Click here to donate to Alan's Polar Plunge for Special Olympics - Wisconsin!

A Message from Alan:
As a scholar and a gentleman, I have spent many years studying the scientific arts. For those of you that have not pursued academia, let me reveal to you an astonishing fact revealed by the science of climatology: February is very cold! Despite the frigid nature of the month, I have decided to jump into a frozen lake as part of the "Polar Plunge" for Special Olympics of Wisconsin.

I am just one member of a team of local comedians and staff members from the Comedy Club on State who will be diving in for this wonderful fundraiser. All money raised from the event will provide funding for nearly 10,000 athletes with cognitive disabilities in Wisconsin.

For those of you who know me, I am rarely a serious man but this is something I'm passionate about. I'd be honored if you would donate some money to help me freeze to death. If you donate, I'll totally get you a picture of myself shivering and cursing after the plunge. Click here to donate to Alan's Polar Plunge for Special Olympics - Wisconsin!

I am pleased to say that the Comedy Club on State has graciously offered to donate $2 from every ticket from the preliminary rounds of Madison's Funniest Comedian 2011 to the Polar Plunge!

Oh, by the way, I'm also competing in Madison's Funniest Comedian 2011! Here's the selfish part of this blog post.

I will be in the 2nd round of the preliminaries on February 9th. Between the two preliminary nights, there will be 62 comedians performing and that number will be whittled down to 20 for the next round of the competition! Audience voting counts for 40% of the score and I would really appreciate it if some friends could come out and support me.

It's Wednesday, February 9th at 9 pm at the Comedy Club on State (202 State Street, Madison, WI). It's only $5 to get in and remember that $2 of your ticket goes to the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics - Wisconsin.

On Tuesday, November 9th, an indescribable tragedy destroyed the house of three friends, and took the life of an amazing man. However, the Sun Prairie home explosion could not take away the love and kindness that Andy Manley, Steven Slack and Lindsey Stephany brought out in those around them. In an effort to honor the memory of Manley, and help Slack and Stephany put their lives back together, a group of family and friends has put together a special event, called “Rock To Rebuild”, which will be held on Thursday, January 13, at the High Noon Saloon.

The evening will feature entertainment by local bands Awesome Car Funmaker and Screamin’ Cyn Cyn and the Pons and will be emceed by comedian Alan Talaga. The members of Awesome Car Funmaker, who are re-uniting for this one-time performance, are honored by the opportunity to lend a hand to their close friends. All of the event’s proceeds will go to the Coral Drive Relief Fund at Associated Bank.

And then, this Monday, come by and enjoy the last Dan Potacke Show for a little while!

Joining me will be Doug Holtz, a local playwright and director. Doug will be plugging his new play "The Last Supper," w...hich runs January 21 - February 12 at the Bartell Theatre.

We will also be joined by representatives from Iron Cupcake Madison. They hold competitions where local bakers battle to see who can make the best cupcake. Their next event is coming up Sunday, January 23rd: it's a citrus cupcake challenge!

Finally, we will have comedy by Jackson Jones. Or maybe that's Matt Jones. I'm not sure, this guy has multiple names. I hate it when people adopt stage names for comedy, it just ends up confusing people.

I'll see you there, this Monday at the Frequency (121 W Main St). As always, there is NO COVER! The show starts at 6:30 PM and is 18+.

Headed to the capitol to celebrate Scott Walker's inauguration? Of course you are! Well, after it's done, walk(er) over to the Frequency for the Dan Potacke Show - Scott Walker Inauguration Special!

I'd also like to give a formal invitation for Governor Walker to stop on by the show! Now I know that my show is running at the same time as your inaugural ball over at Monona Terrace but, if you come, I'll let you spin the Wheel of F...antasticness! After all, you said Wisconsin is open for business! Well, this show is my business and you'd really help me out by stopping by. One college dropout to another, help a guy out!

Walker or not, we will have the great guys from Bastard Den Radio stopping by. While it sounds like a support group for children from unmarried parents, the Bastard Den is an excellent locally-produced online radio program featuring lots of local & national metal and interviews with bands and comedians.

So come on down to the Frequency (121 W Main St) this Monday at 6:30! There is NO COVER but the show is 18+ so bring your ID. Better get used to carrying that around, soon you'll need an ID to vote!

Ho! Ho! YAAAYYYY! It's that joyful season, time for the 2nd Annual Dan Potacke Holiday Special! We will have presents! We will have mirth! We will have songs!

We will also have sadness, as we will be saying goodbye to one of our comedian friends, Ms. JoAnne Poniatowski. JoAnne is moving to Delaware, which I believe is near Idaho. She'll be doing some stand-up so she'll be leaving us with two kinds of tears: tears of laughter and ...the sad tears!

But that's about it for what I've got planned. No guests. DO YOU WANT TO BE IN THE SHOW? I WILL WRITE A PART IN A SKIT FOR ANYONE AND EVERYONE THAT COMMENTS ON THIS POST OR WRITES ON THIS FACEBOOK WALL. Better yet: write something yourself and I'll put it in the show. DON'T WANT TO BE IN A SKIT, I WILL INTERVIEW YOU ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS OR SOMETHING.

It's the Holidays, no one is getting left out at the Dan Potacke Show: everyone who wants to be in the show will be in the show!

*Note: If you are in a skit, you may not get a script until Sunday night, perhaps Monday morning.*

Tonight (Monday), it's the next Dan Potacke Show. And we've got some amazing guests lined up! First up, we have the fabulous Jay Moran. Jay is a veteran of the Madison music and comedy scene with a resume that makes other g...uitar-strummers and joke chuckers blush. On the music side, he's been involved in such... bands as: O'bros, Emmettville, Know-It-All Boyfriends. He's also got some comedy chops with experience in sketch groups The Prom Committee and Full Nelson Reilly.

Plus, we have Naked Girls Reading... well, at least a representative from the group "Naked Girls Reading." Cheeky Friday from the aforementioned group will join me on stage to talk about nudity and literature. Both things leave me unsettled.

Finally, we will have Vanessa Tortolano and Alla Shapiro from NessAlla Kombucha. Kombucha is a fermented tea made from a live culture, it's delicious but very slightly alcoholic (like <.5%) and the Man is hassling them as they try to grow their business.

As always, there is NO COVER. The show is at the Frequency, 121 W. Main St at 6:30 PM. For the first time, we are 18+ so bring your nephews and stepdaughters!