Martin Urbano has Global Rhythm (Volume 4)
May 1, 2024
Jill Petracek
The 2024 Moontower Comedy Festival is blessing us with 2 weeks of comedy, film, live podcast, and afterparties. Comedy Wham is featuring our favorite conversations from this year's festival. Enjoy!
Martin Urbano Has Global Rhythm
It’s another “destination” week here at ComedyWham, with Valerie on location at Moontower, and this week’s guest in from New York (which he has strong, strong feelings for).
If you’ve heard of Martin Urbano, it may be from this very website (he’s a 4th-time guest), or appearances on Jimmy Kimmel, or perhaps recurring character Julio Tambien on the Hulu show This Fool. Maybe you saw him on stage this year at the Edinburg Fringe tour, Moontower Comedy Festival, or during the recording of his debut special (based on Urbano’s Apology Comeback tour). Speaking of Apology Comeback, he’s just come back from performing at a tour stop in Melbourne at the Melbourne Comedy Festival. All fine choices, take your pick.
Urbano seems to pop up everywhere, and the global exposure has had him thinking on the differences in regional audiences. Mind you, his material — sharp, thought-and-or-cringe provoking, and maybe just a little inside — already means the “perfect” audience mix is a tough get, never mind entirely different countries. “It’s a very specific rhythm,” he noted of finding the groove in Melbourne, only to find the need to “readjust to an American rhythm” when taping his special.
Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel was far from a smooth ride as well, with the show staff repeatedly (and confusingly) warning Urbano that he would totally bomb, and not to worry about it. For a comic who excels at making the audience feel like he’s on the inside of every joke, the doomsayers didn’t seem to squash his energy or spirit; check out the video of Urbano’s appearance.
When we talk to a guest from Austin, inevitably we ask when they’re moving away; if they’re visiting, we want to know when they’ll move here. Urbano, as might be expected, didn’t hesitate announcing his decision. “I love New York so much. I really love it so much,” he says, noting that he does have family in Texas so graces our fair state often. What’s the magical draw that has its hooks in him?
“The resting heart rate there is high,” Urbano says, and I don’t think I’ve heard it put better. The constant traffic, construction, and noise from the flow of lives of the 8 million residents never stops; if you thrive on social energy, then this is the beehive of activity for you. Urbano confirms, that when people complain “It’s so loud, it’s so busy”, his first thought is: “I like it though!”
So when off stage and not on a plane, what’s going on in Urbano’s world?
The special is moving into editing for eventual release, and that means “meetings” (for a New Yorker that feels a bit LA). Urbano wants to work on some scripts and hone his writing for TV shows (and pitch one or two). His core focus? “From now on, it’s just about money, success…[throwing the] art out the window,” he says (mostly jokingly, we think).
Listen to the episode to find out what else has been happening in Martin Urbano’s life, including some uncomfortable audience nights, and to find out whether he really did or did not steal Valerie’s watch during the interview. Get in line to be first to get his special (probably wait for the confirmed date, though), or shoot the poor guy some digital cash, as he repeatedly insists “I’m all about the money now.”
With success like Martin Urbano’s, we’re sure he’s doing just fine…but why take the chance?
Follow Martin
- Linktr.ee- linktr.ee/martinurbano
- Instagram — @martinurbanojr
- TikTok — @martinurbanojr
Martin can be seen and heard:
- Stay tuned for Martin’s Apology Comeback Special
- Jimmy Kimmel Live set — youtu.be/JimmyKimmelLive
- Chris Gethard Presents — multiple appearances, including the “Comedy Amateurclass” series — youtube.com/@chrisgethardpresents
- This Fool (Hulu)
- Previous appearances on our podcast
Valerie Lopez
Richard Goodwin