By Tracy Dietlin
Most of us know Nigel Dettelbach as the bass player and co-founder for Slipping Into Darkness and as the Talent Booker and Sound Engineer at The Hood, as well as Sound Engineer for the Date Shed, but back in June, Dettelbach took on a new title as Comedy Booker at The Hood. This Sunday, October 7, he is bringing headliner Erik Griffin to the venue along with some local regular comedians.
Tickets are only $10.00 and include a beer, wine or well drink. Show starts at 8pm and doors open at 7:30. Nigel took some time to answer some questions for us.
CVW: When was the first comedy show at The Hood?
Nigel Dettelbach: “It was Sunday June 10th. Our headliner that night was Frank Castillo. He was the winner of Comedy Central’s “Roast Battle” season 1.”
CVW: Have you been in charge of it since the beginning?
Dettelbach: “Yes, I came up with the initial concept for a night designated to stand up and then teamed up with local comic and friend Jacob Cantu when it came to booking talent. There is nothing else like it here in the desert.”
CVW: What made you decide to get into booking and promoting Comedy shows?
Dettelbach: “I wanted to bring in a new element, plus I’m a big fan of stand up and saw an opening to spotlight it at The Hood.”
CVW: How do you select the comedians? You’ve been bringing in some names from LA and out of town. Tell us a little about that?
Dettelbach: “I’m very hands on. I drive out to The Comedy Store in LA and hand pick the comics myself. I sit in the audience and every time someone impresses me I get up from my seat and book them on the spot.”
“I also go there to take notes on how to run my show. I feel like I have the flow down now. But I still, at the end of every show, ask my headliner about their overall experience and if they have any notes/critiques for me. So far they’ve all told me The Hood is a great room! Every one of them has said that they’d like to return.”
CVW: How did booking Erik Griffin come about?
Dettelbach: “Instagram of all ways…”
CVW: How often are you going to be doing the Comedy nights?
Dettelbach: “We have a show every other Sunday. I want to keep it fresh and not burn the valley out on comedy. Plus, my main focus is the quality of comics. I don’t want to throw just anyone on stage.”
CVW: How is booking comedy different from you booking bands at The Hood?
Dettelbach: “I found there is almost no difference between dealing with band members and comedians.”
CVW: What do you enjoy more… booking entertainment, performing with your band Slipping Into Darkness or running sound for The Hood and Date Shed? Tell us what you get from each one.
Dettelbach: “I love them all! I am very grateful to hold the positions that I do. Booking is great because I’ve always had a knack for networking. Playing music is life. Being the FOH engineer for the Date Shed is amazing. Not only do I run sound for big names, but during festivals I get to manage my own stage. Plus I gained a new family with Empire Music Ventures. (Shout out to the booker, Kristen! She works her ass off and brings in big time artists. Lots of respect!) The Hood is home. That’s all I can say.”
CVW: What’s new with your band Slipping Into Darkness?
Dettelbach: “Slipping Into Darkness is just a few songs away from finishing our latest album. We’re working with two producers, Pete Dee from The Adicts and Eduardo Arenas from Chicano Batman. Our engineer is Cameron Webb (Motorhead) so it’s going to sound rad. We’re in good hands! We already have labels waiting on it. We are stoked and the sky’s the limit. As far as shows, we only have one booked at the moment. We’re headlining the Concert for Autism benefit at the Tack Room on October 19th. Follow us on social media for updates.”
CVW: I noticed there are some changes going on at The Hood cosmetically. Can you share about that?
Dettelbach: “Yeah, we’re giving The Hood a makeover. Jesse Jensen (bar manager) and I have been working on the project for the past few weeks. We’re doing everything from painting to demo work ourselves. We love The Hood and Brad is an amazing boss. We’re more than happy to donate our time to renovate the venue. We really just want to make The Hood more appealing to everyone. Change is good!”
