‘It’s for such a good cause’: ‘Finding Chemo’ benefit to raise money via comedy at Bing Crosby Theater
Comic Geoff Young is part of the “Finding Chemo” lineup at the Bing Crosby Theater on Friday night. (Courtesy)
The lighter side of cancer sounds like an oxymoron, but that’s how comic Nick Theisen describes his benefit show “Finding Chemo,” slated for Friday at the Bing Crosby Theater.
“Our slogan is cancer is no laughing matter, but isn’t laughter the best medicine?” Theisen said while calling from his north Spokane home.
Theisen, 67, would know since he has Stage 4 lung cancer and Stage 4 kidney cancer.
“The good news is that they can keep me alive for another 10 or 15 years,” Theisen said. “My cancer will never be in remission, but I can stay alive since I have good drugs. Because of the drugs, I feel good, and I want to help those with cancer.”
Theisen and his “Finding Chemo” podcast partner Eric Paine will perform along with comics Rod Long and Geoff Young. All proceeds will go to Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital.
“Rod is a pancreatic cancer survivor,” Paine said from his North Central home. “He’s hilarious. He and Nick can joke about cancer since they have had or have cancer.”
Theisen and Paine became friends while working at 103.9 during the early 1990s when the station was known as “The Sound.” The Eagles and Led Zeppelin are coming up,” Paine said in his best DJ voice.
“We bonded over our love of gallows humor,” Paine said. “We were always kindred spirits.”
Theisen grew up in Spokane loving George Carlin and left in 1977 to become a DJ in Los Angeles. Paine, who was a Monty Python diehard as a kid, came of age in California but moved to Spokane to break into the business in 1988.
“You can’t just start out in Los Angeles,” Paine said. “You have to work your way up in this business. I came to Spokane, fell in love with it here and stayed.”
The longtime pals are always joking. “We’re moving the show up from 8 p.m. to 7 p.m. since who knows how long Nick has to live,” Paine cracked.
Theisen and Paine hope to take “Finding Chemo” on the road.
“It would be great if we can do this in places like Seattle and Portland in theaters like we are in Spokane,” Paine said. “It’s fun for us, and it’s for such a good cause.”