Comedian Dave Coulier Appears at Macomb Center on Jan. 29

Comedian, producer and voice actor will bring his stand-up routine to the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts on Jan. 29.

Coulier, a St. Clair Shores native, is best known for his role as funny guy Joey Gladstone on the sitcom Full House. We recently spoke with him via e-mail about his current projects, his ties to Michigan and his preference for underpants.

Patch: Your impersonations are well-known. When and why did you start using your voice as a comedic tool?

Coulier: I was a hockey player growing up. With 20 guys in a locker room, there's always a built-in audience–a place to try out impressions of coaches, teachers and teammates. I realized at a very early age that mimicking people and doing voices could get big laughs.

Patch: It's easy to read an audience according to how much or how little they laugh. Are there any other “cues” you try to pick up on while on stage?

Coulier: I've always compared stand-up to playing jazz or sports. Some nights you're going to get in a groove and feel like you're indestructible. Other nights, there's nothing you can do that will change their collective energy as a group. You have to just feel your way through it and go by instinct. From what I've experienced, every audience is completely different. I can't just go onstage and switch to autopilot with a set that worked the previous show. I make small adjustments with energy and delivery.

Patch: Your stand-up routines are family-friendly. How does that quality tie into your comedic philosophy?

Coulier: When I was 19 years old, Jay Leno said to me: “Coulier, if you work clean, you can work anywhere.” I never forgot that. It turns out, Jay was correct. I've performed my stand-up from the Tonight Show to Radio City Music Hall. I don't really have a steadfast clean agenda. I just think that funny is funny, and doesn't need f-bombs to force the audience into nervous laughter. I always want as many people to laugh at my stuff as possible, so if it's clean material, everyone gets to share the experience.

Patch: What's your joke-writing process? Do you brainstorm or does your material grow out of everyday observations?

Coulier: I never try to force the joke-writing process. I've learned to just trust that some days I'm going to have floods of creativity and other days my brain is like a dry lake. On those days where it's flowing, I just have to be disciplined enough to write it all down.

Patch: You grew up in Michigan. Do you return often? If so, what's your favorite thing about the region?

Coulier: My family still lives in Michigan so I try to get back as often as possible. I grew up in St. Clair Shores and love spending time on the lake. I think it's probably my favorite spot on the planet.

Patch: Who's the funniest person you know?

Coulier: My brother Dan is the funniest person I know. He can make me laugh really hard.

Patch: What's in store for the future?

Coulier: I've always got several projects going at the same time. I have a production company (Cumulus Entertainment) and we're here in Los Angeles pitching projects and producing. I have some heavyweight producing partners who are really great. I'm also pursuing directing. I started as an ad copywriter when I was just a teenager and I've always loved commercials. So this past year, I decided to create my own commercials for my commercial directing demo reel. You can see all of them at: www.davecoulier.net

Patch: If you could choose a question to be asked, what would it be?

Coulier: Dave ... underpants or underwear? To which I would answer: underpants. The word “underpants” just sounds really silly to me.

Patch: Will you tell us a joke?

Coulier: A guy walks into a bar. The bartender says, “Excuse me sir, what do you have under there?” The guys says, “Under where?” The bartender says, “Nope. The answer I was looking for was underpants.”

Tickets to Dave Coulier, 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 29, are going fast. Reserve your seats today by calling the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts box office at 586-286-2222.