Living in Aspen, Colorado in 1987, Dan Machanik was unemployed and out of funds. He entered the fabled Tippler Nightclub with a fake ID (he was 20 at the time) and joined an Amateur Comedy Contest with a grand prize of $200. That night and for the next 14 weeks, Dan beat out dozens of other competitors including many professional comics and won the contest and $200 every week — a local legend was born. Once established in Aspen, Dan performed 3 nights per week as a solo act and also as part of a Sketch Comedy Troupe called ART-C. 

It wasn’t long before Dan was touring throughout the Rocky Mountains, and at the tender age of 25, he was tapped for eight opening slots for Tommy Chong. That same year, Dan was featured in the Aspen Comedy Festival as the opening act for Garry Shandling. 

After crushing it at the Aspen Comedy Festival, Dan was signed for the Pontiac Sponsored Comic Relief University Tour where he performed to 1,500 person audiences. After Colorado Dan moved to NYC and was a regular at clubs like Stand Up NY before settling into a career working rowdy party boats out of South Street Seaport. From NYC, Dan moved to Los Angeles and was a regular at clubs on the Sunset Strip including the legendary Bar One. He also continued working boats and ships out of Long Beach, Newport, and Balboa island. After Los Angeles Dan moved to Asia and jump-started a new phase of his career where “Gonzo” was born.

With tales of his mis-adventures throughout the glimmering underbelly of 20 Asian countries, Dan found himself a regional star. He did dozens of shows and was featured in an endless array of newspaper and magazine articles, as well as several film documentaries. He is regularly cited as one of the Pioneers of English language Stand Up Comedy in Asia, which currently has a very vibrant and flourishing comedy scene. After leaving Asia, Dan moved to the SF Bay Area and immediately became a regional staple at clubs like Castagnolia’s, the Legendary Purple Onion, as well as the Craneway Pavilion. 

During the height of “cancel culture” and COVID, Dan “retired” from comedy for five years only to re-emerge in 2023 better, stronger, and funnier than ever. Since this re-emergence, he’s been booked with shows on the Las Vegas Strip as well as nightclubs, wineries, yacht clubs, and corporate appearances throughout the region.