TV viewers may remember Dave Attell best from his Comedy Central series Insomniac, in which he explored the underground culture of night owls, but he’s been a stand-up comedian for more than 25 years. Attell co-headlines with Jim Norton Feb. 22 at MGM Grand as part of the Comedy Central Vegas weekend. He talks with Josh Bell about his style, Las Vegas and recent Showtime series Dave’s Old Porn, which features comedians commenting on vintage pornography.
Q: What can people expect from the show?
A: OK, well, this is a different show, because it’s a one-two punch, me and Jim Norton, a really, really funny comic. We’ve done this before where we both flip-flop headlining. So I’d say on the night when I’m headlining, it’ll be an OK show; when Jim’s there, it’ll be great. This is definitely two guys, not politically correct, old-school Vegas, kind of rough, ready, very adult show. If you’re looking for the dirtier side of Vegas, this is it.
Q: How do Las Vegas crowds differ from crowds in other cities?
A: Vegas crowds are better for one reason: If you go to Vegas, you’re there to party. Vegas crowds, they’re definitely a little drunker, they’re a little broker and once you get them going, there’s no stopping it. But it’s getting them going that’s hard, because they’re usually coming off of a bad gambling thing, or some kind of binge-drinking hangover. They’re hung over, a little broke, but once you get them going, they’re good. They get it.
Q: Do you have any favorite Las Vegas memories?
A: The coolest one would be the Double Down, that’s a great bar. They were really cool to us. I shot (Insomniac) there years ago. That was off the Strip. I think in Vegas now people realize it’s a town and not just a casino. You see all these cool people that live in Vegas, these people that either work in the industry or just that’s where they live. The Double Down was a great bar. I really enjoyed it. I think my kidneys kicked in out there.
Q: What do you like most about the old porn you feature on Dave’s Old Porn?
A: I just like that it was a wilder time—smoking, there was no political correctness. It was just the last wild time, the late ’70s, early ’80s. Now it seems like the girls are very scripted, the sex itself is scripted. And these movies were more stories. You see a lot of bad, cheesy acting, and then you’ll see just sex. And I’m sure that they were told what to do to some extent, but a lot of it was just wilder and freer to me. And definitely hairier.
