic, Firestone, Lowe’s, Cox Cable, and the Denver Press Club. University appearances include the Univerity of Oklahoma, the University of Colorado, Metro State University, and the Colorado School of Mines.

Deacon has an improvisational style of comedy that led The Oklahoma Gazette to refer to him as “a runaway mind train.” In short: no two shows are ever alike. Gray has also trained with the improvisational groups Second City, Chicago City Limits, and L.A. TheatreSports.

In 2000, Gray moved to Denver where he now serves as New Talent Coordinator at Comedy Works, overseeing the development of new and amateur comedians. He is also a regular contributor to the Rocky Mountain News sports section.

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