IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHO THE NEXT NATE BARGATZE IS ASK NATE BARGATZE (hint: AARON WEBER)

If you want to know who the next breakout clean comic with timing so sharp it could slice deli meat is, ask the guy who already is that. Because Nate Bargatze, for all the country boy humility and “aw shucks” charm, has a real eye for talent. The guy knows comedy. Not just how to do it — how to spot it.

And he’s spotted it in Aaron Weber.

If you’re not already watching Aaron Weber, pause whatever you’re doing — including reading this, I’ll allow it — and hit play below on his new special, Signature Dish, streaming now on YouTube. It’s the first full-length special under the Nateland banner, the comedy house Nate’s quietly been building while nobody was looking. And Aaron’s the first guy through the gate. That tells you everything you need to know.

Except it doesn’t. So let’s keep going.


The First Time I Saw Aaron Weber

 

It was a Nashville night. I was at Zanies my buddy Dorf and his brother’s comedy club— where else? — and Aaron was on the show. I didn’t know him. I wasn’t expecting anything. That’s the best way to meet a new comic: zero hype, zero pressure, just lights up and let’s see what happens.

What happened was… he killed. Not in a flashy, look-at-me kind of way. No gymnastics. No pyrotechnics. He killed with writing. With poise. With what I can only describe as this cool, old-school, country-store confidence. Like he was standing in front of a cracker barrel, telling you a story, and somehow halfway through you realize your sides hurt from laughing.

And I remember thinking: This guy’s the real deal.

I’ve met a lot of comics. A lot of funny people. But there’s a difference between funny people and funny performers. Aaron’s both. And beyond that, he’s already a pro. He’s doing the job like someone who’s been at it for twenty years, but with the energy and freshness of someone who still wants it.

And that’s a combo you don’t find every day.


So Who Is Aaron Weber?

 

If you know Nate’s podcast, Nateland, you already know Aaron. He’s the third guy at the table. The one who looks like he either runs a successful youth ministry or owns a small chain of hunting gear shops. He’s got the beard, the warmth, and the straight-faced delivery of a guy who could read your high school lunch menu and make it hilarious.

But stand-up wise? He’s a throwback — in the best possible way.

There’s a sincerity to Aaron’s act. A friendliness. He’s not trying to be edgy. He’s not pushing buttons. He’s just talking. And yet… he’s destroying. Why? Because the material is rock solid. The structure is there. He’s doing comedy the way it’s supposed to be done: from the ground up.

It’s not loud. It’s not political. It’s not preachy.

It’s funny.


Signature Dish: A Coming Out Party

 

Aaron’s new special, Signature Dish, is thirty minutes of tightly woven, beautifully delivered material that feels both old-school and totally fresh. It’s polished but loose. Personal but universal. Clean but clever.

And let me say something for the comics in the back: clean is hard.

There’s this misconception that “clean comedy” means “easy” or “light” — but let me tell you, it takes real talent to make a room full of adults laugh without leaning on shock, sex, or swearing. That’s the kind of comedy that sticks. That’s the kind you can bring your kids and your grandma to — and they’ll both walk out quoting it.

In Signature Dish, Aaron hits on family, food, small-town quirks, his own awkwardness — all with the confidence of someone who knows exactly who he is. He’s not pretending. He’s not trying to be Nate. He’s just Aaron. And that’s more than enough.


The Nate Effect

 

Let’s talk about Nate for a second. Because behind every great breakout comic, there’s usually a tastemaker. A platform. A promoter who knows what they’re doing.

Nate didn’t just give Aaron a mic. He gave him a stage, a spotlight, and his audience’s trust. That’s huge.

Nateland isn’t just a podcast anymore — it’s a brand. And if this special is the first dish coming out of that kitchen, we’re all gonna eat good.

In the same way Judd Apatow built careers by championing voices like Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Amy Schumer… Nate is doing something very similar, in a very Nate way. Quietly. Kindly. But smart as hell.


Why Aaron’s About to Blow Up

 

Here’s my prediction: within the year, Aaron Weber will be headlining theaters. Within two? He’s gonna be a household name.

Why? Because he’s got the goods. And now he’s got the platform.

He’s not chasing trends. He’s building an audience. And that’s how long-term careers are made.

You don’t need to shock to stand out. You don’t need to yell to be heard. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel — just roll it out smoothly.

