Renowned comedian and television personality Joe Gatto returned to the University of Akron campus for the second time for a fun night of laughs. Gatto, who you may recognize from his successful TRU-TV show Impractical Jokers, had audience members doubled over laughing and smiling on Sunday night.
The “Let’s Get Into It” tour started at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 7, with opener Mark Jigarjian taking the stage to warm up the crowd. Being a New York native, Jigarjian poked fun at the similarities in danger levels between New York City and Akron, saying “I would’ve preferred performing in Canton tonight, maybe the people would’ve been friendlier.” Coming from an Akron student, I can confidently say that his jokes regarding the unfriendly demeanor of certain Akron locals may be rooted in truth.
Jigarjian continued his opening act by poking fun about his marriage to his wife, laughing and sharing stories about the recent birth of the first child, and also reminiscing on how he and Joe met. The stories about him and Joe on Impractical Jokers flowed perfectly for Jigarjian to exit the stage, and welcome our main act of the evening, Joe Gatto.
The audience immediately erupted into applause when Gatto took the stage. A mix of college aged and older audience members led to a nice mixture of age groups. Whether you were there because you have watched Joe Gatto on Impractical Jokers, or if you have never heard of him before, all audience members were ecstatic to see him.
I have been a lifelong fan of Impractical Jokers, and Joe has always been my favorite. To see him in person, a character I have only ever witnessed on television before, was surreal. I loved his comedy show and was dying from laughter the whole time. Where I think Gatto differed from other comedians I have seen in the past, is that he focused on funny story telling as opposed to one-line jokes. He built up the story and got audience members invested in the stories while the jokes were being made. It almost made me feel like I had lived through funny memories with him.
One story I enjoyed was when Gatto reminisced on the time he was tasked to drive 2 hours from his home of Staten Island, New York, to Atlantic City, New Jersey, when his mother won big at the casino. Gatto was driving his mother’s car and got pulled over for speeding. Since the car was not registered under his name, the police officer thought he stole the car and was going to arrest Gatto. However, as lucky as it may seem, Gatto’s mother ended up calling him at that moment. Gatto put his mother on the phone with the police officer, and she proceeded to yell at the police officer for 15 minutes, telling him to let her son go because she just won big. Needless to say, Gatto was let go, and hit the road again to Atlantic City.
Gatto shared old and new stories. He talked about funny memories and mishaps from when he was on Impractical Jokers, but also shared personal experiences. I thought this was a great mix between old and new.
In 2021, Gatto announced his split from the Impractical Jokers, stating that he wanted to focus on his family and solo career. I loved that in the show he still paid homage to where he started and got his fame from. After all, he would be nothing without the success of the Impractical Jokers. Yet, this combination of old and new stories shows that Joe has successfully distanced himself from the brand of Impractical Jokers. People still want to come and see just Joe, and I think he is incredibly funny and charismatic on his own.
When Gatto finished his act, he got a standing ovation from the audience, and I could see everyone was smiling from ear to ear. I wanted to hear more from him and would’ve loved the show to continue even longer. Seeing a comedian I have loved for so long was an incredible experience, and I would recommend seeing him for a comedy show if you get the chance.
Gatto will be continuing his “Let’s Get Into It” tour across North America, with other shows in Oklahoma, Alabama, and Louisiana. For more information about upcoming comedy shows and events at Akron’s E.J Thomas Performing Arts Center, visit their website here.
