College romance coaches Dave and Ethan stand-up at USC
Packing the Russell House Theater with a crowd rivaling “Harry Potter” movie attendance, college dating coaches Dave and Ethan shared dance tips, original songs, spot-on impressions and loads of laughs.
Dave and Ethan’s dating coach expertise began in early 2008 when the friends began posting advertisements on Craigslist and YouTube, asking girls if they and their friends would like to double date the comedy duo.
The overwhelming response helped give Dave and Ethan the inspiration for their YouTube video blog/comedy series about double dating. Video highlights include two episodes in which the pair fake foreign accents in an attempt to pick up girls, a ridiculous attempt to get dates during a New York City subway ride and frank interviews with people on the street about sex.
It’s hard to deny the pair’s talent for garnering laughs. Dave and Ethan’s YouTube videos helped launch a monthly live show at the People’s Improv Theater in New York City and a slew of performances at other New York venues and comedy festivals across the country. The Carolina Productions-sponsored show on Wednesday was one of many stops on a national college comedy tour.
Wednesday’s performance began with a video highlighting some favorite moments from Dave and Ethan’s YouTube adventures. According to the video, the friends have embarked on over 200 double dates as a result of their videos.
From their first appearance on stage, it was obvious that Dave and Ethan had brought their charm and charisma.
“If you think I’m better looking than Zac Efron, have a seat,” Dave said to an audience who was already seated and remained seated.
After a few introductory jokes, the dating coaches reenacted a typical day for two girls at USC. The skit took jabs at on-campus housing (referring to McBryde as “McProjects”), wardrobe choices (“I have a North Face jacket for every day of the week,” Dave said), Boombox Guy, hate for Clemson fans, Sandstorm and Five Points (with a specific reference to Sharky’s). Although these experiences were exaggerated, the audience was tickled and laughed along with the comedians’ silly girlish accents and over-the-top body language.
Dave and Ethan stated that the purpose of their show was to try to “bring romance” to the audience. The pair agreed that getting a date usually starts with the guys.
In an interactive part of the show, Dave and Ethan brought one of their most popular videos to life again as they used fake foreign accents to try to pick up audience members. The crowd suggested the accents and the pair delivered hilarious results as Ethan impersonated an Irish bloke and Dave pretended to be part Russian and part Italian.
Music was an integral part of Wednesday’s show. Dave and Ethan performed two original songs over the course of the evening, starting with “Maybe,” an “instructional song” for planning a first date. Ethan proved his musical talent with his guitar and a more rich, high-quality tone while Dave provided comic relief with talk-singing and a few notes on the triangle. “Maybe” started out with a description of typical dates, including concerts, movies and dinner. Dave described all the ways the date could go wrong (for example,“Maybe you’ll put away that mace”) as Ethan crooned positive, sweet phrases like “Oooh, it was love at first sight.”
After the song, Dave and Ethan asked members of the audience to share stories of the terrible first dates they’ve endured. A brave student named Lauren shared her story of an hour-long dinner wait, leaving the movie tickets at home, meeting the guy’s family and receiving a sloppy, drool-filled kiss. Dave and Ethan reenacted the story that Lauren told and then showed the audience how the date should’ve played out in better circumstances.
The crowd got a dance lesson from Dave and Ethan, including tips like “Do not punch girls in the face” and “You don’t want to look like a drowning dinosaur on the dance floor.” Dave demonstrated how to land the perfect kiss by using a kiwi that he named “Maria” as his partner. The pair also hosted their own version of “The Dating Game” with audience volunteers and silly questions like “What type of breakfast cereal would you be and why?” and “What’s your favorite make out music? Sing me a sample.” The dating game elicited loud, enthusiastic responses from the crowd and was a good way to wrap up the show.
Dave and Ethan closed with a song about their own college dating experiences, revealing that they weren’t always the smooth-talking Casanovas that they are now. In the lyrics, the pair said, “At orientation, I can change my reputation” but at the end said, “It’s not about the girls, it’s about earning a degree.”
To learn more about Dave and Ethan, check out their YouTube channel and Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @DaveAndEthan.