Aaron’s doing that. And people are noticing.


Watch This Special Before Everyone’s Talking About It

 

This is your moment to get in on the ground floor. To say you saw him before he blew up. Before the Netflix deal. Before the next late-night couch. Before he’s selling out four nights at the Ryman.

Watch Signature Dish. It’s free, it’s fantastic, and it’s the kind of special that makes you believe in comedy again.

And, if you’re in LA tomorrow night… Another great show!!

BUY TICKETS FOR MIKE BINDER & FRIENDS

 

HARRY BASIL’S LAUGH FACTORY COVINA

One of the best new clubs to open up in the LA area in the last couple years THE LAUGH FACTORY COVINA, has really gotten it’s stride. It’s a comedy club, but it’s actually a little theatre and it’s a hell of a lot of fun to play. When the place is packed there’s very few gigs like it that you can drive out to and come right back home after.

JEREMY PIVEN

I was out there with Jeremy Piven a couple weeks back, (who’s become a really strong stand up)  and he got like a five minute standing ovation. The crowd was apoplectic in their love for the guy.

 

Harry was a stand up from my early days and I always loved him. We worked together a lot. All the comics loved him. He got a boatloads of standing O’s himself. His act was, and is, high energy and spoofs on all of the movies of the day. I always remember he  was a hard act to follow.

He was close friends with Rodney, and Dice, and Louie Anderson, and went on to direct a lot of fun movies with Rodney.

 

He co-owned and ran The Laugh Factory in Vegas in the Tropicana for years and it was a big success, he’s reopening in Vegas, but now he has this new one in Covina that like I say is really a mini-theatre, and comics adore it. It’s a no-fail gig. Nothing but fun. I happen to love the room.

It’s worth the hour and a some change drive out to see a show out there. It’s one of the best settings for stand up around right now. Small and intimate and regal in it’s way. So great.

CLICK TO VIEW THE WEBSITE FOR CALENDER

ONE MORE THING,  JOIN OUR MAILING LIST FOR WEEKLY EPISODES AND BLOG POSTS AND LINKS TO ALL OF YOUR FAVORITE COMEDIANS SOCIAL SITES, AND GET A FREE COPY OF MY BOOK
STANDUPWORLD

https://standupworld.com/list/

Join The List

AND; ALSO…

 

 

STANDUPWORLD #84 JEFF DYE

Jeff Dye is the guest on Standupworld w/ Mike Binder this week and it’s a lot of fun. We talk up stand up as usual, but a lot about his life and the world as he sees it in a funny, fun talk. Also a peek at his new special, THE LAST COWBOY IN LA  which you can check out now on You tube

ALSO, if you’re in LA,  come out tomorrow, Mon, Dec 9th  to the Laugh Factory for another great show. Howie Mandel, Arsenio Hall, David Spade, Adrienne Iapalucci, Adam Hunter, Vinny Fasline and myself.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS TO THE LAUGH FACTORY

ALSO,  JOIN OUR MAILING LIST FOR WEEKLY EPISODES AND BLOG POSTS AND LINKS TO ALL OF YOUR FAVORITE COMEDIANS SOCIAL SITES, AND GET A FREE COPY OF MY BOOK
STANDUPWORLD

https://standupworld.com/list/

Join The List

AND; ALSO…

 

FOUR STORIES FROM JOSH WOLF

If for some reason you’re a stand up comedy fan and you don’t know about Josh Wolf yet that should really change. This guy is truly talented, funny, and a crowdpleaser. Go see him live that’s the first thing I’ll say. See him live. He loves to perform live. Plays all over, everywhere. He puts on amazing shows. He’s a storyteller, a monologist, a raconteur.

He sings, does funny songs, but it’s really about being an entertainer and having a good time, about making sure the audience is having a good time. It’s a very modern version of a very old fashioned thing. No two shows are ever the same. He’s like that guy from the seventies Jim Stafford if Jim were a stoner and were balls out funny. Naughty funny.

I tease around that I want to be him when I grow down, but the truth is I do envy this guy. He’s got his own thing, his own brand, his own fans. Well over a a million fans on Youtube, more on the other platforms. He has a successful podcast, travels with his son, Jacob, sells a ton of tickets everywhere, puts out his specials when he feels they’re ready, has a residency at Jimmy Kimmel’s club in Vegas on Monday nights, and is more or less dancing to his own beat.

