Comedian Dwight York’s act has always been smart, funny and to the point. It was February 1989 when he took the stage for the first time. And from that very first open mic set, York established what was to become his trademark style: clever, concise, non sequitur, impeccably timed setup/punchline type jokes. These finely crafted jokes, blended together with his quirky stage persona and his unique style of delivery, quickly established him as one of Minneapolis’s hottest young comics. Within two years he began working regularly as a “feature act” at the (then hottest) Twin Cities comedy club chain, The Comedy Gallery.
In 1995, while still working his day job and doing standup part-time, York achieved his first major credit. He was invited to compete in a major national comedy contest, The Vail National Comedy Invitational. There he made it all the way to the final round and so impressed the contest co-sponsor and contest host, Budd Friedmann (famous founder of the world-famous Improv comedy club) that he personally invited him back for the summer tie-in event, The Vail Comedy Festival. Not bad for a part-time comic with a day job.
In January of 1996, after seven years of honing his act and saving his money, York took his show on the road. The highlight of that first year was another contest. This time it was the prestigious San Francisco International Comedy Contest where he placed second in his preliminary round and advanced to the semi-finals (in 1998 he again entered and again advanced to the semi-finals – this time placing first in the preliminary round).
As a full-time touring comedian, York maintained his persistent and patient approach. He continually added club appearances to his resume and depth and polish to his act. In December of 1999 he added “published author” to his list of credits with the release of the book, The Vile File -- Jokes too Sick for the Stage.
2000 proved to be the break-out year for Dwight York. In June he was invited to perform at the Chicago Comedy Festival. Then in October a big break came his way. York was invited to be guest on the nationally syndicated radio program, The Bob and Tom Show. His first appearance was a tremendous hit. His joke, “I was homeless for awhile – I didn’t want anyone to know so I slept in front of a Ticket Master,” became Tom Griswold’s “new favorite joke,” was replayed over and over and landed him a spot on the Bob and Tom CD: You Guys Rock. Since then York has been a frequent guest on the show, has become a favorite comedy club headliner in many Bob and Tom markets and has worked several club dates with the show’s Kristi Lee and Chick McGee and was a member of the 2005 Friends of the Bob and Tom Show Tour.
In April of 2002 a surprising little credit was added to York's comedy writing resume. A joke from his website was reprinted in the Reader’s Digest. Not a bad accomplishment considering the size of the magazine’s circulation (world’s largest). Impressive, also, if you consider the broad appeal of his humor. It sort of makes you wonder, where will Dwight York’s comedy next appear? Hopefully, somewhere near you.
