Feature:

The Wade Movement
Comedian takes his act from small town to big city to Hoboken

By Sonia Andresson
Current staff writer

Like many aspiring actors and comedians before him, Adam Wade, 28, left his small-town home to try his luck in the big city. He started as an NBC page, brushing elbows with Regis Philbin and Tom Brokaw, and has since nabbed some camera time on Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Born and raised in New Hampshire, Wade has eased his big city blues by living in Hoboken for the past year. "I have been able to get a fan base in Hoboken," said Wade. "It's a great community, people are doing different things, and people are willing to watch [my shows]."

Wade owes his popularity in Hoboken to the young crowd that gets out and watches his show Monday nights at O' Donoghues on First in Hoboken.

In March, Wade performed at Rodeo Ristra Lounge on Washington Street in Hoboken, and in the past performed at renowned New York clubs, like Carolines, 'Eating it' at Luna Lounge and the Gotham Comedy Club. "He's really the most original comedian since Jerry Seinfeld, because his style of comedy is really refreshing," said Jonathan Accarino, who met Wade at NBC. "His comedy stories have elements of truth that come from his real life experience, which make his comedy real and unique."
Aside from sharing a first name and home state, Wade is often compared to Adam Sandler for his personal and musical comedy.

Wade said it is a compliment to be compared to such a successful comedian like Sandler. But the comedian that gave him his first break was Colin Quinn.
"[Quinn] actually wanted to see a tape of mine. It was a very kind gesture and he watched the tape and went over it with me in detail," Wade said. "For someone in his position and level of experience, this was priceless."
A graduate of Keene State College in New Hampshire, Wade first came to New York on an internship with 20th Century Fox.

He paid the rent waiting tables at Virgil's Barbeque in Times Square where he worked for eight months.
"I had no contacts when I got here," said Wade. "[The staff at Virgil's was] my first family in New York."
Wade was driven to move to New Jersey by a co-worker at Virgil's who lived in Fairview. Wade lived in Fairview for four years before moving to Hoboken.

"Hoboken is perfect for a small-town person like myself," said Wade, who enjoys the mom and pop businesses and running into the same people everyday.

Hoboken is not just a place to live, but an inspiration for new material. In his latest show at Carolines, Wade shared his experience of living in a basement apartment in Hoboken and dating. His new Hoboken material focuses on people's unwillingness to curb their dogs during the snow-filled months. "I hope they enforce the dog curbing. I ruined two pair of sneakers," said Wade.

Currently Wade is working in TV production for Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn and freelancing for Late Night with Conan O'Brien, but he is seeking something more creative for the future. His goal is to turn his avocation of acting, writing and comedy into his vocation.

Wade has managed, however, to step from behind the camera with a part in Dana Carvey's sketch for the church lady on Saturday Night Live, which used rapper Eminem's video motif of multiple "Real Slim Shadys." Wade was one of the "real" church ladies.

"Everybody looked the same, but I tripped over a desk, so my parents could pick me out," said Wade smiling. "It was a non-speaking part, but I was right in front."

But now, he has another gimmick to help him stand out. The Wade t-shirt is his trademark and he wears it on stage for self-promotion. He started wearing a t-shirt with Wade in large black letters on it about six months ago. Because there are so many comedians out there, Wade figured the t-shirt would help him stand out.
"People in New York and Hoboken wear them," said Wade proudly calling it the "Wade Movement."
The movement has even gone as far as the Comedy Central casting crew, who also wear Wade's t-shirt.

Aside from humorous, Wade is also very modest, which is something he takes very seriously. As an NBC page, he always admired the celebrities who took the time to give him a word of advice. Working as a page allowed Wade to meet a number of celebrities, as he worked greeting them at the door. He said people like Regis Philbin, Steve Martin, Henry Winkler and Larry David stood out, because they were genuinely nice.

"You don't have to be a jerk to be successful. I admire something like that," said Wade.

But his storytelling skill is not something he picked up from the big boys in showbiz, but from his father.
Wade's father - a middle school principal and Lt. Colonel in the army - always had humorous stories to tell.

Another source of inspiration for Wade are his high school years in New Hampshire, which have resulted in a number of skits, including his most recent one at Rodeo Ristra called "Pengiun" - a musical, featuring poetry and storytelling. "Everybody in high school was cocky, I didn't want to be like that, so I started walking with my head down like a penguin," said Wade. "People called me penguin boy, it bothered me, but in college I embraced it as being myself."

This idea of individuality sets the tone for Wade's show, which focuses on how he took pride in being Adam Wade and not everyone else.

"He's a really endearing character whose comedy is all about his life," said Jeremy Gould, set coordinator for Tough Crowd. "His comedy is him being him, but just a more amplified version of him."
Wade's advice to other comedians is to get up on stage as much as possible. "It's almost like surfing. To see if you can keep [the laughter] going," said Wade. "It's making personal things universal."

Wade is now working on three projects, which include Penguin, Visions of Melanie - an autobiographical look at his last year living in New Hampshire and first years in New York and Wade Wildcard Wednesday - that's about the time he got to dictate what his whole office ate for Wednesday lunch at Comedy Central's Tough Crowd.
His next show is on April 5 at 8:45 p.m. at Acme Underground, 9 Great Jones St., NY.

For more information about Wade, visit ADAMWADE.COM, which features his movie shorts from Carolines's film festival, a daily blog and Adam Wade Coffee Hall of Fame - with pictures of famous people Wade has gotten coffee for over the years, including MC Hammer and Tom Brokaw. There's also a link to the Hoboken St. Anne's Festival at the beer tent where Wade performs.

©The Hudson Reporter 2004