FOUR STORIES

 

Is a lively ass little special. I happen to love the way it’s shot. It’s a warts and all, you are there kind of a shoot. They shot it up in Vancouver at a comedy club and just let the night happen, so as a result, you’re just in a seat, a good seat, at a great night. Not a perfect night in fact, at one point he has to throw a woman out up front who’s messing the show up, and it stops the show’s rhythm. Yet it doesn’t. That’s what Josh is great at. He goes with the change, takes the ride,  and then doesn’t cut it out to the special and it’s a lot of laughs. Then he’s back to his stories. His four stories. One better than the rest. It’s Josh playing into his sweet spot. Enjoy it.

And see him live. He’s got a charm to him. Very similar to what the Sandman has. So likable.

BEST PRACTICAL JOKE EVER

So this is a great example of what Josh does. This has been seen over 12 million times for a reason. It’s a great starter course if you’re new to the cult. I can almost guarantee you’ll want to not only  watch Four Stories, but that you want to go see the guy live.

 

CLICK HERE FOR JOSH’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Also, if you’re in LA MONDAY NIGHT…. This Monday. Oct 7th. Another killer show. This Monday night thing is really building. Come out, and say hello.

CLICK HERE FOR MONDAY SHOWS

And Text ‘MIKE’ to 55444  to get on my guest list for FREE TICKETS and info on all of the shows we’re putting on.

Oh, and one more thing! Sign up for my newsletter here at STANDUPWORLD.com
I promise I won’t spam you. It’s just a weekly update on the world of stand up and the podcast and some thoughts. A lot of people like it. I love writing it. Please sign up and enjoy it.
Thanks,

Mike

 

 

SANDOO! LOVE YOU – NETFLIX

Adam Sandler’s new special is uniquely Sandler. Directed by Josh Safdie who made what I think is one of the best movies of the last decade, ‘Uncut Gems’, this thing feels more like a little film than a stand up special.

The opening segment comes at a time when it’s best for stand ups not to have opening segments on specials anymore. Our attention span is so short as a society, and there’s so many damn channels and options and things to do that it’s just common sense to get yourself on stage and start telling jokes before they hit the clicker. The opening segment is a thing of the past. Netflix execs hate them, I got to tell you, I hate them. Audiences don’t give a damn about them.

Yet this one is gold.

A SAFDIE BROS MOVIE

It actually opens like a Safdie bros. movie. It’s fluid, fast, and full of life. It’s a joy to see Adam frazzled, and best of all it’s real. It’s Adam showing you a core truth about his life. It’s great to be the ‘Boss.’ That’s what Adam is. He’s the Bruce Springsteen of comedy. Yet, there’s a downside. Things aren’t smooth twenty four-seven. Stuff breaks down, people interrupt him constantly, endlessly needing things from him, both con- men, and mothers in pain. Autographs, information, love, or empathy. The need never stops and the Sandman’s got a giant heart that doesn’t always give him the ability to push them aside when he needs his space.

I know, I’m one of his buddies, and one of the bugg-a-boos. Have been for years. The opening is a perfectly done capsule. From a broken windshield to needing a new last minute wardrobe fix. To him making a big deal about which sweetener is in his coffee. Life isn’t made easy by being a superstar. It isn’t. He isn’t whining, complaining or pleading, he’s just letting you in.

There are lots and lots of joke here. Funny as hell stuff that made me laugh out loud. A genie story that’s nuts, a tale about a balloon coming on to him that only Adam could pull off and make this funny, and a song about muttering under his breath that is so real and true to everyone of us that it’s just stupid, silly, and, wonderful.

Oh, and there’s Rob Schneider. As Elvis. And then there’s Jackie Sandler at the end, kissing him, loving him and going home with him. The reason he’s hasn’t been swept away by it all. By the fame, the money, the crazies, or by his own insanity. His life.

SOMETIMES THINGS DON’T WORK OUT

This whole special is one of those times. It’s not slick. That’s the gag. Stuff doesn’t work out. That’s where the fun is. Even Adam Sandler, with all of his fame, money, staff, and control, can’t make the trains run on time all of the time. He gets frustrated with his life like we all do, but he sucks it up and keeps on keeping on. The bits, the songs, it’s the overriding theme. He takes his wife and his daughters to Disneyland and has an amazing day and then blows it by having a temper tantrum on the way home. There’s no fix to life. It’s going to be messy sometimes.

