On Dec. 31, 2021, comedian Joe Gatto announced he was leaving the “Impractical Jokers” after nine seasons with the show to focus on co-parenting his children with his wife Bessy.
He wasn’t done with comedy though.
Less than a month later, Gatto, 47, began pursuing stand-up.
On a cold January evening in Appleton, WI, he took the stage by himself for the first time.
“It was a small club,” Gatto told the New York Post. “I did 35 minutes that night.”
The Staten Island native was understandably nervous; up until that point, he was always part of an ensemble. Could he carry 100% of the funny?
Simply put, yes.
“It ended up being a great experience,” Gatto smiled. “I was mostly nervous about the new experience, but not so much about going for so long. It was more just this new format.”
After that set, Gatto got the comedy bug and quickly amassed an hour’s worth of material within roughly two months.
That led to nonstop road work where Gatto performed in all 50 states.
“Fargo, ND was number 50 for me,” the 47-year-old comic beamed.
And now, less than two years after his first gig, fans can witness Gatto on his newly announced, nationwide ‘Joe Gatto’s Night of Comedy Tour’ which includes a stop at New York City’s Beacon Theatre on Jan. 20, 2024.
“I’ve been touring for a while but I haven’t done stand-up in New York City yet,” he told us. “The Beacon will be the third jewel in the crown for me. I played Madison Square Garden and Radio City with The Tenderloins, and now The Beacon is perfect for my first solo show.”
Those aren’t his only NY stops in the near future though.
Gatto’s also set to drop into Rochester’s Kodak Center on Nov. 30, Ithaca’s State Theatre on Dec. 1, Poughkeepsie’s MJ Nesheiwat Convention Center on Dec. 3, Buffalo’s Kleinhans Music Hall on Dec. 27 and Utica’s Stanley Performing Arts Center on Jan. 25.
Want to find out where else the former “Joker” turned stand-up is headed this year and next?
Keep reading.
We’ve got everything you need to know about his tour dates, comedy style, podcast, the future of “The Impractical Jokers” and much, much more below.
Joe Gatto 2023-24 tour schedule
A complete calendar including all tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets for all upcoming Joe Gatto shows can be found here:
What is Gatto’s stand-up comedy like?
On the stage, Gatto is a storyteller.
“My material is made up of a lot of stories from my life growing up with the ‘Jokers’ and being friends in real life with those guys,” he shared.
“There’s also stories about growing up with a crazy Italian mother on Staten Island. She was a big influence on my life.”
He also talks about being a parent to his wonderful kids.
“My kids are little hams,” he added before jumping into a story.
“The other day, my son comes home from school and says ‘You’re going to want to tell this to the people,’” Gatto deadpanned.
“What do you call a chicken that stares at lettuce?”
He paused for effect.
“Chicken caesar salad.”
“And with that, my son said ‘You’re welcome,’ got up and left the room.”
Still, performing comedy by yourself takes a toll on the veteran “Joker.”
“You don’t have the security net up there when you perform live by yourself,” Gatto explained. “If you’e not there mentally, you still have to carry yourself.”
“All eyes are on you,” he continued. “You’re talking for 65 minutes, making people laugh. That’s the biggest adjustment for me. You have to bring that energy no matter where you’re at.”
Will Joe Gatto return to “Impractical Jokers”?
Gatto got candid with our team when we asked whether or not he’d ever come back to the show he made his name on over nine seasons.
“I’ll never say never,” he told us. “You never know what the future holds. I will say right now, it’s not on my trajectory. I’m still friends of those guys in real life, but I’ve moved on from the show. The show has moved on from me. As of right now, it’s it’s not in the cards.”
Don’t worry though — the guys are still friends.
“We check in with each other to see how life’s going,” he said.
Joe Gatto’s podcast “Two Cool Moms” with Steve Byrne
Since March 2022, Gatto has been recording “Two Cool Moms” with Steve Byrne, a podcast where the two comics riff on topics big and small.
However, the goofy show has been off the air since July of this year.
“The podcast will be coming back in the fall,” Gatto told us. “We got picked up by the iHeart Radio Podcast Network and have already recorded seven episodes with them.”
He’s excited about the partnership too.
“Being a New York guy, I grew up listening to Elvis Duran and I’ve been to plenty of Jingle Balls and Die Hard music festivals and I’m just huge fan of the people that work there.”
You can listen to all 67 episodes of the show that are currently available here.
Joe Gatto opening act
At most shows, Gatto brings along veteran comic Mark Jigarjian aka Jiggy to get the crowd going.
“Jiggy’s phenomenal,” Gatto gushed.
“He’s a seasoned stand up comic who opened for ‘The Jokers’ when we played our Madison Square Garden show. Just a great guy and has really helped with my material. I’ve been to his wedding, he’s been to my home.”
Want a peek at Jiggy’s comedy? We recommend starting out with Jigarjian’s Instagram here.
Life on the road
As noted above, one of Gatto’s major goals as a performer was to hit all 50 states.
And, after having been everywhere he’s come to enjoy the simple things.
“My favorite part is going down the main streets, getting a cup of coffee, shopping local.”
Still, he makes time to play pranks since — as he said — he can’t turn off wanting to mess with the people he loves.
“My best friend is my sister Carla. When I was in Alaska, I was sharing my location with her when I got to this animal sanctuary.”
While there, Gatto noticed an enclosure on a hill with a bear on top of it.
“So, I stood on my car and made it look like the bear was right behind me,” he laughed. “I pretended not to see it while taking a selfie video, saying stuff like ‘It’s so gorgeous in Alaska, wish you were here, you know?” Then I turn around and act like I just saw the bear.”
“My phone lit up with messages like Where are you?!’ and when I told her it was a joke she was like ‘You’re such a jerk!’”
As for the shows all over the U.S., Gatto meets a variety of audience members.
“At the beginning, there were a lot of ‘Jokers’ fans that came out so they could see me again,” Gatto said.
Other folks that show up know him from the podcast or are familiar with his Instagram which boasts over two million followers.
Still, he thinks most people come in the door knowing and liking him from the TV show.
“I wasn’t playing a character on ‘Impractical Jokers,’” he said. “I’m just myself and then they leave knowing more about me.”
Joe Gatto dog rescue
In November 2022, Gatto and his wife Bessy formed Gatto Pups and Friends, Long Island, NY-based 501(c)3 non-profit that advocates for the “Adopt, Don’t Shop” movement and facilitates adoptions for mainly senior and disabled pups.
“My wife Bessy is pretty passionate about dog rescue and has a soft spot for decrepit, falling apart dogs,” Gatto joked.
Even though he’s kidding around, the two are quite serious and devoted to helping older dogs.
“We just had our 45th adoption this weekend with Cinnamon Roll, a 13-year-old pitbull, such a sweetheart.”
The business is growing too.
“We’ve got our own vehicle, a storefront in Glenhead, our adoption center. We’re a part of our community. It’s been a big thing. It’s a real business. Bessy runs it really well and I really enjoy the work now that I have time to dedicate to the cause.”
Comedians on tour in 2023-24
Many major jokers you know and love are pounding the pavement this year and next.
Here are just five of our favorites you won’t want to miss in the near future.
Who else is on the road? Check out our list of the 51 biggest comedians on tour in 2023 here to find out.
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