Chicago Smart-Ass Makes Good

By Roland Lara on Sep 20, 2005 1:02PM

Chicago’s very own Dan Bakkedahl, formerly of Second City and Wrigleyville's IO Theater, has gone to the Big Apple to be the Daily Show’s newest correspondent.

Dan made a name for himself here in Chicago with the comedy duo Zumpf (with Miles Stroth). He also brought the house down at Second City in the 2003-04 show “Doors Open on the Right.”

The story has it that he left Second City over artistic differences; that is, he was so pissed with the pay and a deal that let Sony use the improv material they generated that he pounded a wall backstage and broke his hand.
You have to love this quote: “It wasn’t feeding me artistically for what I had to give up businesswise.”

Chicagoist couldn’t agree more. You could shit all over us, too, if the money was right.

Before Dan left Chicago, his friends threw him a roast at IO, and it looks like his friends are as inappropriate as we are after a few tequila shooters, so they’re all invited to the next Chicagoist happy hour.

Dan is newly sober, and even that fact was not out-of-bounds for the roast. Dan’s partner from an improv show, Trainwreck, Ed Furman, gave us this dark line about Dan: He’s a natural for New York City: “They’re both loud, smelly and violent, and neither one’s been bombed for a while.”

See? We told you they’re invited to our happy hour.

At any rate, tonight is a big night for Dan Bakkedahl. Fellow former Second City alum, Stephen Colbert, whose deadpan delivery can reduce Chicagoist to tears, is working on a spinoff of the Daily Show. That leaves a slot that Dan is filling this very night.

Check out Dan tonight on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.