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Mr. Nice Guy to headline at Bill’s

Comedian gets audiences to laugh at themselves

Who: Daniel Packard

Where: Buffalo Bill’s

When: Tuesday, June 8

Comedian Daniel Packard shares more than initials with daytime super-therapist Dr. Phil.

"I don’t have jokes," says Packard. "I’m not talking at the audience; I’m talking with them."

And what is he talking with them about? Pretty much the same stuff the bald and burly Oprah-booster is known for. Relationships, mostly. Straight talk about the ages-old battle of the sexes.

"What I’ve learned to do over the last couple years is create a place where everybody in the room can start talking about things and yell stuff out, and I sort of act as this conduit between men and women," Packard explains. "I don’t know how, but I’ve figured out how to call women on their shit and tell them that they’re full of crap without them turning on me.

"It’s an indelicate art form."

Packard’s signature audience rapport and ability to dissect the feminine mystique for the good and enlightenment of both sexes is based in his demeanour. Simply put, he’s a nice guy. He takes the opposite approach of many of his contemporaries who capitalize on audience participation to instil fear and intimidation, a technique Packard dismisses as "insecure and lame."

"When I talk to the crowd I’ll ask them things and they’ll say some pretty vulnerable things that you probably shouldn’t say in a comedy club," he says. "But then I’ll make them feel good and I get people yelling out more stuff."

Stuff like they’d take a selection of dildos to a desert island. Stuff like they knew he wasn’t gay because his shoes weren’t shined. Men and women may slog through predictable relationship ruts, but people will continue to be full of surprises.

With nine years of performing under his belt and a touring schedule that elicits sarcasm when asked where he’s from, Packard has heard all sorts of stuff by now, but he hasn’t come close to hearing it all. That’s the beauty of his form of comedy.

"The idea is to create as much chaos as possible," he confirms, "to loosen everybody up and enjoy the beautiful, chaotic, weird moments."

Daniel Packard headlines Buffalo Bill’s weekly comedy night this Tuesday evening. The show kicks off around 9 p.m. with a performance by Mark Dennison.

For more information call 604-932-6613.