A LOVE LETTER

The film is basically a love letter. A love letter to his life. His fans. His staff. His friends. Even to comedy itself in a tune that almost feels like a sequel to the Chris Farley song. This is entertainment at it’s best. I loved it. I love the guy. He’s been so special to my life and my family’s life.

I irritate the sh*t out of him, I do. (By the way that’s not hard to do.) He loves me though. I know he does. He loves his friends, loves his life. This special is Adam. I know him well enough to know how much of himself is in this. How much he’s showing you here. How much he wants you to know he appreciates you. Appreciates me. Appreciates all of us. The love we all have for this guy is a direct result of the love he has for us.

That’s why he’s the best. Watch this damn thing. It’s funny as hell.

And hey, if you’re in town tomorrow night, Monday, 9-23-24 at 8PM, GREAT SHOW at the Laugh Factory on Sunset.

BUY LAUGH FACTORY TICKTETS

And also, if you’re in the LA this sat, 8:30 Sept. 28…. another great show.

Get Tickets Here

BUY ICE HOUSE TIX

And if you want to get on my list for info for THE MIKE BINDER and FRIENDS shows, and get on my guest for FREE TIX , Text ‘MIKE’ to 55444 and we’ll sign you up for that.

A GREAT MARC MARON INTERVIEW

 

 

I can’t think of any stand up that has grown more on so many levels than Marc Maron has in these last few years. It’s pretty amazing. His last special FROM BLEAK TO DARK is easily one of the best pieces of work that’s come out this past decade. I put it in the rare air of Chappelle’s Sticks and Stones, Bo Burham’s Inside, Jerod Carmichaels Rothaniel, Chris Rock’s Selective Outrage and Bill Burr’s Paper Tiger, and I have to say, I think I would put it at the top of the list. It’s an amazing snapshot of life and loss, walking along with a dour but funny man that isn’t buying into anything that’s being served by anyone in the world. He doesn’t sell the depth he’s had to grow into and wear, but he’s proud enough of it that he’ll use it as the bass line in his work.

‘Life is hard. I’m not so sure I’m into it.’ Yet, at the same time, there’s a sense that he’s got an acceptance that feels like some version of ease. A stance that it’s all out of his hands so the best he can do is forge some humor, maybe some music, do some solid acting roles, interview some folks, feed his cats (he’s obviously gay) hike, and try to have a little fun.

The point is, to me, he was never really working at this level. He was always good. Really good. A professional brooder. A pioneer podcaster. The last few years, between the fantastic acting turns he’s put out there, and I mean, really fantastic. In another era, he’d have been a Dustin Hoffman, Elliott Gould, George Segal level,  movie star / actor. The deep loss of his girlfriend also played so much into ‘Bleak to Dark’, but it isn’t the best stuff. Some of it is the straight stand up routines like the gun routine at the end of the special. The thing about it is it’s all really, really, unique because it’s all so Maron, and so organically of that time in his life. And from what I’ve heard, the new hour is even better, even more down this road.

It’s exactly what stand up needs to be right now.

I mean, I’m not in synch with the guy politically. I piss him off sometimes, (a lot of times) and sometimes he’s just knee jerk whiny, but I happen to really love him. Love his take on the world, his love for stand up. Love him as an artist.

This is a great interview he did with Sam Dingman, a Phoenix radio guy. It’s really worth listening to.

https://www.kjzz.org/the-show/2024-09-19/painfully-myself-marc-maron-hits-a-new-level-of-vulnerability-in-stand-up

And if you haven’t seen Bleak to Dark you’re in ijiot. Watch it now.

And hey, if you’re in the LA area on Sept. 28…. great show.

Get Tickets Here

 

PLEASE SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER TO HEAR MORE ABOUT STANDWORLD, WHAT WE’RE DOING, THE WORLD, THE ART, AND THE CRAFT OF THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF STAND-UP.

(AND GET THE FREE BOOK! THANKS!!)

Join The List

Screenshot

Also, TEXT HERE for SHOW INFO;

STANDUPWORLD #82 RIP ED BLUESTONE

R.I.P. to ED BLUESTONE. Long time stand up comedy fans will know Ed from his droll humor on the Tonight Show in the Carson days, and his National Lampoon writing. (‘BUY THIS MAGAZINE OR WE’ll KILL THIS DOG.) Ed sadly passed away last week. This weeks podcast is a way to say goodbye to an old friend. Please enjoy it, and reach out to your friends and loved ones. Time goes by in a jump cut.

