Presenting on St. Louis’s Firebird’s stage, professional comedian Tom Garland stands in the spotlight, surrounded by a purple shadow with a satin red curtain behind him.
Throughout his routine, Garland dons a white T-shirt and black button up, hair slightly spiked, imminently establishing a casual atmosphere for the audience. He makes his routine more interactive by sparking a discussion with those in front of him.
“How long have you guys been together?” he asks a couple sitting in front of him.
One of them states 28 years.
“28 years?” he said. “That’s awesome. Let’s make some noise for that. They’d been on Tinder, they were together 28 minutes.”
Now residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, Garland’s dedication to make others laugh on a regular…show more content… Everyday, Garland said he normally anticipates a diverse audience from all over the globe.
“On paper, my biggest achievement is what I’m doing right now,” Garland said. “I’m basically touring the whole world without going anywhere.”
However, Garland said he is mostly proud of being in the business for so long.
“In reality, the biggest accomplishment is to not quit,” Garland said. “It’s such a tough business. I’ve been on and off broke. I’ve taken a few bad beats and had to start over. It really is such a gamble where I’ve got my whole life invested, [and] it can be kind of scary.”
For any aspiring comedians, Garland urges newcomes to get over their initial stage fright.
“The first things everyone gets worried about is trying it, so just try it,” Garland said. “I’m here to tell you that you can do it. The worst night getting booed off isn’t that bad.”
Aside from breaking into the scene, Garland stressed the importance of making smart business decisions.
“I know how to buy, sell, and act and create a product out of myself,” Garland said. “Comedians are easily cut off for subjective reasons, but if you’re involved with the deal, it’s harder for them to get rid of
