Skip to content

Gary Owen on Fatherhood, Comedy & Starting Over | Whiskey Ginger

Whiskey Ginger with Andrew Santino

Hosted by Andrew Santino

1h 24m
Transcript

Original podcast

Summary

Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.

Comedian Gary Owen joins Andrew Santino to discuss touring life, family, and the realities of building a comedy career from the ground up. They share wild anecdotes about early road gigs in Oklahoma, dealing with unruly audience members during corporate shows, and the physical toll of athletic injuries. Owen also opens up about his recent international tour dates, life with twin toddlers, and navigating the logistical chaos of relentless travel.

  • Comedians testing out new material during shows need to balance experimental bits with reliable jokes to keep audiences engaged. 1:20:02
  • Comedians building a touring career should endure smaller, rougher gigs to develop the stage chops necessary to handle difficult crowds. 1:01:54
  • Perfectionists in touring can avoid burnout by scheduling necessary breaks when physical and mental exhaustion set in. 1:21

Chapters

  1. 0:00
    Holiday Sale Intro

    The episode opens with a promotional segment advertising Ulta's holiday beauty sale.

  2. 0:43
    Ad Break – LinkedIn Small Business

    An advertisement highlighting LinkedIn’s tools for small business growth.

  3. 1:15
    Host Announces Tour Dates

    Andrew Santino reveals his upcoming tour schedule and invites listeners to attend.

  4. 2:15
    Guest Introduction: Gary Owen

    Santino introduces comedian Gary Owen, highlighting his return to the show.

  5. 4:11
    Comedy in Mexico & Cultural Barriers

    Exploration of why Mexican audiences love comedy and the lack of comedy venues in Mexico City.

  6. 5:03
    Early Drug-Deal Run in Oklahoma

    Gary recounts a 1990s run of shows in Oklahoma where promoters were drug dealers.

  7. 6:24
    Military Comedy Tours

    Gary shares his experiences performing for U.S. military bases during the 9/11 era.

  8. 7:21
    Personal Struggles & Family Loss

    The conversation turns to Gary's family tragedies, including a brother's overdose and sibling dynamics.

  9. 8:26
    Health & Injury Challenges

    Gary discusses his ACL injury, recovery, and the impact on his career and personal life.

  10. 9:00
    Life After Comedy: Family & Hobbies

    Gary reflects on his family life, hobbies like golf, and plans for the future.

  11. 40:14
    Podcast Intro and Host Greeting

    Andrew Santino opens the episode, introducing the show and setting the tone for the conversation.

  12. 41:16
    Corporate Gigs and Audience Dynamics

    The conversation shifts to corporate shows, the expectations of corporate audiences, and the importance of reading the room.

Highlights

  • 5:26

    Questionable Oklahoma Runsstory

    The guest describes an early comedy tour through Oklahoma in 1998 where comics were paid in cash and shopped at urban clothing stores, suspecting the promoter was laundering money.

  • 25:29

    Navy Ship Showsstory

    The guest recalls performing clean and R-rated sets for sailors on deployed naval ships right after September 11, giving service members a much-needed outlet for stress.

  • 40:19

    Surprise Golf Successstory

    Despite barely playing golf, the guest hit a rare great shot on a famous Tiger Woods hole at a charity tournament while cameras were rolling.

  • 57:39

    Corporate Show Confrontationstory

    The guest recounts a chaotic corporate holiday party in Cincinnati where an overzealous attendee objected to edgy jokes and was promptly carried out by audience members.

  • 1:03:29

    Social Media Stars Booedstory

    The guest shares a story about a Shaq All-Star tour where internet stars with huge social media followings bombed so badly they inherited an intense audience boo.

  • 1:19:50

    Trying New Materialinsight

    The host and guest discuss the importance of working out new material during multi-night runs rather than repeating the exact same show verbatim every night.

Quotes

  • “I was like, what? I thought, oh my God, I made it.”
    Unnamed speaker · 7:27
  • “I don't know if you want to do that again.”
    Andrew Santino · 2:37
  • “Because when the lights are on, you can do it.”
    Andrew Santino · 40:56
  • “I don't think these people appreciate telling jokes. There was a little girl in the room. It's like, really?”
    Unnamed speaker · 59:52
  • “I felt mentally and physically, I go, dude, I gotta, I can't do this.”
    Unnamed speaker · 1:21:25
  • “I had it and I lost it in a divorce.”
    Unnamed speaker · 1:22:15
  • “I don't think she realized it. I don't think she did out of spite.”
    Unnamed speaker · 1:22:31
  • “If you don't say no, they'll go fill it up.”
    Andrew Santino · 1:21:13
  • Ulta 0:00–0:21
  • LinkedIn 0:43–1:15
  • Andrew Santino 1:46–1:55
  • Tempo 32:05–33:19
  • Ulta Beauty 45:05–45:26
  • KitchenAid 45:26–45:36
  • Priceline 45:39–45:53
  • Ulta Beauty 1:23:51–1:24:12
  • KitchenAid 1:24:12–1:24:28
  • LinkedIn 1:24:20–1:24:49

About this episode

Welcome to Whiskey Ginger a Wave series. Andrew Santino sits down with comedian, actor, and podcast host Gary Owen for a conversation about stand-up, family, fatherhood, getting older, and the ridiculous situations life keeps throwing at you. Gary has been making audiences laugh for more than two decades, from his appearances in Think Like a Man, Ride Along, and Daddy Day Care to his stand-up specials and sold-out shows across the country. Now he's navigating a whole new chapter of life, including becoming a dad to twin boys, because apparently regular parenting wasn't challenging enough. His brand-new comedy special, No Hard Feelings, is streaming now on 800 Pound Gorilla's YouTube channel! Gary gets into growing up in a trailer park, his time in the Navy, family, relationships, and all the unexpected adventures that come with getting older. Gary also hosts the #GetSome with Gary Owen podcast, where he shares stories, catches up with guests, and gives his take on just about everything. Watch Gary Owen: No Hard Feelings on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGQpv-4k3II Check out Gary's upcoming tour dates and more: https://www.garyowen.live Follow Gary Owen: https://www.instagram.com/garyowencomedy Follow Andrew Santino: https://www.instagram.com/cheetosantino Follow Whiskey Ginger: https://instagram.com/whiskeygingerpodcast #WhiskeyGinger #AndrewSantino #GaryOwen #NoHardFeelings #GetSomePodcast #StandUpComedy #ComedyPodcast #800PoundGorilla ==================================================== This episode is sponsored by: TEMPO BY HOME CHEF GET 60% OFF YOUR FIRST BOX! http://tempomeals.com/santino Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

0:00
1:24:53

18,924 words · 8 speakers

Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

Topics

  • Australia
  • Edinburgh
  • Scotland
  • Sydney
  • Las Vegas
  • New Year's Eve
  • Nashville
  • Cosmo

Page updated · transcript and summary are machine-generated