Gabriel Rutledge has been a fixture in the comedy scene for years, known for his sharp wit, relatable humor, and unfiltered honesty. With a career spanning decades, he’s performed on stages across the country, honing his craft and connecting with audiences from all walks of life. In this candid conversation, Gabriel shares his thoughts on everything from dealing with hecklers and navigating the ever-changing comedy landscape to his journey and relationship with cannabis. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to his work, this interview offers a glimpse into the mind of a comedian who’s seen it all and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is.
Pot Culture Magazine: Welcome, Gabriel! I’m excited to have you here today. I recently caught your show in Boise, and you had the audience roaring. But right in the middle of it, there was a table talking, and you just paused, dealt with them, and then jumped right back into your set. How do you usually handle hecklers, and what’s the worst experience you’ve had?
Gabriel Rutledge: You know, most of the time, heckling isn’t what people think. It’s not always someone yelling, “You suck!” It’s more like someone wanting to be part of the show. Like, if I say, “I went to the mall,” they might shout, “I love the mall!” It’s well-meaning but disruptive. Comedians, including myself, often share these crowdwork moments online because they can be hilarious, but it’s created this weird dynamic where people might think, “Maybe I can go viral if I yell something out.” It’s a dance that’s been around forever, though. I’m sure even caveman storytellers got interrupted by some drunk caveman!
PCM: That’s so true. There’s a rhythm to your material, and when someone yells out, “Flapjacks!” it can throw off the whole flow. How do you recover from that?
Gabriel Rutledge: It definitely can. That’s the real test of how funny you are in the moment, not just with your prepared material. You have to think on your feet, almost like a truer form of improv. Sometimes it works out great, but other times, it’s just about getting back on track.
PCM: I noticed in your Nectarine special that most of it was from one show. Did something happen during the other one?
Gabriel Rutledge: Yeah, the second show we recorded had a lady who just wouldn’t stop talking, even though there were signs everywhere saying it was being recorded. She ended up getting kicked out, and of course, she’s in the comments saying she got kicked out for laughing. That’s what they always say. If you look at a Yelp review for any comedy club, there’s always someone claiming they got kicked out for laughing too much. No, that’s not why you got kicked out.
PCM: Do you think people are more likely to interrupt shows now because of social media?
I do. People are looking for their viral moment just as much as the comedians are. It’s a weird balance, but it’s part of the job. Sometimes it’s fun to engage with the crowd, like talking to an interesting couple or commenting on something happening in the room. Those moments are unique to that show and can be really special. But when someone’s trying to derail you, it’s a different story.
Copyright Gabriel Rutledge/via Zoom. Design: Pot Culture Magazine
PCM: You’re on the road a lot. Have you noticed a different vibe or tension in certain cities with the current social and political climate?
Gabriel Rutledge: You know, I don’t really touch on hot-button topics in my act, so I don’t feel much of that tension. I’m not challenging anyone’s belief systems on stage. When you leave my show, you won’t necessarily know where the person next to you stands on political issues, and I think that helps. Some comedians love to push boundaries and thrive on that tension, but that’s just not me. I was raised very religiously, so for me, just doing comedy feels like I’m pushing boundaries—maybe not very far, but compared to my youth group days, I’m a wild man!
PCM: It seems like avoiding those topics makes it easier for you to connect with a broader audience.
Gabriel Rutledge: It does. I’m not a conservative person, but I also don’t want to be the guy who’s constantly pushing people’s buttons. When I was younger, I might’ve thought I needed to be more edgy, but as I’ve gotten older, I realize that bringing people together to laugh is more important to me. It’s one of the few things left where a diverse group of people can get together and just enjoy something. You’ve got a tattooed couple laughing next to a 65-year-old couple, and that’s beautiful. Sure, it might’ve started because I was being a bit of a pussy, but I like it. Comedy is about making people feel good, and that’s important.
PCM: I read an interview where you mentioned that your goal is for people to leave your show having had a good time, just laughing together. That seems like a powerful approach, especially in a world that’s so divided.
Gabriel Rutledge: Absolutely. I also don’t want to spend too much time focusing on current events or politics. It’s not where I want to be mentally. I’m trying to unplug more, not dive deeper into the news for material. My comedy is about making people laugh, not adding to the noise.
PCM: Let’s talk about your journey into comedy. When did you realize you wanted to be a comedian? Was there a specific moment that pushed you in this direction?
