He’s been featured at clubs like the Comedy Cellar and New York Comedy Club, has been named a Comic to Watch by the New York Comedy Festival, and appears on comedy shows across the U.S. and Canada. His television credits include appearances on CBS and features in outlets like TimeOut and Miami Times. As part of We Own The Laughs.com’s Comedian of the Day, have a few laughs and get to know comedian Dan Davies. The Brooklyn, NY native shares some of his favorite moments in stand-up comedy and explains how he always owns the laughs.
Name: Dan Davies
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Instagram/Twitter/Tik-Tok: @dandavieshere
Years in Comedy: 13 total (yes, Improv counts) and 9 yrs with stand-up.
Haven’t we seen you somewhere before: CBS, Question Party?! Trivia Show, maybe my bingo show, potentially my Subway Take, and likely in your mother’s DMs.
Comedic Influences: Newhart, Carlin, Mulaney, Notaro, My Friends and my Sister…she should probably get a writing critic.
Favorite Comedy Album: Norm MacDonald “This Is Me Doing Stand-Up”
Favorite Comedy Special: This is too hard, but watching the Pimp Chronicles Pt 1 (Kat) and For What It’s Worth (Chappelle) in college changed the way I thought about funny.
Favorite Comedy Movie: Best in Show
Favorite Comedy TV Show: King of the Hill. Curb went 4.5 seasons too long.
Favorite Comedic Character: Michael Scott. Sorry, he just is. Oh, wait, Selina Meyer.
Favorite City to Perform In: Last year, I performed in Washington, D.C. twice. So, D.C.
Favorite Topics to Joke About: My family! Cheaper than therapy. Plus, my mom doesn’t follow me on socials.
Favorite Type of Audience for a Comedy Show: One drink in and they’re all single. Oh, and no bachelorette/birthday parties.
Favorite Comedy Club: NYCC
How did you discover your passion for comedy:
We grew up with comedy in the house, both within the family dynamic, and it was always on the TV. They let me stay up to watch SNL and eat pizza from Pizza Hut while my dad drank a 40. I was terrified he was an alcoholic; why else would his beer be so big???
What do you remember most about your first time performing stand-up comedy:
That my best friend (and seasoned comedian) was in the back, and all I wanted to do was not embarrass myself in front of him. I got off stage, and he told me my elbows were locked out as I death gripped the mic. I also remember it not going as horribly or as successfully as I pictured. Oh yeah, there were two unbelievably attractive women in the front row.
How would you describe your comedic style:
I don’t think we’re supposed to answer this about ourselves, but I try to write from a thoughtful place, but perform it stupidly.
Describe your process for comedic writing:
Honestly, it’s not that arduous or sexy…I just write about whatever made my friends laugh during our hangout.
Describe the comedy scene in your area:
The best in the world.
How do you judge success in the world of comedy:
How at peace and excited I am with/by my act. And if my reels come up on my ex’s algo.
Who are some of your comedic peers that you enjoy watching perform or inspire you personally and professionally:
Well, he’s not a peer, but we’re all looking at Joe List. Same with Ethan Simmons Patterson. Andy Haynes is a guru. My good friend Daniel Simonsen is someone I always stay in the room for. Usama Siddiqque is inspiring. Asmus is as smart as he is silly. My friend Chloe Radcliffe is always making me wanna write better jokes.
What’s been your most memorable moment in comedy:
The day I decided to quit my job and do this thing for real, I went to a mic. At the mic, which was under a bridge in Astoria, a large Polish man, who was offended by my wheelchair joke, rushed the stage, stopped just short, turned, and farted on me. Baptism by butt.
What have you learned most from your failures in comedy:
That I was probably not ready for whatever I was reaching for, which isn’t so much a failure as it is a reminder that you can’t rush this thing. Also, I keep going on stage with my fly down. Three times now.
How do people react toward you when they realize that you can make people laugh:
Frankly, they are kinda dicks and say stuff like “so you think you’re funny” or “how many times have you used that one?” or the worst “so do you do it full time???”
Describe building a career in stand-up comedy:
Quixotic.
If you could change one thing in the world of comedy, what would it be:
Front-facing personalities don’t get to touch a stage in a stand-up comedy club. They can have their own stage, and it’s called their phone.
Best advice you’ve ever received from a comedian:
“Stop being too cool up there” – Matt Pavich
If you were releasing a comedy special this week, what would it be called:
The Pimp Chronicles Pt. 17
Funniest encounter you’ve ever had with a celebrity:
It’s possible I gave Owen Wilson directions to a dive bar, and then, yeah, idk, maybe I went there an hour later and watched him play pool.
Weirdest place you’ve ever performed any form of comedy:
Chick-fil-A in a Student Center in South Carolina. No, it wasn’t a Don’t Tell.
A Dan Davies Fun Fact:
I’m taller than I get credit for.
Where would you like your laughs to take you:
Riyadh.
What would you tell a potential comedian if they ask you how they can own the laughs:
I would say a comic would never ask that, and you should not do comedy.
What are your thoughts on the future of comedy:
I’m actually hopeful. I think it’s more of a meritocracy than we want to admit, because this way we don’t get to blame it on someone else. I’d like to believe the cream rises. Also, we get to say the R word again. And probably a couple other canceled words, too, tbh.
If you could write an episode for ONE classic TV sitcom, which show would it be:
I just wish I could write one scene for Arrested Development.
If you could choose ONE comedy club and THREE comedians to perform with on your perfect comedy show, how would it go:
Oh, this is EASY. Comedy Cellar. And it would be a bunch of dead guys and me, that way I get their time.
What’s next for you:
There’s a glass of tequila that’s been sweating on my table for 15 minutes; I should probably go say hi.
Why should a person always laugh at life:
Because if we don’t, the Republicans win.
*Please follow Question Party?! on social media (@questionpartynyc), we’re throwing some great trivia comedy bingo shows around the city and we post our schedule there.
Follow Dan Davies’ comedic journey on these social media websites:
Instagram/Twitter: Dan Davies
Youtube: Dan Davies
Personal Website: Dan Davies