 

https://x.com/MikeBinderjokes/status/1853557354597634412

 

 

Also, if you’re in LA MONDAY NIGHT…. This Monday.Nov.4th. Another killer. Come out, and say hello.

CLICK HERE MONDAY’S SHOW

And Text me to ‘MIKE’ at 55444 to get on my guest list for FREE TIX and info on all of the shows we’re putting on.

Oh, and one more thing! Sign up for my newsletter here at STANDUPWORLD.com
I promise I won’t spam you. It’s just a weekly update on the world of stand up and the podcast and some thoughts. A lot of people like it. I love writing it. Please sign up and enjoy it.
Thanks,

Mike

 

 

DAVE LANDAU’S VERSION OF A NORMAL WORLD

Dave Landau shoots his thrice weekly comedy / talk / sketch /podcast show at a giant studio somewhere outside of Dallas that is owned and operated by conservative media kahuna Glenn Beck. It doesn’t look anything like any of the studios I’ve seen, or you’ve come to know from movies and television in places like Los Angeles, or New York, or even London. It looks more like a giant business park that was taken over by some new species many years after some version of an Armageddon.

Dave and his co-hosts, Quarter- Black Garret, and Angela, put on their show in the cavernous halls of the seemingly very busy studios, yet you have to squint really hard to point out Dave as the guy in charge. In fact, the episode I was on, though it ran quite smooth, didn’t really seem to have anyone in charge. I believe a lot of that comes off of Dave’s personality. He’s very easygoing. Mellow. More interested in what he can find, dissect, then riff on about the absurdity of a day, a moment, the wind, or the traffic in front of him, then how he needs to manage any of it. He seems to get most of his kicks out of observing.

It’s a pretty perfect perch for a comedian to watch the world go by from.

We both came up through Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle outside of Detroit, just a few decades apart. Dave came up in a completely different era of stand up. You didn’t need to go out to L.A. or New York, and in fact Austin wasn’t even a thing yet. I think he just came along in a time where The Kings of Comedy, the Blue Collar tour, the rise of Netflix, and start of You Tube, sent the sniff out that if you just got good where you were, well, that could work too. You didn’t have to go to the big city.

I get the feeling the other thing that helped Dave was the political winds whipping up at the start of the new century with shows like Opie and Anthony, and Steven Crowders building a counterculture off-ramp to stand up and talk television that would pave the way for Joe Rogan, Tony Hinchcliffe, Jimmy Dore, Andrew Sullivan, YMH, and all of the underworld that has almost become, if not mainstream, then something even better.

I don’t know the story, I wasn’t around and he isn’t a guy that likes to discuss that kind of thing. My guess is he either got tired of taking Steven Crowders crap and left, or Crowder fired him and it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to Dave. He did land on his feet nicely though with his own and an incredibly strong stand up routine. A large cavalcade of fans. He’s pretty amazing. His stuff is incredibly organic is the secret, I think. Torn from the pages of his life and his mind.

His show Normal World, like I’ve said, is all over the place. It’s a talk show, a sketch show, a variety show and a podcast all rolled into one. It’s shot on Glenn Beck’s dime so it obviously has a right of center edge to it for the most part, but it really doesn’t stick to that. It’s more whatever they find worth teasing. They’re brave, and they go out on the ice, but in a real comedically dangerous way, a Jimmy Dore, or a Sam Tripoli way. It’s not a fakey ‘White women suck, and who cares about the WNBA?’ kind of risky. They aren’t trying to please everyone. You don’t get the feeling Dave is asking his wife’s permission who he can and can’t make jokes about.

Check him out this week on the podcast, on Normal World, also on tour.

DAVE LANDAU TOUR DATES

That’s it! Thanks.

Also, if you’re L.A. Next Monday night. An amazing show at the Laugh Factory!!! 8P.M. Some really great guests. Monday August 19th!

Erica Rhodes. Dane Cook. Adam Hunter. Griffin James. Dave Murphy. Dwight Pryde and Sammy Weiser, You can’t beat this show. Get tickets now, and come out next Monday night. 8pm.

GET TIX FOR MON 8-19 LAUGH FACTORY