You probably know NYC Dave Attell from his four seasons on Insomniac with Dave Attell, a travelogue of sorts where he explored the nightlife of a different city each episode and navigated through all manner of after-dark escapades, most involving wacky locals and much alcohol. Last year, the caustic comic debuted his first own hour-long HBO comedy special, Captain Miserable, where he waxed on Florida's resemblance to a gigantic penis "about to shoot a load of freedom all over Cuba," his stint doing jokes for troops in the Middle East ("I'm not exactly sure if they enjoyed it, since I kinda look like every other guy who's trying to kill them out there"), the lack of commercials for Jägermeister, and the ones he thought up on his own: "A guy comes out of a hedge, he's covered in mud and blood, he's holding one high heel shoe. 'Did I just eat a stripper?' Jäger. A little girl is stting on the swing, not swinging. A tear rolls down her cheek. 'Where's Daddy?' Jäger. A guy, let's call him me, is fucking the left eye of a pumpkin. 'If that pumpkin didn't want it, why was it smiling at me?' Jäger." Most recently, he hosted the revived (and still awful) Gong Show, though he continues to make a living doing stand-up. He brings his crude humor to Tampa audiences this weekend. Sept. 5-7, 8 and 10:30 p.m. Fri., 7:30 and 10 p.m. Sat., 7 p.m. Sun., Tampa Improv, 1600 E. Eighth Ave., Ybor City, $30, 813-864-4000, tampaimprov.com.
This article appears in Sep 3-9, 2008.