Webster’s Dictionary defines a riff as a rhythmic phrase performed on a musical instrument.
The word can also mean the lively banter by human beings.
Riffs Acoustic Music owner Larry Hart loves them both.
For more than a year, Hart has presented monthly performances by local musicians during the Full Moon Concert Series at Riffs, which is a music venue, music store and coffee shop located at 1205 Iron Horse Dr.
On Oct. 10, Hart will present the other kind of riffing when author/blogger and stand-up comedian Stacy Dymalski and guitarist/radio show host Tony Oros take the stage.
The two, known as the Dueling Cheese, will set up shop on the Riffs stage and discuss various topics in a comedic talk show-radio setting.
Hart said he has wanted to expand the Riffs vision for about a year.
“The Full Moon Concert Series fits really nicely in the rhythm of the store and patrons like it, because they aren’t getting barraged by music every night or two nights a week,” he said. “I thought, since this venue has proven itself as a great place of gathering for the community, I wanted to think of a way to use it more often in a different way than how we’ve been using it.”
Originally, Hart came up with the idea to present stand-up comedy, but it never took hold.
“Then some of the lead comics committed to Randy Barton and the Egyptian Theatre for their Stand Up at the Egyptian Series,” Hart said. “So, I decided to take my time and find a different way to bring humor to our stage.”
During his search, Hart tuned in to Oros’ volunteer shift at KPCW that is aired every other Sunday.
It so happened that Dymalski was a guest that day.
“Tony asked me to come plug something on his show and I was supposed to be on for 10 minutes,” Dymalski said during an interview. “Three hours later, we finally wrapped things up.”
“She poached my show,” Oros interjected. “But when we were finished, we realized that not only did we have a great rapport, but also ended up having some awesome exchanges with our fan base.”
We didn’t know we had a fan base together,” Dymalski confessed. “I mean, we have separate ones, and on that day, we found out that day we had one together.”
Things started rolling on the air when Oros said something to the effect that he was worn out from entertaining Park City every day for a decade and wanted a change.
“I said, ‘I wish someone would entertain us. I wish someone would drive up Swede Alley and moon us,'” Oros remembered. “A few minutes later, in the middle of a song I put on, the request line lights up and a voice on the other end said, ‘Hey, look out your window and be careful what you wish for.'”
To Oros’ and Dymalski’s amazement, someone had climbed onto a balcony across the street and dropped his trousers.
“After seeing that, we played (Van Morrison’s) ‘Moondance,'” Dymalski said.
“Right then I knew that this was something we needed to pursue,” quipped Oros.
This was the type of comedy Hart was looking for.
“It’s funny because I had mentioned getting a comedy show going somewhere and a friend of mine, Lisa Needham, suggested I talk with Larry, because she and her husband, Rich Wyman, had performed here and it’s a pretty neat place,” Dymalski said. “We came in and started talking with Larry, but couldn’t figure out how to do this, because he didn’t want to compete with the Egyptian Theatre.
“After he heard Tony and me on the radio he called me and I called Tony and said, ‘Guess what?'”
In addition to Hart, the reaction from people during the following week surprised the two.
“I had listeners tell me how much fun they had listening to us, so I asked Stacy to sneak back into the show again,” Oros said.
listening to the back-and-forth between the two, it’s easy to think they have known each other all their lives.
“I don’t know what it is, but we know people think we’ve known each other for decades, but in reality, we’ve actually known and interacted with each other for only the past two years,” Dymalski said.
“We have known each other long enough that we decided we should do something together for money,” Oros said.
“That didn’t come out right,” Dymalski chided without missing a beat.
“Too late!” Oros laughed.
The duo already have a plan for what Hart calls “semi-scripted, comedic riffery.”
“We’ll start with a topic, or bullet points, and then we’ll wing it,” Dymalski said. “We’ll get the ball rolling with something that we want to talk about, and if the discussion goes off the rails organically to something else, we’ll go with it.
“We’re hoping that same dynamic can happen live at Riffs,” Dymalski said. “When you do stand up, there is a wall between you and the audience, but the Riffs format will be different. It will be loose and conversational and I think the audience will be comfortable interacting with us.”
Oros said he has a feeling the show will catch on quickly.
“It will be nice, because when you’re on the radio, you assume that you’re either talking to everybody or nobody and you have to run those two hemispheres simultaneously,” he said. “At Riffs, we’re going to have some interaction with the audience, which will be fun.”
The show will be divided into two segments.
“The first 45 minutes will be us discussing various topics and trips we’ve taken,” Oros said. “The second segment will be Stacy interviewing a comedic or creative partner of mine, or me interviewing someone she’s worked with for years.”
For show on Oct. 10, the guest will be locally based stand-up comic Guy Seidel.
Seidel, a finalist in the Rocky Mountain Laugh Off, has performed at The Hollywood Improv, The Parlor on Melrose, in The World Series of Comedy and has worked with such comics as Dave Attell, Christopher Titus, Jim Norton, and Bob Saget.
“He’s going to be a great flavor for the first show,” Oros said.
There will also be an intermission where Dymalski and Oros will have the opportunity to mingle with the crowd and sell their respective books, “Confessions of a Band Geek Mom and Cover Dog: True Tales of Entertaining the Planet.”
“There’s no need to sit in the dressing room and become a misanthrope,” Oros said. “We have the rest of the week to do that.”
Dueling Cheese Riffs Radio Hour, featuring Stacy Dymalski and Tony Oros, will debut at Riffs Acoustic Music, 1205 Iron Horse Dr., on Thursday, Oct. 10, from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. Admission is $20. Reservations, which are strongly suggested, can be made by calling (435) 647-1940. For more information, visit www.riffspc.com or nonsensetomomsense.com/dueling-cheese-riffs-radio-hour.