Cambridge-born comedian talks the past, future, and getting deep on Clubhouse

Some comedians are famous, others are infamous. Few comedians fall in both categories like Dane Cook. 

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Viggiano (@LizVig on Instagram)

To Dane, it doesn’t matter which camp you’re in, he’s learned to keep on trucking on to the next comedy show and appreciate all he’s been given and everything he’s worked for.

It’s too easy to find some controversy or dramatic event in a comedian’s past, some their own doing, others put upon them. The Cambridge-born Cook, who grew up in Arlington and moved to NYC to pursue his career after not being able to get booked here because local headliners at the time refused to follow him, has been through both scenarios and is ready to move on. He has apologized for insensitive jokes, opened up about his financial debacle with his older half-brother Darryl, and received apologies from the comedians who’ve claimed he’s done them wrong. Some of that matters in the public eye, to others it doesn’t. He’ll forever be a hilarious comedian to most, or a joke thief to others. Cook is seen as a hard-working innovator by many, and a hack by others (many of whom are jealous they’re not on his level, in my opinion).

While the Employee of the Month star has opened about all this in the past, we rapped about the ways he’s dealt with difficult relationships, while Cook offered advice on how to handle those situations, and spoke about how he’s excited to get past the  “COVID pause.”

He’ll be home, performing at the Boch Center Wang Theater, at the end of October in April.

Since this interview was recorded, Dane has decided to postpone his Wang Theatre show/taping until April 23rd. Refunds are available at the point of purchase. All online and phone purchases via Ticketmaster will be refunded automatically, as well as any purchases with a credit card in person at the box office.

Boston, this show and taping mean so much and I want to do it the right way for you all. I’ve heard you loud and clear and we are going to be rescheduling this one for down the road when we can have a great show and we can enjoy it together — being able to see all of your laughing faces, many who I’ve known since I was kid trying to get any gig I could when I was first starting out and earning my stripes. We’ll make it worth the wait and one to remember.Dane Cook

How did you weather the great Facebook and Instagram fallout of 2021?

When social media goes down, my brain goes fantastical and I start thinking solar flare has hit. It’s going to be 20 years of an electromagnetic pulse that’s affecting all of our devices. Do I know how to build a fire from flint and some shards of wood?

Personally, I got a kick out of it because it is interesting to see how many people kind of lose their minds when social media disappears for a minute.

One would think you would be one of them since you’re so active on it and you built your career because of it.

Yeah, but not on a Monday. If it goes down on a Thursday or Friday, those are good ticket sales days. The algorithm later in the week is more robust. But Monday morning,