Dave Mordal’s (pronounced dav mor-dal) is the masterful turn of a comic who’s earned his stripes but is clearly happiest as a foot soldier. Which is probably good, because he had very few other career options: sniper, fact-finder, robber, and law enforcement of any kind? All off the list. So instead, bringing the neighborly cadence of Tom Bodett together with the Midwestern earnestness of Louie Anderson (without the aww-shucks of either), Dave Mordal carries on in the subversive semantic tradition of George Carlin. He’s not working to shock his audience, but to draw them in; not riling them up but getting them rolling, tears streaming as they nod and toast and join in on the havoc of humanity. Dave Mordal’s the kind of guy who not only rode in the short bus, he camped in it; he’s too cranky to drive a new car because the electric windows p**s him off and because he prefers to work on old cars (even if he needs reading glasses to do it); and he knows that often the worst nights of your life become the best stories, so long as the cops are a little forgiving along the way. He’s a man with existential computer problems, a bang-up long-term memory, and tiny callbacks to make any comedy aficionado grin. Stand Up! Records is so glad to bring Last Comic Standing runner-up, one-time Discovery Channel host, late night regular, and pride of Elk River, MN into our fold. Just remember: it’s (pronounced dav mor-dal).