Tom Segura is ready to test new material at sold-out Spokane Comedy Club shows

When Andrew “Dice” Clay became the first comedian to sell out an arena a generation ago, it was hardly surprising since “The Diceman” was ubiquitous during the early days of the Clinton era. Fans of Clay’s cable-TV specials and films packed the massive halls to catch and recite his bawdy nursery rhymes.

The calculated Clay wasn’t the only highly visible comic-actor who was packing big halls during the ’90s. Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock sold their share of tickets. The former was the star of an incredibly popular sitcom that will seemingly air in perpetuity. The latter is a former member of “Saturday Night Live” and has starred in a number of films that were boffo at the box office.

And then there is Tom Segura. The clever standup’s bearded mug isn’t nearly as identifiable as the aforementioned humorists. However, Segura, like fellow comics Bert Kreischer and Nate Bargatze, is performing in front of SRO crowds at 2,000- to 3,000-capacity venues without the benefit of a TV vehicle or film credits.

How has Segura, 40, established such a base of fans? “Tom doesn’t have a television show, but he’s blowing up because of the podcasts he’s on and due to Netflix,” “Impractical Jokers” tour manager and comedy club owner Jeff Johnson said. “Tom has had some amusing specials on Netflix, and he’s on the right podcasts.”

“Your Mom’s House” is a podcast Segura co-hosts with his comic wife Christina Pazsitzky. Segura also is half of “2 Bears, 1 Cave” with the aforementioned Kreischer. Joe Rogan, the host of the very popular podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience,” loves Segura, and that has helped introduce the Cincinnati native to a huge audience.

“If Joe likes you, well then you’re set since everything Joe Rogan touches turns to gold,” Johnson said. “You look at a comic like Theo Von, who went from being unknown to a guy who you can’t book into a club anymore. Joe helped make Theo’s career. Theo floundered for 10 years, but the podcast appearances made a huge difference.”

Johnson knows all about the rise of comics since he also owns Penguin’s Comedy Club in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “I see how huge podcasts are,” Johnson said. Netflix also helped change the course of Segura’s career. “A good special is valuable,” Johnson said. “It’s not about having a TV show anymore. If you have a solid Netflix special, you can write your own ticket.”

“Completely Normal” in 2014, “Mostly Stories,” which debuted in 2016, and 2018’s “Disgraceful” helped establish Segura, who is all about Netflix specials. Segura announced this week he has signed a deal with Netflix for two standup specials, including his first in Spanish. Segura, who is of Peruvian descent and is fluent in Spanish, announced that the special in English will air on March 24. The Spanish show will run at some point in autumn.

“Netflix has rapidly changed the way comedy is consumed around the world, and by releasing a Spanish-language special, I look forward to being able to reach a new audience that Jo Koy and Ali Wong will never get,” Segura cracked to Deadline.

Segura is wise to crossover markets. “Tom Segura En Espanol” is the sixth podcast from Your Mom’s House Studios, which is the name of Segura and Pazsitzky’s production company. Segura has a part in the 2018 film “Instant Family,” which stars Mark Wahlberg. But it’s about comedy and not acting just yet.

Segura is working on material that will be delivered at the Spokane Comedy Club. Standup comic and general manager of Princeton, New Jersey’s Catch a Rising Star Steve Trevelise has a theory why Segura has taken off.

“For a guy to sell as many tickets as Segura is selling, you have to be funny,” Trevelise said. “Segura is funny, and a great way to find him is by cruising the internet. The game has changed so much since Jerry Seinfeld became this standout standup all those years ago. It’s about being funny, and it’s also about working the Internet.”

That’s how Dane Cook became a massive star 20 years ago. The Boston comic-actor kept throwing it out there. The same can be said for Adam Sandler. “The reason Adam became such a success is because he’s always tossing stuff up against the wall,” comic-actor David Spade said in a 2017 interview. “That’s something young comics need to know. You have to work your butt off if you want to be successful.”

Bargatze also has theories on Segura’s success: “It’s interesting how things have gone with Tom’s career. There are a couple of reasons why Tom has blown up. Netflix is a big reason. Netflix has pushed him over the edge. You have that, and you have podcasts. The Joe Rogan podcast has been huge for his career.

“There are two other factors. Tom is incredibly funny. I remember being on the road in Detroit a few years ago. I was playing a club, and he was in a theater. I caught his show and was blown away. He’s so talented.

“Another reason that Tom and guys like me are doing so well is that comedy is in a good place, and it’s everywhere. You can find it on your phone. The comedy scene is much stronger than it was when I was starting out 17 years ago. The coolest thing is that you don’t need a show or a movie to have success. Tom is living proof of that.”

The amiable Segura, who is at his best when riffing about his kids, travel and porn, is a very specific comic who cracks up the audience while riffing about minutiae. “I feel that we are all connected,” Segura said during a show in 2019.

“So there is a possibility that you are related to my profoundly stupid cousin. My cousin likes to call himself an inventor, which would be really cool except he’s not. He just likes to come up with ideas for stuff that would be really cool and has no idea how to make it. That’s just a bleep. But he insists on using the word ‘invention.

“ ‘Did I tell you about my new invention?’ ‘No, what is it?’ ‘It’s a cell phone that drives your car.’ ‘Whoa, how does that work?’ ‘You just press a button on your phone.’ ‘Yeah, but how do you get the phone to do that?’ ‘Well, you just program the phone.’ ‘With what, fairy dust?’ Then he gets mad at me.

“ ‘You don’t like my invention.’ ‘No, I love your invention. I also love sliding down a rainbow into a pot of gold. It’s not possible, man.’ I told him I have an invention. It’s a toilet that sends emails and makes turkey sandwiches. His answer was, ‘That’s an awesome invention.’ No, it’s not. It’s not real, man.”

The appeal of Segura is that he is as cerebral and surprising as the controversial Louis C.K., but he doesn’t demonize his family like the cranky wise guy. Segura also moves on to new material with each special. Who knows where he will veer when Segura tests out fresh bits in Spokane.