Gabriel Rutledge: I think I felt the power of laughter as a kid. I was the middle child, and there was probably some tension at home. My younger brother has Down syndrome and also suffers from seizures, so there were constant health crises. I fell into the role of being the funny one, probably as a way to cope with the tension. Interestingly, I’ve noticed that a lot of comedians have a disabled sibling. It makes sense, but it’s something I didn’t think about until I started doing comedy.
PCM: That’s an interesting observation. It’s like humor becomes a way to navigate through tough situations.
Gabriel Rutledge: Exactly. I remember in fourth grade, my teacher said she almost hit a squirrel driving into school, and I made a joke about it being on someone else’s tires. It got a huge laugh, and I felt like I’d been hugged by the universe. That moment stuck with me. But becoming a comedian wasn’t something I thought about seriously until much later. After high school in ’92, the idea of being a stand-up comic seemed impossible; there was no internet to Google “how to be a comedian.” I was already doing something ridiculous by being a drummer in a punk band, so when that started winding down, I went to an open mic. Like a lot of comedians say, I left that open mic thinking, “I’m going to ruin my life to keep that feeling going.” It’s been a tough road, but also amazing. It’s like they say about poker: a tough way to make an easy living.
PCM: That’s a great analogy. Comedy really does seem like a constant gamble, but with the right payoff, it’s worth it.
PCM: I’d like to hear about your first time with cannabis. You mentioned trying it for the first time in high school. What was that experience like?
Yeah, it was the summer after high school with my band, and with the woman who would eventually become my wife. We weren’t even dating at the time. I think we punched a hole in a Coors Light can or something. It was pretty typical for a first-time experience. I wasn’t a smoker, so I didn’t really know what I was doing. I remember thinking, “This isn’t affecting me at all,” but then, I figured it out the next time and was like, “Oh, okay, I get it now.”
PCM: Was it a good experience for you?
Gabriel Rutledge: It was fine. Even the first time when I didn’t get high, it was fine. When I did get high, it felt a little out of control for me at the time, but overall, it was a good time. It’s funny because I have some jokes about that in my special—back then, it was such a different time in the marijuana world. No budtenders, nothing legal, just shady dudes with lizards. It was the wild west. And in some places, it still is.
PCM: So, are you a regular user now? Do you have a preferred strain—Indica or Sativa?
Gabriel Rutledge: Honestly, I’m not that deep into it. I’m like that guy at a bar who just orders “a beer” and the bartender glares at him, like, “Yeah, we have those. What kind?” Most of the weed I’ve used or owned, I got from doing marijuana-themed stand-up shows. They’d give you joints to take home as part of the gig. I haven’t even bought marijuana in years. I did once when it became legal in Washington, just to say I did it, but most of it is gifted to me. So, yeah, I’m not really picky about strains.
PCM: So you might have some bud in your house that’s a few years old, just sitting in a drawer?
Gabriel Rutledge: Oh, for sure. Next to a vibrator, if you want the truth. We’ll get to both of them eventually. It’s like a messed-up Toy Story just sitting there waiting patiently, like, “Why won’t he play with us?”
PCM: [Laughs] So, how often are you partaking these days? I imagine that with your touring schedule, it isn’t that frequent.
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Gabriel Rutledge: Probably two or three times a year. I drink alcohol more often because I have more control over it. I know what a couple of drinks will do to me. With weed, unless it’s an edible that says five or ten milligrams, I feel like it’s different every time. Maybe they’re high in the lab, too. But yeah, it’s more of a roll of the dice with weed, and I like a little more control. My wife and I are about to go on a trip, so we’ll probably partake then. It’s fun when we’re on vacation and don’t have anything serious to do.
PCM: With your busy schedule, is it hard to break away and get that downtime?
Gabriel Rutledge: Yeah, work-life balance has always been an issue. During COVID, it was the first time I had too much life and not enough work. Earlier in my career, I was working too much because I needed the money. Now, I still need the money, but I’m also getting opportunities I don’t want to say no to. I’m in Vegas a lot, which is usually Monday to Sunday weeks, so it’s been a lot this year. My kids are older now, so it’s easier, but I still need to be home more. They’re used to me being gone, so I think it affects me more than them.
PCM: When you do get that downtime, can you completely disconnect from comedy, or is it always on your mind?
I’m not always processing material, but the thing I have trouble letting go of is the social media stuff. That’s my job now—putting up clips, letting people know where I’ll be, engaging in the comments. There’s always something I could be doing online, so I have to willfully put the phone down. It’s changed my life in a good way because more people come to see me perform, but our brains are a little scrambled by all this. I miss the days when comedians in green rooms talked about comedy. Now it’s about what program you use for captions or whether horizontal videos are doing better than vertical ones on TikTok.
