Accompanied by his owner, a stand up comedian who arrived to perform at The East Coast bar Monday night comedy showcase, the border collie wanders around the bar for about twenty minutes, sniffing the crowd of drinkers who arrived for the show, before casually walking onto the stage.  “This is my dog, Jackson,” the comic says. “Everyone say hi to Jackson.”

“Hi Jackson!” shouts the crowd. The dog’s eyes dilate to the size of frisbees, momentarily thrilled and terrified at the novelty of so many strangers paying attention to him. It was his first taste of fame, an experience not uncommon in the growing stand up comedy scene of small towns throughout Colorado.