Having never worked in the food service profession, the members of Dana "Short Order" Cooke and His Band Joe find humor in more than their choice of name. The group incorporates the comedy into performances.

"The songs that I write are about the gentle, everyday irony found in life," Cooke said. "We like to banter and chat with the audience."

"Connecting with the audience and making us all feel together as a group is what we are after," added bandmate Joe Cleveland. Bass player John Dancks is the third member of the group.

The band will bring its laughs and music to the stage tonight at Creekside Coffee and Books in Skaneateles. It will be the group's first appearance at that venue.

"We just know that it will be a great experience - the type of people that we can really connect with," Cleveland said. "We are really looking forward to performing there."

With song titles like "My Father's Bald," "What's a Kitty to Do," and "I Shaved off my Beard Last Night," it seems that Cooke sees humor in the routine.

"We have close to 20 original songs, yet we don't stick to any one set list," Cooke said. "Our set list is interactive depending on the audience and how they are responding."

Showing the audience a good time is the reason for being in the music industry, Cooke said, and the group likes to interact with the people who come out to see them.

"We find victims in the audience to pick on," Cooke said laughing. "It really all depends on the mood of the audience. If the set isn't going over well, we will change it up; and if it still isn't going over well, we will weep and break things, then stomp off stage.

"It's all pretty loose," Cooke added. "We just like to have a good time. If we wanted to play music in our living rooms, that is what we would be doing. It is about getting out and having a good time."

The group's third album release, "Snowball's Chance," was a recent SAMMY award nominee.