DURHAM, N.C. — Interviewing Steve-O was on my bucket list, which is fitting since he is on his Bucket List Tour.
Steve-O — real name Stephen Glover — achieved fame, and often infamy, for his memorable stunts on hit MTV reality shows Jackass and Wildboyz. The wasabi snorter, alligator tightrope, jellyfish sombrero and tropical pole vaulting are just four of the dozens of memorable stunts Steve-O did while cameras rolled, and judging from the life he led during his reality TV heyday, there are probably plenty of other antics just as outrageous that didn’t make it on air.
Even when he was doing something gross and/or self-destructive on camera, Steve-O, who headlines Goodnights Comedy Club this weekend, exuded a sweetness that made you root for him, and it turns out he needed people in his corner when he battled a drug and alcohol addiction that could have killed him just as easily as any of his death-defying stunts.
Now 10 years sober, Steve-O is still doing stunts that 99 percent of the population would never consider attempting, proving that the performer in him is alive and well, but he’s also a headlining stand-up comedian touring the world.
When Steve-O called me for a Tuesday afternoon phone interview, hearing his unmistakable voice brought an immediate smile to my face and that smile mostly stayed as we discussed sobriety, how he incorporates footage of stunts into his stand-up performances and why he wanted to come back to Goodnights.
Also, anybody wanting to meet him after a show this weekend is in luck because Steve-O is a firm believer in meet-and-greets with fans.
“Every ticket is as good as a backstage pass,” he said.
Tony Castleberry: For decades I just never thought being sober was a possibility and then, it just kind of clicked. Was it that abrupt for you or did it take longer?
Steve-O: For me, it wasn’t really about how long it took. I just thought I was a lost cause, a write-off, and understanding that I could live a life without drinking and using drugs was so foreign to me. I had a choice I had to eventually make, and it was either live the way I had been for so long and sometimes wanting to kill myself or freeing myself of the things that were killing me.
TC: What has been the most surprising thing about being sober?
Steve-O: The most surprising thing is being able to get through the day without drinking and using drugs. It sounds simple, but it’s true. I was also surprised to break out of the near-constant state of demoralization I lived in for so long.
TC: How do you think you’ve evolved as a stand-up?
SO: I never really emulated anybody in stand-up but in the eight years I’ve been doing it, I think I’ve reached a point where I’m comfortable with what I do up there and what I have to say.
I’m so happy to be doing the Bucket List shows because I’m more of a storyteller anyway. Getting to tell funny stories about the craziest stunts I’ve ever done, and then showing clips of the stunts on stage, has been so much fun. The reaction to these shows is the best I’ve gotten since I started stand-up.
TC: You travel so much that I’m guessing the cities and venues probably start running together at some point, but is there anything about Raleigh or doing shows at Goodnights that stands out to you?
SO: I remember Raleigh. I used to do shows Thursday through Sunday but for this tour, I’m only doing Friday and Saturday. Because of that, we booked mostly bigger clubs. Goodnights is a smaller club that doesn’t have the same capacity as the other places I’m going. It’s the only place that small that I’ve booked so that speaks to how good my experiences have been there. I wanted to come back and that’s why I booked it.
Here it is, The Best Tweet I Can Find in Five Minutes:
Here it is, The Best Tweet I Can Find in Five Minutes:
