Dave Thornton says US billionaire’s birthday was his ‘strangest’ gig

Dave Thornton has had his fair share of good and bad comedy shows. But his best story, and his “strangest gig by far”, came after being flown to the US to perform at a billionaire’s 75th birthday party.

In a comedy career of more than 16 years, Dave Thornton has had his fair share of cracking yarns about gigs, good and bad – the high and lows, the hecklers and the fans.

But his best story, and his “strangest gig by far”, happened only recently.

Out of the blue, Thornton was flown to Aspen, Colorado, to perform a 20-minute stand-up routine … for a billionaire’s 75th birthday party.

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“Without a doubt, the strangest thing I have ever been involved in,” says Thornton.

The Aussie-raised (US-based) billionaire specifically wanted an Aussie comic.

She knew a guy in Aspen, and that guy knew Thornton.

Comedian Dave Thornton became the token Aussie comedian at a US stranger’s birthday party.

Before you can say “fireside martinis”, Thornton was in Aspen plying his trade to a bunch of ludicrously wealthy people.

“And I had zero point of reference,” he says.

“I had like nothing in common with those people, so what was I going to do for them?

“The small talk went like ‘oh, just got a parking ticket’, and they were like ‘oh, really? I just bought Nigeria’.”

That gig has provided rich fodder for his next gig, his Melbourne International Comedy Festival show, Lean Into It.

A reference to New York Times bestseller and inspiration to millions, by Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg, no doubt?

“Whaaaaat? Who? Aaaaaaah, wait …. no. Don’t. Actually. Know. It. Let it never be said that I don’t do my research,” he laughs.

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Thornton happily admits he’d never made the connection, and for a moment considers the prospect of fending off lawsuits from Mark Zuckerberg.

No, Lean Into It is simply an arbitrary title for material about tag-team parenting (“thank God that second child turned up”), galloping towards 40 with a mortgage and all-grown-up responsibilities, 56-hour trans-Pacific trips to perform at billionaire birthday parties and the self-righteous lefties of Brunswick.

Dave Thornton as Groucho Marx, his comedic idol. Picture: Nicole Cleary

Thornton, originally from Geelong, now lives in Brunswick with wife Niki, and children, Frieda, 2, and Jana, four months.

Since winning Best Newcomer at the Melbourne comedy festival in 2007, it’s been a whirlwind for the 39-year-old grahic designer-turned-funny man.

After a high-profile radio gig, he’s become a regular on The Project, appeared in ABC’s Upper Middle Bogan, Channel Nine’s House Husbands and hosted the first series of AFL quiz show The Beep Test on Fox Footy.

“I remember when I started stand-up, thinking, ‘how will I live on the poverty line’ and ‘you know, canned foods aren’t that bad after all … but these days, I think ‘this is pretty cool’,” he says.

“I hoped I would get here, but you know, hopes and dreams aren’t often concrete things.”

OUR REVIEW OF DAVE THORNTON, LEAN INTO IT

Rating: ★★★½

Reviewer: Michael Ward

Dave Thornton’s solid stand-up is an easy watch: relatable material, seamless segues, well-told anecdotes, a relaxed stage presence.

Sure, you’ve probably heard variations on these themes a dozen times over: parenting (Thornton is a father of two young daughters), inner-city (Brunswick) hipster culture, perhaps a dash of topicality (sexual equality in the workplace).

There are some funny voices and a war story or two (Thornton has a great bit about a gig for a wealthy American’s birthday party).

In essence, there’s nothing here to knock any socks off, but this well-crafted show delivers plenty of laughs.

Dave Thornton, Lean Into It, until April 21, Max Watts; Fridays at Melbourne Town Hall.