PCM: That’s the nature of the business now, right? Especially as a comedian, you have to stay on top of all these technological changes to build your brand.
Gabriel Rutledge: Absolutely. I’ve done a little TV, and I’d still love to do something like The Tonight Show, but mostly because it would look cool on a poster. The reality is that people don’t watch TV like they used to. After shows, people will say, “You should have your own sitcom,” and I’m thinking, “Why? So you could not watch it?” You know, no one’s watching these shows. Even Netflix—people come up to comedians who’ve been on Netflix and say, “You should be on Netflix,” and they’re like, “I was!” The internet is the thing now, and even if you’re on a platform like HBO or Netflix, it can get buried.
PCM: Yeah, it’s crazy. Comedian Tom Rhodes had his talk show in the Netherlands and was big over there, but he’s still not as widely known as he should be here.
Gabriel Rutledge: Tom’s great. I’m actually about to work with him at the Comedy Cellar in Vegas. He’s an example of that old system where you get discovered, maybe do Just for Laughs, sign a deal, and get a show. But that world doesn’t always translate to today’s landscape. Now, the kid on TikTok with two million followers is bigger than someone who was on SNL for five years.
PCM: That’s a kick in the balls sometimes, right? You’ve got kids on TikTok with millions of viewers, while you’ve been honing your craft for decades.
Gabriel Rutledge: It is, but there are no shortcuts to actually getting good at stand-up comedy. You might blow up on social media, but getting good at stand-up takes years of grinding. When I started, people would say, “You won’t be good for ten years,” and I’d think, “Fuck you.” But then, ten years in, I’m like, “Maybe it’s twenty.”
PCM: [Laughs] But you’ve got that ease on stage now. There’s confidence in yourself and your material that connects with the audience. That’s not something you can fake.
Gabriel Rutledge: It’s just a lot of flight time, like being a pilot. That ease comes from knowing that if something goes wrong, I can get it back. Even if that’s not always true, it’s the confidence from all that experience.
PCM: Have you ever had a set that felt like it was going off the rails? How do you get it back on track?
Gabriel Rutledge: Yeah, and I’m probably not as good at handling bad shows as I used to be because I’m spoiled now. I’m used to people showing up who want to see me. But when a show isn’t going well, one trick is to talk to the crowd. If they’re not into the material, I’ll ask them how long they’ve been dating or something. If that goes well, I can ease back into the material. But sometimes, especially at private or corporate events, you just have to get through it and hope the next show is better.
PCM: Can crowd work be taught, or is it something you just learn on the fly?
Gabriel Rutledge: You can see how other people do it and maybe pick up some techniques, but it’s really about being in the moment. You don’t have time for filters, which is why it’s fun. Some amazing comedians don’t do crowd work, and that’s fine—it’s not for everyone. But out of necessity, you learn. It’s a pure reaction, and that’s what makes it special.
PCM: Do you prefer private gigs or venue gigs more?
Gabriel Rutledge: Oh, I’d never prefer a private gig. I’ve got one tonight, and who knows how it’ll go. Private gigs usually pay well, but they’re unpredictable. People say they’re a fun group and not to worry about censoring myself, but that’s usually not true. Their boss is there, and it gets weird. I prefer anything that says “comedy” on the door.
PCM: Private gigs sound like a necessary evil in the business.
Gabriel Rutledge: They are, but less so as you succeed. Even big names like Seinfeld probably do corporate gigs because they pay well. But it’s like, you’re competing with cheesecake—they put you on right when dessert comes out, and it’s hard to beat that.
PCM: I heard about some extravagant weddings in India where they hired big-name comedians to perform. Even at that level, it seems like these gigs are necessary.
Gabriel Rutledge: Definitely. I’ve done two weddings, turned down a funeral, and performed at nursing homes. Those gigs are always good stories later, but they’re rough at the time.
Gabriel Rutledge’s comedy continues to make waves across the country, with upcoming shows you won’t want to miss. Catch him at Bananas Comedy Club in Rutherford, NJ, on September 6-7, 2024, or at Helium Comedy Club in Philadelphia on September 8, 2024. For more dates and to stay updated on all things Gabriel, visit his official website and follow him on Facebook. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to his comedy, Gabriel’s performances are a guaranteed good time. And don’t forget to check out his Nectarine special on YouTube for a taste of his latest material.
Really good interview!
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Thank you!!
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