A review of Let's Get Into It with Joe Gatto
When the opportunity arose to go see Joe Gatto in the Koger center, I was so excited. My parents love impractical jokers, and we spent many late nights past my bedtime laughing with those four lifelong friends who compete to embarrass each other. (Murr always had it the worst, poor Murr.) Joe, of course, has always been my favorite. The way he would ful send a bit would have me cackling. And lately, when I need a break from endless assignments, I find myself turning back to Impractical Jokers.
This was my first time attending a stand up show, and man are my expectations high for the next one. Mark Jigarjian, who was in the impractical jokers movie, opened for Joe. He had a lot of usc and Columbia centric jokes that were hilarious. He even gave a shout out to the pride and joy of my hometown, Buc Ee's.(It really is the place, I went there right after prom.) I really enjoyed his opening act, and it set the stage well for Joe.
Then, it was time. Joe took the stage and the crowd went wild. Joe had a format to the show that kept it moving and gave an overall narrative to the show. He recounted events of his life all connected by themes and lessons he learned from his parents, his career, and his kids. He told stories from his childhood, college, early career, and now. I loved the format, and some of these stories were crazy. I felt like I was listening to a friend recount the craziest day of their life. One of my favorite stories he told was of his exchange with a fan over instagram dms, it was very relatable. She had asked if he could help her get the volume working on her tv while she was watching the impractical jokers movie and joe went from asking her about her wifi, to her ethernet, to her home size and mortgage payment. He claimed all of these could be potential factors and needed to help others solve the problem, and she kept answering his questions!
He also had bits that he repeated throughout the show which helped tie things together even more, such as, hurt call Burt, the bluey theme song, and over explaining things when he's nervous. They were clever callbacks to earlier jokes that made things feel really cohesive.
Joe's delivery and timing were unmatched, giving us just enough time to let the joke sink in before continuing or moving to a new segment. And of course he incorporated his signature style of physical comedy, bringing the entire set to life. I was engaged from beginning to end, on the edge of my seat waiting for the next crazy event that apparently made things ‘even worse’.
I'm so grateful for the opportunity I got to go see Joe's show, and if he ever comes back around to columbia, I'll be there.
My name's Liz (dj Traveler) and I host the show Out There Inn! I love folk, folk rock, metal, ghibli soundtracks, and video game music! Some of my favorite artists are Fleet Foxes, Hozier, Lord Huron, the Dip, and Sleep Token :) I also love hiking, painting, and reading.