Comedy

Comedian Tom Segura conquers the House of Blues

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Comedian Tom Segura, performing live at House of Blues on February 9.
Photo: Steve Marcus
Jason Harris

Three and a half stars

Tom Segura February 9, House of Blues

It was a welcome surprise that Tom Segura sold out the House of Blues last Thursday. And the comedian known for being an actual comedian did just that. The 37-year-old comic, who emerged from relative obscurity just a few years ago, has become an impressive live draw and retains a loyal audience—thanks in large part to his Netflix specials and his digital presence—which says a lot about his performance abilities.

At his best, Segura is able to take a single subject, dissect it to a minuscule level and blood-let it until there's nothing left to draw from the topic. He demonstrated that Thursday night during a missive on a popular fast-food brand: “I like my shame straight up and honest, and nobody does it better than In-N-Out Burger. You go to In-N-Out Burger, and they ask you the most shameful question in fast food. ‘I’ll have a burger, fries and a Coke.’ ‘Will you be eating in the car?’ ‘Yeah. I think so.’ And they're like, ‘Yeah, I bet you will, you fat piece of sh*t … Were you gonna jerk off when you get home because you're lonely? We’re gonna give you a free milkshake because you’re f*cking sad.’”

Segura, a traditional plant-your-feet-and-make-them-laugh type performer, has upped his exposure thanks to The Joe Rogan Experience, and has grown his brand with his own podcast, Your Mom’s House, which he co-hosts with his wife, comedian Christina Pazsitzky. The crowd feels like it knows Segura, which allows the bearded funnyman to draw deeper laughs on surface subjects.

On the cosmetic appeal of Asian babies: “I would trade 20 white babies for an Asian baby. If I’m ever rich, I want a closet full of Asian babies. And I’ll just pull them out whenever I'm feeling down, you know? All kinds. Korean ones. Chinese ones. Vietnamese—not so much. My dad was in the war, and I hold a grudge.”

The Cincinnati-born comic tells many long-form stories that involve characters like his father, but also people he’s only met once, whether it be an undecipherable Creole fan, a sheltered North Carolina airport worker or a British woman who suffers from foreign-language syndrome. His droll delivery is often reminiscent of comedian/actor Todd Barry, but occasionally Segura gets more excitable and his cadence and structure resemble that of Aziz Ansari.

On troubled football player Adam “Pacman” Jones: “If you're not familiar with Pacman, how can I describe him? Umm, one time he went to a strip club and a bunch of people got shot. (Pause.) Then it happened two more times. He’s not approachable!”

Segura’s ability was never in question, but Vegas is a tough market for a comedian to crack. That he managed to do so in modern yet traditional fashion bodes well for him and for the Vegas comedy scene moving forward.

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