Webb of laughter: Openly gay Texas comedian is living a dream touring with Margaret Cho

It’s no surprise that comedienne Margaret Cho’s run of four shows at the Spokane Comedy Club from Feb. 27-29 included sold-out dates, but one surprise was her opening act, openly gay comedian and Texas native Daniel Webb.

The proudly flamboyant and cheerful Webb, who reminds of Jonathan Van Ness partly because of their long brown hair and also their personas, was so popular during the weekend dates that the comedy club has asked him to return as a headliner on his own. For now, Spokane will have to make due following Webb at his website thedanielwebb.com.

Cho, whose standup content is about 99% unprintable/unpostable in this family-friendly newspaper, and Webb are in Oklahoma City on Friday and Saturday, and the “Fresh Off the Bloat World Tour” resumes in May.

Webb, who is based in Los Angeles, chatted over the phone this month shortly after his time in Spokane:

Daniel, how long have you been a standup comedian, and how has it been serving as the opening comedian for Margaret Cho?

I started standup about seven years ago – I’m in my seventh year right now. It is a total dream come true, and it is something I never knew I could do because I used to have her comedy specials recorded on VHS. I would watch them at home because she made me laugh.

I had no designs on being a comedian, so it’s a whole other world. Not only do I get to perform with her, but she happens to be super, super nice and generous. And her audiences absolutely love her.

Well Spokane loved you, too. Spokane tends to be a conservative city, but, at the same time, I think the entire LGBTQ+ community was there for the shows. Were you surprised at the audience reaction and how welcoming they were?

I will say, being from Texas, which is equally conservative but in different ways, I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve done standup in Seattle, which is easier, but Margaret’s audience, which has a queer spin and queer majority, I thought that buttressed it.

But to see the audience, to see how mixed it was, I wasn’t surprised about how accepting they were but how game they were and how much fun it was to perform. The first show I was a little conservative, but the rest of the shows I just said all the terrible things I wanted to say!

How did you get started in comedy?

So I’m a piano player – I’ve played my whole life. I started when I was 2. I was in several bands. I lived in Austin for 17 years. At age 29 to 30, all of my bands folded. I was dumped and I dumped people all within a month’s time. Turning 30, I was too embarrassed to start a new musical project: “Wow, he’s been doing it 12 years, and he’s still a nobody.”

At the time, a friend recommended that I do standup. He also was a comedian and performer. He was a friend, and I respected his opinion – it wasn’t just a lot of talk. I started going to open mics in Austin, and I was really fortunate that a lot of people took me under their wing and gave me a lot of opportunities early on.

Do you get nervous before you take the stage?

One hundred percent – sweaty hands and short of breath. In situations like with Margaret, I don’t want to ruin her show. I don’t want to turn the audience against me or her. Anyone’s show. I just hope they like me for Margaret’s sake or whomever I’m performing with at the time.

Is there a performance or a city that stands out for being particularly challenging?

Of course, yes, there are a lot of them. Las Vegas, and I think any comedian would tell you this, is just a different beast because it’s a lot of tourists and middle America. Las Vegas is tricky and a learning curve, but I think it’s important to perform there. I’ll go anywhere because I think it’s important for visibility sake to be a loud, screeching queen.

What do you do during your down time when you’re not performing?

Right now, I’m back in L.A. I just took the puppy for a big walk. Like I said, I’m a piano player, but I’m currently working on an hourlong special that I hope to film in April. I’m going to auditions, and I do as many shows as I can in L.A. and try to get new material. I’m just trying to get to the next level in standup. I’m so blessed to be touring with Margaret, that has always been my dream, and I think live performing and touring is where it’s at.

How long are you touring with Margaret?

We started with a few dates in November and restarted in February. It’s a new job for me – an awesome opportunity and such a learning experience. You know, I don’t know. I’m taking it date by date. This is new. I think it might be for the better part of this year. I mostly do club and show dates with her, and she has her own appearances. We’ll be in Texas this weekend and Oklahoma the next weekend. I’m just saying yes to everything.

In your standup, you talk about Texas a lot. How often do you get back home?

It’s funny, now that I live in L.A., I’ve been back home to Fort Worth more often than when I lived in Austin. For shows not as much because I’ve covered those bases and don’t need to return. But I have nieces now, so I want to go see them so that they get to know their fun uncle. I’m extra excited to be in Houston with Margaret because Texas audiences are so fun.

And how long have you been in L.A. now?

Oh my gosh, it’s March. Yesterday was my third anniversary here. I didn’t even notice that – it went fast. I love L.A. It has all of its normal problems, but it’s such a change for me. I’m a sucker for palms trees. I love hills and palm trees and sunshine.

I do miss the friendliness of Texas. In Spokane, people there were very friendly. Y’all are chatty up there! When you talk with strangers, it’s a form of commerce in humanity. In L.A., if you try to say hello to somebody, you’re a psychopath.