Daytonian of the Week: Andrew Mitakides, the man behind Gem City Tonight

We are betting Carnac the Magnificent would be mighty proud of Andrew Mitakides.

The Centerville High School graduate’s shtick on DATV’s “Gem City Tonight with Host Andrew Mitakides” clearly draws inspiration from one of Johnny Carson’s most popular characters.

>> RELATED: Heeere's Andrew! Dayton getting brand new late-night TV talk show

Credit: Submitted

Credit: Submitted

Mitakides, now a Dayton resident, is set to be roasted 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, July 27, at Wiley's Comedy Joint, 101 Pine St. in Dayton's Oregon District.

>> Dayton TV host to get roasted at charity event

Tickets are $10 in advance on Wiley's website and $15 at the door before the show.

A portion of the ticket sales will benefit American Foundation for Suicide Prevention — Dayton Out of Darkness Walk set to begin 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20.

We caught up with Mitakides, the latest Daytonian of the Week.

What do you do and why? 

I am the TV show host for Gem City Tonight. I started the show to highlight the best of what Gem City has to offer.

>> RELATED: The very best of Dayton as selected by Dayton 

What superpower would you love to have? 

To read people's minds.

Credit: Submitted

Credit: Submitted

How did you get the idea for the show? 

I grew up watching Johnny Carson, and I loved how every night he was people's elixir. Every night he was in everyone's homes. He was everyone's go to. They'd put Johnny Carson on and lay in bed or pour a drink to end their day. I've always wanted to do this format, a chance to make people laugh and smile.

Who are your inspirations and why? 

Johnny CarsonJames Lipton, Bernard Pevout, Jack ParrDave LettermanStephen Colbert — all of these walked a tightrope of humor, pathos, ethos, logos — things you would need to be a great host.

What do you love about life in Dayton? 

Dayton has a lot of history, talent and community here. Every week on the show, I learn something new about Dayton, whether it is something from the past, like the never-ending list of things that were invented here over the years, or if it's the unique individuals within the community that together create a special community. Events like the tornadoes happening here really highlight just how strong Dayton is, and it is one of the many reasons why I loved growing up and now living in Dayton.

What are your hopes for the community? 

Credit: Submitted

Credit: Submitted

With the ever-growing revitalization in downtown, I'd love to see this growth and development spread through the outlying neighborhoods. Dayton has already proved it is a strong community, and that it has the ability to continue to grow, now it just needs to continue its growth throughout.

If you were given $200 and told to spend it on a night on the town in the Dayton area, how would you spend the money? 

I'm all for supporting local businesses. I'd pick up a gift for my wife from Heart (Mercantile) and then go to the Barrel House to get her a bottle of wine. I've had both of them on my show, and they are great small businesses downtown. Then I'd go support the Dayton Dragons, attending Dragons games is something I've enjoyed doing since I was a kid growing up here. I'd stop in at Wiley's (Comedy Joint) to support the comedian community and all my friends and end my evening at one of the great patios in the Oregon District. If the night goes well, I won't have a dime left.

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What would you change about Dayton? 

The city of Dayton has done so much, and has had so many important inventions. I would make history more readily available. It's surprising that we have Dayton History, but it only touches on a surface level of the impact Dayton has made, and I would make a lot more places dog-friendly.

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What’s your favorite spot in Dayton? 

Depends on the time of day. Saturday mornings would be the Dayton rugby pitch. Saturday afternoon would be one of the many great breweries Dayton has, and at night anyplace where I can hear live music.

>> The best places to enjoy live local music in Dayton

What do you think Dayton will look like in 10-15 years? 

Dayton will continue to do what Dayton does. I see more technological things being invented by my generation and the upcoming generations. Dayton will continue to grow with this rebirth, and as said above, hopefully, we can see this growth spread throughout the outlying communities that surround downtown.

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