Chad Riden has been described as “a comedian, a family man, a computer dork and a smart-ass.” He has also been called “The Hardest Working Man In No Business,” “America’s Favorite Comedian Of All Time,” a “Legendary Old School Rapper,” and a “Moronic, Lying Jackass.”

As early as the age of 8, Chad would sneak out of bed to watch David Letterman, thinking “THAT’S what I want to do.” In college Riden majored in Broadcasting, as “Jackassery” was not an option. Amazingly, Chad graduated and began working in local radio and television.. but was fired from nearly every job for being a smart-ass. Eventually, he began to realize that he needed to find work where this kind of behavior was appreciated and decided to embrace poverty and pursue comedy. He found both in Nashville, where after doing open mics for only a few months, Riden had regular bookings at Zanies Comedy Showplace.

Soon, Chad could be found performing everywhere from a tent in a Wal-Mart parking lot to the historic Ryman Auditorium. Chad has since done shows with Dave Attell, Doug Stanhope, and Bill Burr; has appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman’s “Tony Mendez Show”; and tours the nation using his smart-ass super powers for good, not evil.

Chad mostly tells jokes about his life, family and the randomness around him but also likes to tell longer but punchy stories and weave it all together with just enough crowd work to make each show unique. He can work totally clean, but generally puts on an R-rated show. He has done shows for blue-hairs, a cop convention, a linux nerd convention, theater crowds, club crowds, shit-hole dive bar crowds, and everything in between.

The Nashville Scene wrote, “His aggressive, angry-young-man stance of a few years ago has been leavened somewhat, since Riden more recently entered the world of marriage and fatherhood. His observations on the domestic sphere teeter amiably on the edge, but when he wants to, Riden can still zing pop culture, the media and American life in general with incisive wit.”

When he goes on stage, Chad takes the crowd’s energy and simmers it, adding a variety of herbs, sauces and slander.. bringing it to a boil and scorching everybody in the house with his blistering hot funny.

TV:
Late Show with David Letterman’s “Tony Mendez Show”
Howard TV’s “Killers of Comedy On The Road”
Comcast On Demand’s “Crackers Comedy Clips”

Theatres:
Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
TPAC’s Polk Theatre – Nashville, TN
Belcourt Theatre – Nashville, TN
The Palace Theater – Crossville, TN
Boiler Room Theatre – Franklin, TN
Princess Theatre – Hopkinsville, KY
Diana Wortham Theater – Asheville, NC
Relapse Theater – Atlanta, GA

Clubs:
Zanies – Nashville, TN
House Of Blues – Myrtle Beach, NC
Loony Bin – Wichita, KS
Comedy Zone – Jacksonville, FL
The Loft – Columbus, GA
Stardome – Birmingham, AL
Exit/In – Nashville, TN

Festivals:
‘Laugh Your Asheville Off’ Festival 2009