Photo: Beast Mode via Joe Machi - Facebook
Joe Machi
Joe Machi
If Joe Machi is to be believed, he was fated for a life in stand-up comedy. “I think comedy chooses you,” Machi says. He adds that he didn’t get behind the mike as a road to other platforms. “A lot of people who choose comedy want to be famous actors or they think it’s cool.
“I was already cool and I get nervous when people recognize me, he continues. But he can’t think of any better occupation either. “It’s the only job I don’t hate.”
Another opportunity for Machi to enjoy his work comes on Saturday Match 12 when he plays 7 and 9 p.m. shows at The Northern Lights Theater at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino (1721 W. Canal St.). And he believes he has what it takes to continue in the profession that best suits him. “I’m a little irritable and I’m tenacious enough to keep going,” he observes. The qualities he sees in himself are ones he believes are essential to others in his position, too. “That's what helps make a comedian: odd perspective and tenacity."
Biting the Big Apple
Since his tenacity exceeded the number of venues available in Machi's native Pennsylvania to hone his comedic skills,, it was off to New York City. There Machi could experience the trials by fire that purify comedy gold. “Back then, that’s where industry was that you depended on for exposure,” Macho explains.
“Now everything is a lot different,” he says of the democratization and growth in stand-up culture since recent years. “The gatekeepers aren’t important. People get a Netflix special, and it doesn’t even move the needle. NYC doesn't matter as much anymore.” Machi sees opportunities abounding for fledgling comics who can withstand current economic realities. As Machi puts it. “Small cities and even big towns have comedy scenes now where you can possibly get up a few times a week if you're willing to drive an hour ... and you have a million dollars for gas.”
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Fuel prices notwithstanding, Machi’s take on the state of the world differs from those who would contend that the world is a worse place than ever. “I disagree that the world is more divided and contentious. It’s just that with such a crowded space for dialogue, people get noticed for throwing haymakers. Subtlety and nuance are dying because they can’t compete for eyeballs. I still believe the world is at least close to the best it's ever been. Most people have a lot in common. They want freedom, shelter, food and a future for their children,” he says, but with a proviso that his artistry might not always make people's lives any better. “Will my comedy help them? Probably not.”
Though he may not view his stand-up as utilitarian, Machi still wants audiences to enjoy his shtick. And he has a suggestion for those who don’t. “I hope people like it. If they don’t like it, they should write me really long social media messages that I won’t ever read."
Here Machi brings together one of the touchstone subjects of his work, death, alongside football and an erstwhile Milwaukee cannibal to point out how some comparisons don't pass logical muster:
