Stand up comedians Doug Stanhope and Joey Diaz might be household names now, well in comedy nerd’s homes anyway, but they had to get there the hard way.
Diaz talked about how met Stanhope on his podcast, The Church of What’s Happening Now, and it’s an interesting insight into their careers, as well as the comedy scene in the 1990s.
It’s the early ’90s, and Diaz talks his way into a regular gig after pointing out that the comedy magician was not going over well with crowds.
Enter a young, mullet-wearing Stanhope, who was a feature act at that point, meaning he was middling (it goes: opener, feature, headliner).
Related: Joey Diaz Quotes
Diaz’s room appears to have been part of what was known as a Tribble run; a run of shows for mostly new comics looking for stage time. It is named after longtime comedy booker Dave Tribble, who you can see explain the run at the bottom of this post.
He talks about how nobody knew quite how to handle Stanhope, but that he tore rooms apart and was developing into a strong headliner.
Diaz admits that he wasn’t yet where he wanted to be while he was plugging away, and hearing about Stanhope’s success on stage.
Diaz took inspiration from his fellow comic’s honesty, freedom, and work ethic, and crafted himself into the great comedian he is today.
Listen to him tell the tale himself below.
Watch the full episode below.
Additional Related Content:
Ralphie May and Diaz talk Stanhope Stories
“He made it on his fucking terms. He went to war with 20,000 club owners on his own terms.” ~ Joey Diaz
Early Doug Stanhope Stand Up (First Known Footage)
Best place for new comic to start? Winnemucca, NV. On Tribble's mailing list, they urgently need comics there about 47 weeks a year.
— Doug Stanhope (@DougStanhope) January 30, 2013
Stand Up Comedy Booker Dave Tribble Explains “Tribble Run”
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