Tom Segura wants to give you a new show
Tom Segura, a Lenoir-Rhyne graduate and stand-up comedian, will perform at The Comedy Zone on Tuesday, Sept. 15th.
He’s been featured on Comedy Central and Showtime.
Pick up your tickets for his show here. Then get a glimpse into the comedian’s approach to humor with my Q&A:
There are two main schools of the schools of thought in stand-up comedy about material, one is like Seinfeld who will tell familiar jokes to his audience, while Louis CK starts all over after each of his specials. What do you do?
My philosophy is that once I’ve shot the special, I know it’s recorded, and it’s just a matter of time before I have to get rid of it, so that’s what I’m working towards. I’ve learned that people want to see stuff that they’re familiar with, to a degree, and they have their favorite bits. I think for the most part, you want to give people a new show.
How much of the crowd already knows you from the podcast?
I would say that of the people that are at the show, the majority have seen the Netflix special and of that majority, about half of them are also podcast listeners.
Do you have a line about how personal you’ll be in your stand-up?
There’s not a set line. I’m a casual comic, but on the podcast, we really are just having a conversation. On stage, it’s not quite that casual. It’s getting close though. I feel like the longer I do stand-up, the more comfortable I get on stage.
What other comics, besides your wife (Christina Pazsitzky), do you like making laugh as validation for your material?
If I make Ryan Sickler laugh, then I feel like I got something. Also, Bert Kreischer, Joe Rogan, Joey Diaz.
Our jeans are getting higher and Tighter!
A photo posted by @seguratom on May 30, 2015 at 3:16pm PDT
Speaking of Bert, how often do you get confused with him?
Just hit 12k steps on my @Fitbit #FitBitGoalSelfie pic.twitter.com/SueOU6hZwT
— bert kreischer (@bertkreischer) August 1, 2015
A photo posted by @seguratom on May 19, 2015 at 11:23am PDT
A lot more online than in person, obviously, but it has happened in person before. People will say that we’re twins, but that is so insulting. It really is. I don’t think they’re aware of how much better looking I am than him. It really affects me. I mean facial structure, his jawline is all f–ked up. He’s got a dopey, droopy face. We’re not similar.
How much time do you spend writing?
Not a lot. I do so much stand-up that I’ve been able to transition into writing onstage.
What did you use to motivate yourself when you were first starting out on the road and you had a tough night?
I think you always just want to get to the next show. There are definitely some rough nights when you’re starting out. It can really, really affect your confidence. It can also affect your outlook on life and your career in those moments. But the great thing about it is that you just need the next show to redeem yourself.
Sat next to @1omarion on my flight today. A photo posted by @seguratom on Aug 2, 2015 at 3:41pm PDT
Can you find amusement in bombing now that you’ve had success?
It’s a mix. If I bomb now, I know I’m not going to do something else for a job. So I’m able to process it a little differently. It still sucks. … It’s good to have bad sets every once in a while. They keep you humble. They keep you honest. It’s a reminder that you can’t ever get so good at stand-up that a bad night can’t happen to you.
Photo: Justin Ruckman/Flickr.
This story was originally published September 9, 2015 at 10:00 PM with the headline "Tom Segura wants to give you a new show."