Windsor native Dave Merheje earns his second Juno nomination since 2019, this time for his latest comedy album Dawud, which competes in the Best Comedy Album category. Merheje previously won the award in 2019 for Good Friend, Bad Grammar at the ceremony in London, Ontario. Both albums heavily feature his Lebanese-Canadian family and upbringing, providing rich material for his stand-up routines.
Family as a Source of Humor
Merheje’s comedy often centers on his family dynamics. Speaking from Los Angeles, he explained how growing up in Windsor influenced his work. “Well, your family is a big part of your material. What do you think is so funny about your family?” he reflected. “I think naturally, they’re funny themselves. Since I was a kid there was always humor in the house. My mom tells stories, my brother tells stories. It’s just a family that makes each other laugh, whether it’s naturally or just them being themselves. My dad is very funny in a sense when he’s not trying to be funny.”
The album title Dawud is Merheje’s name in Arabic, resonating deeply with the Lebanese community. He noted the shared experiences that connect audiences. “Even myself, playing for a room full of let’s say Lebanese people—you just go through these experiences, not together obviously, but you know everyone can kind of relate. When you’re in a room like that, when you’re making everyone laugh, but they’re also connecting because they’re like, ‘oh, I went through that as well or something similar to that.’ I think it just heightens the experience in the room.”
Family Reactions to His Material
Merheje’s family supports his career and even contributes ideas. “They’re very supportive. They’ve been coming to shows since I started. My dad, he enjoys it. I’m saying he’s never been like, ‘why would you say that?’ I think he just enjoys when the stories are being told. They’ll tell me stuff sometimes now too, you know, insinuating to put it into my act. My mom has been super cool throughout.”
He acknowledged the vulnerability in sharing family stories, including childhood punishments. “There are times where if I talk about how we were raised in a sense or certain punishments that we had, she’ll be apologetic. That’s a little bit, not weird in a sense—you’re dealing with each other’s traumas maybe. It puts you in a vulnerable position with your parents, for sure. Yeah. They’re very understanding. It opened up a dialogue in a way to talk about it and stuff like that.”
Recording and Evolution of the Album
The album was recorded at Cotton, a clothing store in Toronto with locations in New York, Los Angeles, and the UK. Merheje chose the venue for its intimate atmosphere. “It just felt like it would be intimate. It felt like the aesthetics of the place—I’ve been in the store before. I was like, yeah, let’s see how we could do this.”
Compared to his 2019 album, Dawud includes visual elements. “This one is different because… it’s not on audio, but on visual. When we did the visual, after we shot the special, I added me being interviewed about the night. So we spliced that in between the whole act. So when you see it visually, there’s like another component to it, which is that. I think this one, also over time, hopefully you get better at stand-up, you get more comfortable. So there’s growth there.”
The name Dawud emerged from themes of identity and family. “You know, my family would sometimes call me Dawud and… the general theme is talking about my family. I was talking about sometimes… feeling uncomfortable identifying, not feeling uncomfortable but… not knowing how to speak the language as much as I used to and just stuff about my relationship with being Lebanese. So I just, I think it popped. And then that’s when I decided I was like, I’ll call it Dawud.”
Audience feedback has been positive and engaging. “People who do watch it and message me—it’s usually positive. It’s not just like, ‘Hey, good job’ or ‘it’s funny.’ There’s like some further dialogue, which is what I want.”
Life in Los Angeles and Ties to Windsor
Now based in Los Angeles, Merheje maintains strong connections to Windsor, where his family lives. His mother encourages him to return, but he appreciates the city’s nostalgic value. “I’m wondering what your friends in Los Angeles know or think about Windsor? I was in Kelowna and two people from the audience during the show were like, ‘yeah I’ve been to Windsor man’ and they said they disliked it. I mean, I get it. You know, I’m not gonna be one of those people that will argue with you on it. If you come visit for like a week or a weekend and you’re going to have a completely different experience than someone who grew up there, which, I completely understand if you don’t think the city is good. But we grew up there. You know, we have a different kind of relationship with it.”
He holds fondness for Windsor despite its challenges. “You like Windsor? I do. But for me it’s completely different. It’s nostalgic. My family and relatives are there, childhood friends, so there are certain things I can gravitate to. But I mean, if I drove through and stayed three days in a specific area of Windsor, maybe I’d probably be like, ‘Oh, I don’t know about this town.’ But like, I know places to go and people to hang out with that kind of can make the experience a bit better.”
The Significance of the Juno Nomination
Merheje views the nomination as a proud achievement. “At this point in your career, how meaningful is a Juno nomination? It’s always meaningful. I mean, it’s also Canadian. It’s something to be super proud of and it’s an institution that has been around for a long time. In the entertainment world, sometimes, you gravitate to the U.S. or you think what they do, there’s a certain height. I think we are, but more so, super support Canada as much as we can and give it that respect and power it deserves. So anytime I’m acknowledged in my own country, it’s very exciting.”
His comedy journey began in Windsor at a YukYuks competition. “Do you remember the first time you took the stage? Where was it? It was Windsor, ON. It was a YukYuk competition. So the YukYuks was downtown Windsor and I think they were looking for the funniest comedian in Canada, like newer comedian. It was a seven minute set and I did it in three minutes. I was really talking fast.”
Finding his style took time. “How long did it take for you to really find your groove, your timing, the appropriate audience, the jokes? Maybe eight to 10 years. Now you found your stride? I mean, hopefully, hopefully.”
