Dave Dyer
written by Marissa Audia-Raymo
At 5’7” and 240 pounds, with broad shoulders and a gray scattered beard common to rugged men of the north in winter, Dave Dyer carries himself like a lumberjack. He is quietly intense with soft eyes, a heartwarming smile, and is as genuine as one could be. He is casually dressed in a thermal sweatshirt and blue jeans, and has a friendly and gentle disposition.
From this first impression, you would probably never guess that he has been a stand-up comedian for the last 16 years, opening for such comics as Drew Carey, Lewis Black and Bobcat Goldthwaite, or that he has contributed material to ABC’s “Politically Incorrect,” and has appeared on the nationally acclaimed Bob and Tom Morning Show. But, fame is to Dave Dyer like a touchdown is to the Detroit Lions; he dabbles in it every now and then, but he just hasn’t quite committed to it yet.
Relaxing on the sofa backstage at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle in Royal Oak, one arm resting across the sofa back, the other stretched lazily over his head, Dave’s body language says, “Ask me anything.”
“Do you have any groupies?” I ask, silently considering the woman seated to his left (who later turns out to be the MC MaryAnn Demoss).
“No, not really,” he smiles.
So I press, “Do you wish you had groupies?”
“You know, I’ll tell you what,” he laughs, “Having been in a band (he is also a studio session singer and drummer), the people that stick around after a rock show and the people who stick around after a comedy show; it’s a totally different crowd.”
Prior to his start in stand-up, this acerbic former theatre major from Michigan State tried his luck at writing radio jingles, bartending, and men’s clothing sales, which he says that he was never very good at, “I probably sent people off more than once for a formal occasion wearing a turtleneck and a tie.”
In fact, Dave admits that he was never really good at working for other people, which is part of the reason comedy works so well for him, “The thing I love about comedy is it’s just a stage, a microphone; it’s just you. It’s my thoughts, it’s stuff I created. I go out there, I spit it out for an hour, and then that’s it. It doesn’t get any more complex than that.”
Like most comics, Dave’s start in the business began at an Open Mic Night. His was at a comedy club in Lansing. According to Dave, Open Mic Nights can go one of two ways, “You get 5 minutes and it would be either the most fun you ever had, or if it went bad it was the longest five minutes of your life.”
Dave’s five minutes became his audition for a Grand Rapids agency called Funny Business, where he was soon booked for guest spots, then worked up to MC, then feature, and several years down the line as a headliner. He is now managed by Comedy Castle owner Mark Ridley and headlines comedy shows across the country.
Dave says that his family is and has always been very supportive of his non-traditional career choice. Growing up, he listened to routines by Bob Newhart, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, and knew every Bill Cosby album his dad owned from beginning to end. “He [Dave’s dad] more than any of them made me want to be a stand-up.” He recalls a comment that his late father made about a year after he started doing stand-up, “‘You know, you’re getting pretty good, you should start doing some of Rodney’s jokes.’ He thought I was good enough to get to a point but, ‘your stuff isn’t that good, but you should start doing some of Rodney Dangerfield’s jokes now’.”
Whether his two young daughters think it’s “cool” to have a father who’s an entertainer, one who makes people laugh for a living, can be complicated. “You know, I think they’d think it was a lot cooler if I was famous.”
Aside from putting together new material for his act, Dave has also been working on a screenplay, though he is pretty vague about the details.
On this evening, he emerges on stage in a black button-up shirt and dark rinsed blue jeans, standard issue comedic attire. His smooth, flowing sets and engaging style of observational comedy have the crowd laughing and responding as if he were speaking directly to each individual. Like clockwork, each punchline prompts a roar that resonates. He relates to the crowd with his own life experiences, like gaining weight (as he compares himself to a Silverback Gorilla) and quitting smoking.
One particularly loud and responsive group in the back, drunk and probably celebrating some upcoming Star Wars Convention, find a connection to the comedian through Attention Deficit Disorder. Dave bounces back and forth for couple of minutes with the group’s pack leader, a twenty-something nerd sporting a Burger King crown and a goofy smile.
“Anybody else with the ADD out there?” Dave asks the crowd.
“Wha-whoo!” crows the King.
“Take any medicine?”
“Occasionally,” the King barks back.
“Occasionally?” Dave persists, “When you can find it? That’s pretty much how I take mine. Every couple weeks, I’d be like, ‘Oh fuck, here it is!’ I wondered why everybody was so angry with me!”
Dave Dyer CD is “Yowza”. To find out more about Dave Dyer, go to myspace.com/davedyer.
Marissa Audia-Raymo is a writer from Michigan.