When it comes to current-day stand-up comedians, Dane Cook is at the pinnacle. Having been anointed a "comedian phenom and icon" by Entertainment Weekly, the man who has won Comedy Central’s Stand-up Comic Showdown more times than anyone else is now considered on par with some of the greats like Steve Martin, George Carlin, and Richard Pryor. His ability to pack arenas further solidifies that standing.

As Cook embarks upon his fall tour, he will step into even more arenas, a shed or two, and a few other esteemed venues. One selection, in particular, jumps out – Cook's two-night stand in Los Angeles on October 2 and 3.

Of the venue choice, Cook says, “I’ve performed in almost every location I’ve ever dreamed of performing. From the Café Wah? in New York City to Staples Center here in L.A., Boston Garden to the Laugh Factory. Large, epic-sized shows in high-profile venues to hole-in-the-wall hotspots. Yet, I never played the Greek Theater. Now is the time.”

Cook promises the Los Angeles shows will be something special: “I said last year when I hit 20 years doing stand up I would put the mic down for a while. Still true, but I had a few more stops that were important for me to share my act. I’m performing a new hour of material with special guests popping in. It’s going to be an evening to remember and maybe be the first and last time for me at the Greek.”

The L.A. shows are the only dates currently slated in the West. Later in October, though, Cook hits Tallahassee for the first of four Florida performances. While he's in the Sunshine State, Cook also plays Gainesville, West Palm Beach, and Tampa.

After that, Cook leapfrogs to Syracuse and a string of shows in the Northeast. Though his hometown of Boston isn't on the slate for this run, Cook will play Pittsburgh and Buffalo, in addition to Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Hopping across the border for only two nights, Cook chose Toronto and Kingston as his landing spots. The 15-date swing ends with Cook at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. on November 6.

In addition to the comedy accolades, Cook was named one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time magazine this year. That's a serious thing for a funny man. To his credit, Cook seems to take his meteoric rise and the accompanying growing pains in stride.

“...you don’t get to the top without many haters and naysayers. It’s a badge of honor. It really is. You are not vanilla or middle of the road when you have detractors. It says you move people and when you move people those people bump into others that ain’t moving. They stand their ground simply because they hate popular.”

Pushing the haters aside, Cook keeps to the positive, saying, “I’ve only ever cared about creating and collaborating with people like me. Dreamers and doers. I actually would sit with any and every one of them because once you know a person and not a persona you have a new perspective.”