Tom Segura has a way with words, and an approach to stand-up sets that eases audiences into following him down a comedy trail with detours into twisted territory. Segura’s greatest skill is the pivot, lulling the crowd by presenting as a nonthreatening, likeable guy with a matter-of-fact manner of telling anecdotes before he takes a sharp turn into a risqué landscape that’s nearly too fast to process, as he moves on with the narrative or to the next observation.
The laugh reflex is more powerful than the impulse to be offended, hence the secret to Segura’s success.
That success has its roots in growing up with a no-filter father and devoutly Catholic mother. As Segura details in his book of essays, I’d Like to Play Alone, Please, released in May, his late father was an ex-Marine with a penchant for unsolicited scatological commentary and his mother is easily offended. Segura developed stealthy methods of getting raunch across and offending without offending, which evolved into stand-up sets that earned him a slot on the New Faces program of the 2007 Just for Laughs Festival.
That 25th anniversary festival featured Jim Jefferies, Zach Galifianakis, Kevin Hart, Bill Burr, Jo Koy and Louis C.K. Segura quickly joined their ranks thanks in part to being an early adopter of podcasting, starting Your Mom’s House with comedian and spouse Christina Pazsitzky in 2010. They now have seven podcasts in their YMH Studios stable, including Dr. Drew After Dark, 2 Bears, 1 Cave featuring Segura and comedian Bert Kreischer, Tom Talks, and Tom Segura En Español.
In other words, Segura is a workhorse who parlays opportunities into success and is mastering the balance between raising children and mining them for material. He has two Netflix specials in the works that will join his four previous ones on the streaming service.
Segura loves Las Vegas. He’s figured out how to get his checks sent directly to casino floors and is likely to hit the blackjack tables between his two Aces of Comedy dates at The Mirage this weekend. But please: Just don’t tell Mrs. Segura.
The Mirage, 10 p.m. Oct. 28-29, starting at $71. ticketmaster.com
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