Taken from JRE #2001 w/Gabriel Iglesias:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/49cSxbZ1BWJJZPiCAjoOdv?si=5e52cbeb94f340dd

The Joe Rogan experience and to feel that energy of people wanting you to succeed wanting you to do good You know people that were there for for the ride back at the ice house, you know, 20 some odd years ago Look at all those.

It was it was a beautiful moment I was choked up in the first 30 seconds walking out there because they just kept cheering like, you know, and then I said, we did it.

So it was a big emotional, you know, show for me.

On Netflix, it was an hour and almost 2 hours but the actual night I was on stage for over 3 Wow and they could not get me off that stage because then I broke it broke out a bottle of tequila and then I turned it into a big quinceanera is what I did at the end And I got fined by Dodger Stadium for going over the time.

If you run the light of the club, it's, all right, come on, maybe you messed up.

Well, you got to figure all the costs that go into like, you know, the right union the staff I mean, there's so many people that were worth it though.

Yes, I do it all over again It was a greatest night of my life.

That's amazing That's when I saw Bill Burr do Fenway Park at similar sort of situation, you know, like holy

I think it's always harder to get love at home Mmm, you know, that's why you go out on the road and you do your thing and I think that getting that love at home like I never got to perform at a comedy club at home until I became successful on the road.

I didn't get the laugh factories or the comedy stores or the improvs until I went out and did.

You know, maybe they had a Latino night You know, you had to really know somebody somebody had to really vouch for you or you you just It was weird.

97 so most of those years you're hopping around doing bars

one-nighters and stuff like that oh so and so has a room so and so has a room you know blah blah Diaz took me to a lot of those places oh yeah Joey Diaz would tell you

He would take you to some Chinese restaurant in the middle of nowhere.

It's run by Mexican people It was amazing Joey would say

you want to say my Escobar would spend his weekends

He would go to all these fucking crazy shows, but he had a philosophy behind it He was like, you know, I wanna go everywhere.

I wanna get in front of these fucking momos.

I wanna go down to the east side and rock those motherfuckers.

He was just like, he wanted to do all kinds of different shows, like just to like feel it out, you know?

There's something about those shows that teach a little extra, a

But the cool part was is that I was used to performing in places like that before I actually got an audience that was willing to just be quiet and listen.

You know, because you have to come out the gate swinging to get people in a bar, people that are focused on the game, focused on trying to hook up, having a drink, trying to wait, you know, waiting for somebody.

There's all kinds of different things happening.

And so the fact that, you know, to be able to go out there and get their attention yeah you know that that that was like a like it was school yeah it is

cool it is cool it's a school that no 1 is gonna give you a lesson plan you got to kind of do it all yourself and you got to learn from the other people that are doing it like Joey.

But it's like I did the same thing in Boston.

We mostly got road gigs, because those are the ones that, you know, they would pay you to drive 2 hours and do some, you know, 40 minutes in front of a bunch of crazy people.

Just the fact that you were making money doing comedy was amazing and you're learning how to do it You're learning how to do it the hard way in restaurants and bars and pubs and just yeah We're

little outdoor venues and there was no social media back then.

and but honestly that's great because that gave you this chance to first of all know you really wanted it because if you were gonna really gonna grind it out every night going all these weird shitty places for no money for years for years you're not making any money you got to be committed to that because a lot of people they got half 1 foot in 1 foot out they have 1 good set and they're like you know maybe I'll give comedy a try But guys like you and guys like me, we're out

I knew that with time, money would come as long as I stuck it out, you know I was in a very cush position when I started doing stand-up So

you know challenging to say goodbye to security You know, I had I had a great gig selling cell phones.

You know, and in 1997, you know, working in sales, making that, I had never had insurance.

I did, I lasted about a year, because I found out that I couldn't just do my job and then go do shows at night and then go home.

You had to wind up at some freaking taco shop or whatever at 2-3 o'clock in the morning Talking to other comics because that was the only other way you were gonna find out about another show Yeah, you couldn't send a tweet you couldn't send a text because you didn't have that as an option You had to talk to people right?

Okay, give me that number and you had to learn to write numbers and save numbers and information and learn how to follow up.

Hey, what do you think about, you know, and then yeah, yeah.

Someone calling on your behalf, hey, so and so's got a tight 10.

So staying out late at night, coming home at 4 or 5 in the morning and then having to be up at 7 to go do my 9 to 5.

Fortunately I was young and I was able to hang for about a year and then I just couldn't.

I was falling asleep at work and I got caught.

I was working inside of a little kiosk selling cell phones and 1 time I just kinda, let me do some inventory here on the floor and then I guess I was snoring and somebody caught me.

And I thought that because I had done a couple of television shows and I saw the money that I could make doing standup at that time, I said, oh well, and you start doing the math, the delusional math.

Well, if I get 1 of these a month and I do this and this and this, I only need this much to pay my rent, this much to pay my car note, I'm going to be fine.

And I quit my day job and I got evicted from my apartment because I ran out of money so fast.


Speaker 0: The Joe Rogan experience and to feel that energy of people wanting you to succeed wanting you to do good You know people that were there for for the ride back at the ice house, you know, 20 some odd years ago Look at all those. Yeah,

Speaker 1: that is insane. That's insane

Speaker 0: It was it was a beautiful moment I was choked up in the first 30 seconds walking out there because they just kept cheering like, you know, and then I said, we did it. And it was just,

Speaker 2: it was over after that.

Speaker 0: So it was a big emotional, you know, show for me. On Netflix, it was an hour and almost 2 hours but the actual night I was on stage for over 3 Wow and they could not get me off that stage because then I broke it broke out a bottle of tequila and then I turned it into a big quinceanera is what I did at the end And I got fined by Dodger Stadium for going over the time. That's hilarious. If you run the light of the club, it's, all right, come on, maybe you messed up.

Speaker 1: How much did they fine you? Well, you don't have to say.

Speaker 0: It was over a hundred.

Speaker 1: Oh, Jesus Christ, Dodger Stadium. Come on, guys. Stop being cunts. Is that like operating costs? Like what is that?

Speaker 0: Well, you got to figure all the costs that go into like, you know, the right union the staff I mean, there's so many people that were worth it though. Yes, I do it all over again It was a greatest night of my life. And so happy to pay the fine.

Speaker 1: That's amazing That's when I saw Bill Burr do Fenway Park at similar sort of situation, you know, like holy

Speaker 0: And to do it in your hometown.

Speaker 1: Yeah, that's

Speaker 0: the best part. I think it's always harder to get love at home Mmm, you know, that's why you go out on the road and you do your thing and I think that getting that love at home like I never got to perform at a comedy club at home until I became successful on the road. I didn't get the laugh factories or the comedy stores or the improvs until I went out and did.

Speaker 1: That doesn't make sense though. Why would that be? Were you hanging around?

Speaker 0: You got to figure 20 some odd years ago? You know, maybe they had a Latino night You know, you had to really know somebody somebody had to really vouch for you or you you just It was weird. Most of my shows were at bars. So what year did you start? I started in 97

Speaker 1: 97 so most of those years you're hopping around doing bars

Speaker 0: one-nighters and stuff like that oh so and so has a room so and so has a room you know blah blah Diaz took me to a lot of those places oh yeah Joey Diaz would tell you

Speaker 1: come on motherfucker. You want to go to the real place? He would take you to some Chinese restaurant in the middle of nowhere. It's run by Mexican people It was amazing Joey would say

Speaker 0: you want to say my Escobar would spend his weekends

Speaker 1: He would go to all these fucking crazy shows, but he had a philosophy behind it He was like, you know, I wanna go everywhere. I wanna go everywhere. I wanna get in front of these fucking momos. I wanna go down to the east side and rock those motherfuckers. He was just like, he wanted to do all kinds of different shows, like just to like feel it out, you know?

And I think he's right. They're like those dingy bar shows. There's something about those shows that teach a little extra, a

Speaker 0: different muscle. It's humbling. But the cool part was is that I was used to performing in places like that before I actually got an audience that was willing to just be quiet and listen. Yes. So I felt like, oh wow, that was hard.

You know, because you have to come out the gate swinging to get people in a bar, people that are focused on the game, focused on trying to hook up, having a drink, trying to wait, you know, waiting for somebody. There's all kinds of different things happening. And so the fact that, you know, to be able to go out there and get their attention yeah you know that that that was like a like it was school yeah it is

Speaker 1: cool it is cool it's a school that no 1 is gonna give you a lesson plan you got to kind of do it all yourself and you got to learn from the other people that are doing it like Joey. But it's like I did the same thing in Boston. We mostly got road gigs, because those are the ones that, you know, they would pay you to drive 2 hours and do some, you know, 40 minutes in front of a bunch of crazy people.

Speaker 0: And you were excited to do it.

Speaker 1: Oh my God, yeah. It was amazing. Just the fact that you were making money doing comedy was amazing and you're learning how to do it You're learning how to do it the hard way in restaurants and bars and pubs and just yeah We're

Speaker 0: little outdoor venues and there was no social media back then. No YouTube. No, tick-tock video clips No, nothing. I suppose you just had to go out

Speaker 1: and but honestly that's great because that gave you this chance to first of all know you really wanted it because if you were gonna really gonna grind it out every night going all these weird shitty places for no money for years for years you're not making any money you got to be committed to that because a lot of people they got half 1 foot in 1 foot out they have 1 good set and they're like you know maybe I'll give comedy a try But guys like you and guys like me, we're out

Speaker 0: there every fucking night. Every night. I knew that with time, money would come as long as I stuck it out, you know I was in a very cush position when I started doing stand-up So

Speaker 2: it was it was a little

Speaker 0: you know challenging to say goodbye to security You know, I had I had a great gig selling cell phones. I was making about 5K a month. You know, and in 1997, you know, working in sales, making that, I had never had insurance. I had, you know, a nice little PPO plan. Couldn't you work there

Speaker 1: during the day?

Speaker 0: I did. For how long? I did, I lasted about a year, because I found out that I couldn't just do my job and then go do shows at night and then go home. You couldn't go home. You had to stay out.

We had to wind up at a Denny's. You had to wind up at some freaking taco shop or whatever at 2-3 o'clock in the morning Talking to other comics because that was the only other way you were gonna find out about another show Yeah, you couldn't send a tweet you couldn't send a text because you didn't have that as an option You had to talk to people right? Hey host. So and so has a room. Oh, really?

What's it? Okay, give me that number and you had to learn to write numbers and save numbers and information and learn how to follow up. Hey, what do you think about, you know, and then yeah, yeah. Can you vouch for me? That meant a lot back then.

Someone calling on your behalf, hey, so and so's got a tight 10.

Speaker 1: Yeah, it's huge. You know, that's huge.

Speaker 0: So staying out late at night, coming home at 4 or 5 in the morning and then having to be up at 7 to go do my 9 to 5. Fortunately I was young and I was able to hang for about a year and then I just couldn't. I was falling asleep at work and I got caught. I got caught. I was working inside of a little kiosk selling cell phones and 1 time I just kinda, let me do some inventory here on the floor and then I guess I was snoring and somebody caught me.

Speaker 1: Oh my god.

Speaker 0: And I'm like, ugh.

Speaker 1: Oh my god. That's a beautiful story though.

Speaker 0: That's an American dream story. And I thought that because I had done a couple of television shows and I saw the money that I could make doing standup at that time, I said, oh well, and you start doing the math, the delusional math. Well, if I get 1 of these a month and I do this and this and this, I only need this much to pay my rent, this much to pay my car note, I'm going to be fine. And I quit my day job and I got evicted from my apartment because I ran out of money so fast. They came after my car.

The repo guy was looking for the car. I got evicted. I went to go sleep on my sister's couch. It was it was 1 of those.

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Gabriel Iglesias' Journey to Playing Dodgers Stadium