Stand-up comedy spotlight: Ian Gutoskie
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Published by Sareth Ney on Jan. 11, 2019 at 11:55 a.m.
Update d on Jan. 11, 2019 at 3:01 p.m. |
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Photo credit: Tonya Cinnamon-Tackett of Cinnamon Studios
Sareth Ney (SN): What inspired you to perform stand-up comedy?
Ian Gutoskie (IG): I was an insanely shy child and my family moved around a lot. Then--I remembered at around the age of 12, watching the Montreal Comedy Festival. I would watch Tommy Davidson, Harland Williams, Richard Jeni, Norm Macdonald, a bunch of others and looked at the people just hanging onto their every word. So, I started to memorize their material and use it on the other kids in grade seven. It worked! I then started to develop my own sense of humor.
SN: What was the feeling like, when you first performed stand-up comedy?
IG: I remembered it vividly, Jan. 13, 2013. I was driving my truck up to Altamonte Springs, Fla., just past Orlando, Fla. I was sick to my stomach, was just going to watch but I ended up going on stage. I remembered grabbing the mic, the light hitting my eyes and me going into some god awful material about the fair. It worked just enough to keep me invested. It wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought it would be more glamorous. It was just a s****y bar on a Tuesday night but the feeling of performing felt amazing. It drew me in.
SN: Which are your favorite comedy specials and record albums?
IG: Favorite special is tough. Anything from Macdonald slays me. He’s hilarious and he truly doesn’t seem to care. As far as albums go, I never really got into comedy albums. I’ve always like to watch comedians.
Eddie Murphy’s “Delirious” made me want to do comedy real bad.
SN: Which are your favorite sketch shows, sitcoms and comedy films?
IG: “In Living Color” is my all-time favorite, followed by “Portlandia”. Nothing touches “Seinfeld”. It’s a transformative sitcom. “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” is my all time favorite. As far as modern movies, I don’t think they can get any funnier than “Tropic Thunder”.
SN: Which comedian would you like to go on tour with and why?
IG: Hard to say. Honestly, I never liked opening for big names or anyone for that matter. I enjoy headlining too much, having the whole show on my back. I do love Nate Bargatze a little too much and I would reconsider for him.
SN: If you could get roasted by any five comedians past or present, which ones would you choose?
IG: The most brutal. I think we all take ourselves too seriously. So, it would have to be: 1) Jeffrey Ross 2) Don Rickles 3) Greg Giraldo 4) Anthony Jeselnik 5) Lisa Lampanelli
SN: Which other forms of comedy would you like to venture off into?
IG: The path I’m on now. I’m in transition from mainstream comedian into something different. I’m a guy that is always searching for something bigger and bigger.
SN: What experience would you like for your audience to take with them, after a set is over?
IG: Leaving feeling that their life is worth more than when they came in.
SN: Where do you see your comedy career, in the next five years?
IG: I will have something built in that period of time that will bring more joy and peace into my life. I will be booking my own tours and bypassing the industry all together. Control over my career.
SN: Where can the readers find you online and on social media?
IG: Just search Ian Gutoskie!
SN: What is your favorite joke a comic has written?
IG: Harland Williams - My dad got a tattoo of the log ride from Disney right on the crack of his a*s! When I asked him why the hell would you get that tattoo?! He said because every time he takes a s**t, he feels like a kid again!
Ian Gutoskie (IG): I was an insanely shy child and my family moved around a lot. Then--I remembered at around the age of 12, watching the Montreal Comedy Festival. I would watch Tommy Davidson, Harland Williams, Richard Jeni, Norm Macdonald, a bunch of others and looked at the people just hanging onto their every word. So, I started to memorize their material and use it on the other kids in grade seven. It worked! I then started to develop my own sense of humor.
SN: What was the feeling like, when you first performed stand-up comedy?
IG: I remembered it vividly, Jan. 13, 2013. I was driving my truck up to Altamonte Springs, Fla., just past Orlando, Fla. I was sick to my stomach, was just going to watch but I ended up going on stage. I remembered grabbing the mic, the light hitting my eyes and me going into some god awful material about the fair. It worked just enough to keep me invested. It wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought it would be more glamorous. It was just a s****y bar on a Tuesday night but the feeling of performing felt amazing. It drew me in.
SN: Which are your favorite comedy specials and record albums?
IG: Favorite special is tough. Anything from Macdonald slays me. He’s hilarious and he truly doesn’t seem to care. As far as albums go, I never really got into comedy albums. I’ve always like to watch comedians.
Eddie Murphy’s “Delirious” made me want to do comedy real bad.
SN: Which are your favorite sketch shows, sitcoms and comedy films?
IG: “In Living Color” is my all-time favorite, followed by “Portlandia”. Nothing touches “Seinfeld”. It’s a transformative sitcom. “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” is my all time favorite. As far as modern movies, I don’t think they can get any funnier than “Tropic Thunder”.
SN: Which comedian would you like to go on tour with and why?
IG: Hard to say. Honestly, I never liked opening for big names or anyone for that matter. I enjoy headlining too much, having the whole show on my back. I do love Nate Bargatze a little too much and I would reconsider for him.
SN: If you could get roasted by any five comedians past or present, which ones would you choose?
IG: The most brutal. I think we all take ourselves too seriously. So, it would have to be: 1) Jeffrey Ross 2) Don Rickles 3) Greg Giraldo 4) Anthony Jeselnik 5) Lisa Lampanelli
SN: Which other forms of comedy would you like to venture off into?
IG: The path I’m on now. I’m in transition from mainstream comedian into something different. I’m a guy that is always searching for something bigger and bigger.
SN: What experience would you like for your audience to take with them, after a set is over?
IG: Leaving feeling that their life is worth more than when they came in.
SN: Where do you see your comedy career, in the next five years?
IG: I will have something built in that period of time that will bring more joy and peace into my life. I will be booking my own tours and bypassing the industry all together. Control over my career.
SN: Where can the readers find you online and on social media?
IG: Just search Ian Gutoskie!
SN: What is your favorite joke a comic has written?
IG: Harland Williams - My dad got a tattoo of the log ride from Disney right on the crack of his a*s! When I asked him why the hell would you get that tattoo?! He said because every time he takes a s**t, he feels like a kid again!
Editor's note: This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sareth Ney is the journalist for A Quarter and Dream Pictures. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications from Colorado State University-Pueblo. He is a former apprentice to master of horror, Clive Barker. He is a Wu-Tang Clan inspired superhero, Wu-Man Chu. He is an award-winning short filmmaker; his goal is to write 150 articles in select time zones, he inducts every article into his hall of fame, is a stand-up comedian, motivational speaker, philanthropist, founder and co-host of Pueblo's Independent Multimedia Podcast, is the festival director at Sareth-Fest Music and Comedy Festival and Corazon Comedy Festival.
