JB Smoove is a fast-talking force of nature. The uproariously funny comedian is best known for his iconic role as Leon on Curb Your Enthusiasm, but his relentless energy and extremely quick wit shines wherever he happens to pop up. He destroys it as a late-night talk show guest, always brings it as big screen comedic relief (like in the MCU Spider-Man films) and provides zest to a host of voiceover roles like Frank the Plant on Harley Quinn. But stand-up comedy was the spot where he first let his comedic voice bellow out, and the stage is still a place where he thrives.
Before Smoove brings his talents to the Spokane Live stage at Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino on Friday, April 11, we caught up with the wisecracker to chat about interacting with fans, the pace of late-night shows, and making his shows feel like hanging out with your funniest pal.
INLANDER: How do you feel like your approach to stand-up has changed over the years?
SMOOVE: Things have changed so much [from] when I started in the late '80s. It's just a lot faster, a lot more people are funny, a lot more social media are hilarious — the field is different. It pays to be recognizable. It pays to be on these amazing shows, that kind of feeds the hunger for people to see you. But the core of stand-up is still live.
What do comedians do? We attach ourselves to the times that we live in. So I don't think the art of it has changed much. I just think the field is a little more crowded, and I think you really have to just have your core audience that love you and want to see you live. I'm one of those people who after every show — it could be 200 people in line to meet me — will literally go through [greeting] every person for a minute or two.
I chose to do this casino tour because I felt like casino audiences — you know, they're already there to have a great time, right? They don't got to go home! I think it's different, man. A casino audience is so adult, and so "I want to get out the house," you know? It's not like the comedy clubs or a theater. I just love wearing a suit with a cigar in my hand and top hat! It's a great night out, and you might as well hang out with someone you love and want to hang out with. I'm doing a show, but you're really just hanging with me.
Does having an audience that is coming out to see you specifically because they already know and like you from other projects change your approach to stand-up? Is there more leeway as opposed to when comics are first starting out and there's often a pressure to get the audience on your side quick just to keep their attention?
My wife always says, "These people are here to see you. Give them what they want." Here's my rule of thumb: I always say it's better to come in hot and pull back a little bit if you have to. It's hard coming in low and trying to turn up. If you come in hot, man, they know, oh, it's gonna be some show. You gotta keep it hot. But when you come in low, oh my God, you gotta build them up and grab them. It's a different process, you know.
My style lends itself to a wide range of people because of all the things that I've done, but the main core audience is Curb Your Enthusiasm fans. Of course, they want to see Leon. Half the time people don't even call me JB, they call me Leon! [Laughs] "Yeah, Leon! Get 'em Leon!"
Your comedic energy translates across pretty much all mediums — TV, movies, talk shows, stand-up — but is there a comedic zone that you feel most comfortable playing in?
Here's the thing that I think is a plus for me — I love to improvise, and I love to be in the moment with people. And I've been blessed to get repeated work because for some movies and TV shows, [the people in charge] want me to give my take on the character. They want me to make the character my own.
I'm always going to love the big screen the most, because it's something about seeing yourself on that big screen with a tub of popcorn that makes you go, Wow! And I always sit in the front so I can hear people behind me. If I sit behind people, I don't get the same energy. I want to hear them, hear what they loved about the character.
All the directors who I've ever worked with, they always say, "You know, we got you for a reason. So we're going to do it as scripted, and then after that you can do what you want to do." And I love that option, because that really lets me express how I see the character. Because once you land on the character, you just got to find a consistency to repeat that golf swing over and over again — his energy, his cadence, and all these little things that matter in TV and film.
Stand-up, to me, is a gym. When you're on stage, you get your rhythm, get your cadence, get your presence with people. I'm a horrible robot, man. I don't like to sit there like and be verbatim, because that's having a plan. It's cool to have a direction to go in, but to actually nail down a plan, that means everything you do has got to work to a T. And every audience is different, so that that recipe might not work for the next show.
Your comedic energy can feel like a runaway freight train at times, but one thing that has always stuck out about your comedy to me is that you're a unique listener. Like you have to be a good listener to be a good riffing improviser, but also sometimes when people interject you have a way of naturally being like, I hear you, but what I'm saying is funnier, so I'm gonna keep on that.
[Laughs] That is really like my late night show pace. When I'm on Conan or Jimmy Fallon or Seth, man, I don't know what it is about late-night shows... you're right, there is a way of fluidly telling a great story — but still listening to your questions about the story at the same time — and staying on course to what the story is. I think there's a real natural thing to that.
It helps even more when you have a relationship with the person that's interviewing you. Because me and those guys go back so far, and they want me to come on and do that. They want me to be JB all the time. Sometimes I do these late night shows, and I'm going on there to promote something, and — oh my God — we get so carried away that I'm like "Oh no! I forgot to mention the TV show I'm about to be on or the movie that's dropping!"
In all honesty? I need a late night show. I feel like there's a pace to it and an energy. There's a childlike wonderment that I have about people and things, but, oh man, when I'm on late night? I like to drive the vehicle. I'm not a good passenger, but I'm not a great passenger. I want to drive that damn car, you know? n
JB Smoove • Fri, April 11 at 8 pm • $32-$85 • All ages • Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino • 14300 W. SR-2 Hwy., Airway Heights • spokanetribecasino.com
