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Dan Cummins likes an honest laugh
By John Benson
Comedian Dan Cummins is feeling feisty.
Stuck in Los Angeles traffic during a phone interview to preview his Friday and Saturday shows at the Comedy Cellar in Austintown, the veteran comic said he’s all about the freedom to laugh even if it comes at the expense of the less fortunate.
“I’ve always appreciated left-of-center type of comedy, and really kind of honest, dark stuff,” Cummins said. “Like I do a whole bit why it’s OK to make fun of whoever you want no matter how sad their life is. It’s like about the freedom to laugh, and just things that people do in private that they don’t like to admit to in public. That always interests me.”
The notion of inappropriate laughing came early to Cummins, who grew up in Idaho with sarcastic parents who weren’t afraid to knock down pompous folks. For instance, the funnyman said he used to torture the church crowd in town.
He points to a neighbor boy who he continually shocked with claims of devil worshipping. Cummins also attempted to play a trick on the boy’s pastor father.
“My mom kind of probably encouraged the wrong things to do,” Cummins said. “Like when I was little, I tried to subscribe Hustler and Playboy to a neighbor who was a pastor. My mom got after me but also was laughing her a-- off. It was always that mixed message of don’t do that, but that’s really [expletive] funny.”
It was this irreverent sense of humor that started Cummins down the comedy road around the turn of the century. Over the past decade, the hard-working comic has appeared on “The Tonight Show,” “The Late, Late Show,” “Last Comic Standing” and various Comedy Central programs.
Also, Cummins has released top-10 comedy albums with “Revenge is Near,” “Crazy with Capital F” and “Hear This.” In fact, he has a new album that will debut as a special broadcast on Pandora.
Dan Cummins will be at the Comedy Cellar at Mojo’s Pub and Grill, 6292 Mahoning Ave., Austintown, at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; call 330-793-6656.