Comedian Tom Papa is more than just a funny man, he’s a thoughtful, insightful gentleman who will not only make you laugh but his thoughts on everyday life will leave you thinking. 

With more than 20 years as a stand-up comedian, Papa is one of the top comedic voices in the country, finding success as an actor, host, and author. He’s appeared in film TV, and radio, as well as podcasts. 

On Saturday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m., he will find himself in Wabash for a performance at Honeywell Center aboard his Good Stuff Tour. 

Finding the spotlight

Growing up in New Jersey, Papa realized he wanted to be a comedian at a young age after hearing comedy albums like Steve Martin’s Let’s Get Small and George Carlin’s Class Clown.

He cut his teeth doing open mics and hosting at the Stand Up New York comedy club in the early ’90s. He got his first big break when he was chosen by Jerry Seinfeld as an opening act on his tour. That led to recording a couple stand-up specials for Comedy Central and regular appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Conan, and The Late Show with David Letterman. 

In 2005, he released his debut comedy album, Calm, Cool, & Collected. 

Unlikely pairing

Perhaps one of the most intriguing items on his résumé is his work with Rob Zombie. 

Yeah, shock rock icon and filmmaker Rob Zombie. 

Those of you familiar with Zombie’s films may know that Papa played news anchor George Glass in the 2019 horror film 3 From Hell, the sequel to The Devil’s Rejects. He also starred opposite Paul Giamatti in Zombie’s animated feature, The Haunted World of El Superbeasto. 

If that’s not cool enough, Papa’s first two critically acclaimed hourlong specials were directed by Zombie — Tom Papa: Freaked Out (2013) and Tom Papa Live in New York City (2011). 

All of this came about thanks to a mutual friend who brought Zombie to one of his stand-up shows. Soon after, that same friend had a destination wedding where the two hung out all weekend and became good friends.

Delving deeper

Last year, Papa released his highly anticipated third book, We’re All In This Together…So Make Some Room, featuring 37 short essays that tackle a number of American topics including love for your first car (“To Buy or Lease”), the truth about personal hygiene (“How You Know When It’s Time to Go”), date nights (“Will You Go Out With Me?”), unfamiliar hotel rooms (“Why Nothing Works”), and ducking your family, even though you love them (“The Lesson of Mark Twain’s Cigars”). 

Those are topics we can all relate to and let us all know that we’re all in this together. 

We’re All In This was the follow-up to 2020’s You’re Doing Great!: And Other Reasons to Stay Alive. 

Another hat Papa wears is the world of podcasts. His monthly show, Come to Papa Live, can be found on Sirius XM Channel 94 and the popular daily Netflix radio show, What a Joke with Papa and Fortune on Channel 93. On the latter, he teams up with comedian Fortune Feimster where they hang with comedians, interview celebrities, and discuss their personal lives and trending topics. 

One of my personal favorites is Breaking Bread with Tom Papa which can be found on all platforms, including YouTube. Papa is the perfect host, inviting guests to join him for an hour of eating, drinking, and celebrating the true meaning of breaking bread with insightful, revealing, and always funny conversations. It’s more than just the normal rundown of discussing a celebrity’s upcoming project, but rather, “Who fed you as a child?,” “Who’s feeding you now?,” and “How’s the family?” — that sort of stuff. You really learn a lot about both individuals during the episodes. 

On a recent episode, Papa sat down with the “Fonz” himself, Henry Winkler, where they discussed his time on Happy Days, giving advice on picking your favorite kid, making a marriage last, how good bacon tastes, and what are your go-to sandwiches. 

Latest stand-up special

Papa recently announced his new Netflix special, Home Free, was set to premiere on Oct. 29. The special was filmed at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. This time around, he holds nothing back since his kids are finally out of the house and it’s just him, his wife, and a bunch of animals ready to return to their glory days. 

Papa has seen a lot over the years, from close calls with a Pachinko ball to late-night 7-Eleven runs, and he’s sharing all his thoughts as he parties on into the next stage of life. 

Whether you’re familiar with his work or not, he’s a whirlwind of entertainment and his stand-up material is something we can all relate to. 

Don’t hesitate, get the tickets, grab your sweetie, and get ready for a night of laughs in Wabash courtesy of Tom Papa.