Questions for Dave Dennison

On the heels of a big month for his club, the Eastside’s comedy king shares his secret to success (hint: it’s in the sauce).

It’s the day after Super Bowl Sunday when a groggy Dave Dennison sits down to discuss the comedies and tragedies of running a business meant to make people smile, in this case, the Laughs Comedy Spot in Kirkland.

Still basking in the glow of a New Orleans Saints victory, Dennison clears a round table in the bar, which is filled with its normal Monday afternoon buzz. The comedian-turned-club-owner says he has a lot of industry friends in Louisiana; if they’re half as funny as this wise guy, the state should be known for more than just Mardi Gras and gumbo.

Dennison has been in the restaurant biz since he was sixteen, and he says the three most important elements of running a successful comedy club are: good food, good service and good jokes.

“My wife, Angela, and I designed and opened Laughs after doing comedy on the Eastside for ten years in the lounge of a hotel,” he says. “It was the worst service and the worst food.”

Dennison goes on to explain how his and his wife’s background in hotel and restaurant management has helped Laughs ward off the current economic evils, and also shares one off-the-wall analogy and an inappropriate joke about circumcision he wouldn’t let us print.

Dave and Angela Dennison photographed at their club.
Photograph by Andrew Waits for City Arts.

Why did you choose to open a comedy club on the Eastside? I started doing comedy over twenty years ago. I’ve worked the road and the Eastside just seemed like a good location because there aren’t a lot of entertainment options, but there sure is a lot of traffic.

What acts do you have lined up for March? Well, we have Kevin Nealon – that’s a big show – and Whitney Cummings. I’ve never worked with her but I always thought she was funny. She was on the Comedy Central roast of Joan Rivers and absolutely killed.

Is Nealon considered a big name for Laughs? He is a big name. Absolutely. He’s the main character on the show Weeds, and he was the longest-running cast member on Saturday Night Live. He’s also been in pretty much every single Adam Sandler movie. He’s been at Laughs before and had four sold-out shows. He asked to come back, which is an honor for us. The buzz in the comedy community is that we have a real nice club, a really nice facility with a great staff. I hear that from comics all over the county, all over the world.

Who is the most famous person to ever perform at your club? We’ve had Ben Bailey from Cash Cab, Greg Behrendt, Harland Williams. We have a lot of people where some won’t recognize the name, but once they see their face they say, “Oh, I know who that guy is!” I’m working on getting some other big-name acts but I can’t mention their names until the contract is signed.

On a more serious note, how have the recession and economic blues impacted Laughs or other comedy clubs? There has been an impact. Definitely. People aren’t spending as much. It’s just really sad when I see a lot of other businesses fold and they have a “For Lease” sign in their window. We’re doing everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen to us.

So people are still paying for a laugh? Absolutely. The good thing about comedy in a recession or depression is people always seem to need to get out and forget their problems for a couple hours. We’re a great place for a first date.

What’s the funniest act Laughs has ever seen? Some comics who bring tears to my eyes and make me laugh really hard are Harland Williams and Greg Hahn. They get everything right. It’s like golf, there are all these different factors – wind, direction, terrain – just to make the shot. And I don’t golf; I don’t even know why I just used that reference.

What is the funniest joke you have ever heard? [Laughs.] Can we skip this question? No, I’m kidding. Comedy is like hot sauce. You have to start mild and work your way up. My flavor of hot sauce right now would be really, really, really spicy. What I think is really funny I think the average person would think is pretty dark, so I’d rather not say.

Kevin Nealon performs at Laughs Comedy Spot March 12 and 13;
Whitney Cummings March 4–6.
For ticket information visit laughscomedy.com.