By: Jade King
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – “I was recently the victim of a hate crime. I was using the bathroom and all this graffiti was there saying things like I hate you, and it really upset me because I was at home.”
One of the favorite open liners from popular comedian and podcast host, Dan Cummins. Cummins blessed Buffalo with his presence at the comedy club, Helium, from November 8 – 11. If you’re not familiar with his seven comedy albums or hit podcast, Timesuck, it’s time to increase your curiosity about the world and get some well-deserved giggles in.
Cummins, now based in Spokane, Washington, was born and raised in Riggins, Idaho and graduated from Gonzaga University with his B.A. in Psychology. Although his current career doesn’t necessarily coincide with his degree, he does have a strong appreciation for what his alma mater taught him.
“I think a liberal arts education prepares you for more than just a job, it prepares you to succeed better in the world in general,” Cummins stated in an interview before his show on Saturday.
Cummins began his comedy career about a year after graduating college by performing at open mics until he realized he could make a career out of it. He produced his first special with Comedy Central in 2008 and his first album in 2009. He describes his comedic style as absurd and imaginative. As he has grown as a comedian he has become more grounded and added more of his opinion but in a traditional “Dan Cummins silly way.”
His podcast has exploded in popularity since its first debut in September of 2016 with over 7,000 likes on Facebook and 113 official episodes. If you become a diehard fan or a “Space Lizard,” you are welcomed to join the fan-moderated Facebook group “Cult of the Curious” to inspire discourse on the topics covered every week and you may be applicable to secret content.
“A journey to learn as much as we can about the world we live in,” Cummins, the “Suckmaster,” responded when asked to give a summary about his weekly podcast. “We call it the cult of curiosity, it’s a fun way to learn something new each week.”
He goes on to describe how life has the tendency to become repetitive and revolve around scrolling through Instagram feeds or watching things on TV. His goal is to inspire people to expand their horizons and ignite or reignite their inquisitiveness to how the world works around them, all while being thoroughly entertained.
As to what advice he would give to the college student fumbling down the path of life would be to “Work very very hard on what you truly truly love.” Also to follow the advice of lady that came into his work when he was still in school and “Follow your bliss.” Those words resonated with him then and they still continue to do so today.
Niagara Wire 