Today on DT Daily, we spoke with comedian Michael Lenoci about his podcast, touring, and how he initially got into stand-up.
When he isn’t running half marathons — he completed his first a mere 24 hours prior to our interview — Lenoci is giving advice to people who write into his podcast, Guys Night Out.
“It’s kind of like I’m a therapist,” explained Lenoci. “I’m like a relationship therapist, though, I’m not licensed obviously. You honestly shouldn’t come to me for advice, but people keep coming back and I give them my opinion. It’s played up a little bit, but people write in stories about their relationships or dating life and they ask for advice. I comment on it and tell them what’s wrong with them.”
The podcast currently consists of 90 episodes and currently holds a five-star rating in iTunes. You can write in your own story or, if you prefer, leave a short voicemail in the hopes of receiving advice directly from Lenoci.
When he isn’t giving advice, Lenoci is traveling around the United States doing stand-up comedy. But he started out as just a kid from Florida who had a dream of someday becoming a comedian.
“I have always wanted to do [comedy] since I was a little kid, and growing up in Florida, it was just like you aren’t going to do that because you live in Florida. But then after college, I was like, I don’t want to have a regular life… I couldn’t do that. I was like, let me go take a shot because I know I can do this.”
In 2010, Lenoci moved to L.A. and started performing at open mics. Eight years later, he got the opportunity to open at Carnegie Hall. We asked him what it felt like to play on such an iconic stage.
“It didn’t really hit me. I am grateful that I actually got to do that, to open the show [for comedian Chris D-Elia]… it was an amazing moment,” Lenoci explained. “I don’t really think I thought much of it, I just thought it was another day at the office until we got to the venue and learned more about the history of it. It’s breathtaking when you are in there, it’s an old venue, but it’s beautiful and gorgeous. When I got on stage, I got out there and maybe a minute in I just took a breath and took it in and then went into my set.”
Lenoci is on the road a fair amount of the time, and we asked if he changes his routine to match the city he is in.
“I might rip about something that I saw in the city, you know, just to connect and show that there is a real person on stage.”
If you want to see Lenoci in-person, he performs almost every weekend at Hollywood’s Laugh Factory. If you don’t live in California, however, you can check out his touring dates online. If you want to connect with him virtually and get a “taste of his personality,” check out either his Instagram or Twitter.
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