Paul Virzi

Joe Bartnick

Joe Bartnick is a 17 year veteran out of Los Angeles who frequently travels to perform with Paul Virzi, Jason Lawhead, Kevin Shea, and Bill Burr. He is one of the original members of the Bill Burr Presents: The All In Comedy Tour. Joe hosts the Puck Off hockey podcast with Frazer Smith, and is also the host of the Insensitivity Training comedy show with Cort McCown at the Ice House in Pasadena, California. Joe was great to talk to and left behind some really valuable advice on moving up in the comedy world, making the right friends, performing in theaters VS clubs, and what it was like to go on the road with Mitch Hedberg. Enjoy! BACKSTORY Where did you get your start in comedy? I started in San Francisco, which was a very warm comedy community. But of course, everybody’s always nice to you when you start. It’s when you start getting GOOD, they start getting jealous. [laughs] But no, there’s very few places that are great to START comedy, and San Francisco is one of them. What was it like when you started? I started off in coffee shops and laundromats—in fact, I came in third in a laundromat comedy competition! [laughs] And Al Madrigal won the competition! But hey, that’s how we started. You just have to play EVERYWHERE. When you’re starting out, the only way to get better is if you do something like 7-10 sets a week. Networking is a big part of this business. […]
Joe Matarese

What can be said about Joe Matarese that hasn’t already been said? A comedian out of New York City who’s done it all: Letterman, Ferguson, Kilborn, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central Presents, Premium Blend, Gotham Comedy Live. He’s done the Montreal Comedy Festival multiple times, he’s been on Howard Stern, and he’s performed with Artie Lange. And these are just to name a few! Matarese recently performed on America’s Got Talent. In his controversial appearance, Matarese received a standing ovation from the sold out crowd as well as all four celebrity judges, with his beloved wife and children alongside him. Yet, in the very next round, Matarese was eliminated after learning just moments before that he would have to perform in front of only the four judges, and no audience. On top of that, the show edited his performance by cutting out crucial parts of his act. The incident left a sour taste that spread throughout the comedy community, which now serves as a cautionary tale for younger comics. Fortunately, the 25-year veteran did not let the negativity get the best of him. He has a very successful podcast called ‘Fixing Joe’ along with a very funny web series also called ‘Fixing Joe’, available on the Official Comedy network. Having the opportunity to meet Matarese was a pleasure, made possible by fellow New York comedian Paul Virzi, host of The Virzi Effect podcast. Matarese could not have been more genuine as we talked about the America’s Got Talent incident along with comedy advice & wisdom, what it is like to work […]

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