WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.960 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today we're really 00:00:02.960 --> 00:00:05.299 digging into someone fascinating, Nathaniel Nate 00:00:05.299 --> 00:00:07.900 Bargatze. We're trying to understand how this 00:00:07.900 --> 00:00:11.460 comedian built this whole persona around being 00:00:11.460 --> 00:00:13.779 like the ultimate average American. And yet became 00:00:13.779 --> 00:00:17.059 this absolute commercial giant. It's a bit of 00:00:17.059 --> 00:00:19.739 a paradox, isn't it? Exactly. Our mission here 00:00:19.739 --> 00:00:22.899 is to use the sources we've got to decode that. 00:00:23.469 --> 00:00:26.190 How did the average guy become one of the biggest 00:00:26.190 --> 00:00:28.829 names financially in entertainment? It really 00:00:28.829 --> 00:00:30.649 is a phenomenon because the sources, they paint 00:00:30.649 --> 00:00:33.090 this picture of this, you know, easygoing, almost 00:00:33.090 --> 00:00:36.320 self -deprecating guy on stage. But behind that, 00:00:36.380 --> 00:00:38.399 an incredibly successful business operation. 00:00:38.679 --> 00:00:40.780 He didn't just like find an audience. It feels 00:00:40.780 --> 00:00:43.619 more like he identified a huge untapped market 00:00:43.619 --> 00:00:46.060 and just dominated it. OK, so let's start right 00:00:46.060 --> 00:00:47.920 there. The why now? Why are we talking about 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:49.799 him today? It's really down to the numbers from 00:00:49.799 --> 00:00:52.520 2024, isn't it? Oh, absolutely. The data is impossible 00:00:52.520 --> 00:00:55.039 to ignore. According to Polestar, Billboard, 00:00:55.240 --> 00:00:57.679 the big trackers, he was the number one highest 00:00:57.679 --> 00:01:00.719 grossing standup comic globally in 2024. Number 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:04.579 one, not just top 10, the highest. The highest. 00:01:04.780 --> 00:01:06.359 And we're not just talking about selling out 00:01:06.359 --> 00:01:08.819 clubs. This is a whole different scale. He actually 00:01:08.819 --> 00:01:11.879 set a new record in box score history that's 00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:14.140 the industry standard for tracking live event 00:01:14.140 --> 00:01:16.980 revenue. What was the record? Largest one -year 00:01:16.980 --> 00:01:20.180 gross for any comedy performer ever. We're talking 00:01:20.180 --> 00:01:26.040 $82 .2 million. Wow. 82 .2 million yeah from 00:01:26.040 --> 00:01:27.900 stand -up comedy from stand -up and get this 00:01:27.900 --> 00:01:31.359 that came from 1 .1 million tickets sold across 00:01:31.359 --> 00:01:36.409 148 shows okay 148 shows that's That's a relentless 00:01:36.409 --> 00:01:38.909 pace. It's incredible. And, you know, for our 00:01:38.909 --> 00:01:40.430 listeners who follow the business side, stand 00:01:40.430 --> 00:01:42.010 -up tours, they usually have a lower overhead 00:01:42.010 --> 00:01:44.689 than, say, a big music tour with huge production 00:01:44.689 --> 00:01:47.090 costs. Right. Less equipment, fewer backup dancers. 00:01:47.329 --> 00:01:49.569 Exactly. So a huge chunk of that $82 million, 00:01:49.810 --> 00:01:52.109 that's going towards profit. Right. And selling 00:01:52.109 --> 00:01:56.170 1 .1 million tickets over 148 shows. Do the math. 00:01:56.250 --> 00:01:58.450 That's an average of, what, nearly 7 ,500 people 00:01:58.450 --> 00:02:02.109 per show. We're talking arenas, big venues consistently. 00:02:02.780 --> 00:02:04.579 All the time. This isn't just hitting the major 00:02:04.579 --> 00:02:08.099 cities. It implies deep reach into regional markets 00:02:08.099 --> 00:02:11.840 too. It shows just incredible operational efficiency 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:15.680 and this massive nationwide demand that doesn't 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:18.520 seem to depend on any one platform. And that 00:02:18.520 --> 00:02:22.300 kind of pace, 148 dates. Yeah. You need... Serious 00:02:22.300 --> 00:02:25.000 stamina, obviously, but also a brand that people 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:27.659 trust. Something consistent that brings those 00:02:27.659 --> 00:02:30.120 huge crowds out again and again. Definitely. 00:02:30.199 --> 00:02:32.020 And it's not just a national thing. The connection 00:02:32.020 --> 00:02:34.539 to his home base is intense. You mentioned the 00:02:34.539 --> 00:02:36.860 Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Yeah, April 2023. 00:02:37.400 --> 00:02:41.819 He drew 19 ,365 people, broke the venue's all 00:02:41.819 --> 00:02:43.849 -time attendance record. Which is amazing for 00:02:43.849 --> 00:02:46.009 any performer, let alone a comedian, in a town 00:02:46.009 --> 00:02:48.310 like Nashville that loves its music superstars. 00:02:48.370 --> 00:02:50.330 It was kind of the moment the local hero officially 00:02:50.330 --> 00:02:53.370 became this undeniable national force. And there's 00:02:53.370 --> 00:02:55.550 that story about the chair. Right. The sources 00:02:55.550 --> 00:02:57.110 mention this anecdote, and it's really telling. 00:02:57.210 --> 00:03:00.169 After setting the record, he apparently borrowed 00:03:00.169 --> 00:03:02.509 a folding chair from the arena floor. Well, yeah, 00:03:02.550 --> 00:03:05.530 basically stole it and joked, or maybe, like 00:03:05.530 --> 00:03:07.949 you said, half -joked that he took it so nobody 00:03:07.949 --> 00:03:09.610 else could break his record because they wouldn't 00:03:09.610 --> 00:03:12.669 have enough seats. That's brilliant. It really 00:03:12.669 --> 00:03:14.949 captures something, doesn't it? That competitive 00:03:14.949 --> 00:03:17.430 drive kind of hidden under the relaxed Tennessee 00:03:17.430 --> 00:03:20.349 guy thing. The aw shucks exterior with a winner's 00:03:20.349 --> 00:03:23.629 mentality inside. Okay, so our mission is clear. 00:03:23.810 --> 00:03:26.469 We need to trace this back. Look at the roots, 00:03:26.629 --> 00:03:29.430 the deliberate choices in his style, how he built 00:03:29.430 --> 00:03:32.150 this market, and frankly, how he turned network 00:03:32.150 --> 00:03:34.250 rejection into this record -breaking machine. 00:03:34.430 --> 00:03:37.229 Let's go chronologically. All right, part one, 00:03:37.389 --> 00:03:39.900 Nashville roots, the foundation. Born there. 00:03:39.979 --> 00:03:44.080 March 25, 1979. Raised there. Very connected 00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:46.800 to the place, right? And a devoutly Christian 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:49.180 household. Yeah, and that environment seems absolutely 00:03:49.180 --> 00:03:50.939 key to understanding the performance side of 00:03:50.939 --> 00:03:52.819 things. His mom, Carol, worked in the ticket 00:03:52.819 --> 00:03:55.400 office for the Vanderbilt Commodores SEC Sports. 00:03:55.580 --> 00:03:57.500 Big deal locally. That's his first connection 00:03:57.500 --> 00:03:59.759 to, like, professional entertainment. He's better 00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:02.759 than his dad. Stephen Bargatze. Now his career 00:04:02.759 --> 00:04:05.219 path is something else. It really is. The sources 00:04:05.219 --> 00:04:07.979 list him as a motivational speaker. A clown. 00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:10.520 And a member of the International Brotherhood 00:04:10.520 --> 00:04:14.360 of Magicians. Wow. Speaker, clown, magician. 00:04:14.639 --> 00:04:17.040 You couldn't really script a better background 00:04:17.040 --> 00:04:20.439 for developing a certain kind of clean, crowd 00:04:20.439 --> 00:04:23.779 -pleasing performance style. Exactly. Especially 00:04:23.779 --> 00:04:26.300 when you add his backstory. Stephen Bargatze 00:04:26.300 --> 00:04:28.420 originally studied to be a preacher. Think about 00:04:28.420 --> 00:04:30.519 the skills involved there. Rhetoric, holding 00:04:30.519 --> 00:04:32.959 an audience, moral framework. Right. Then he 00:04:32.959 --> 00:04:35.019 eventually gets an education degree, but like... 00:04:35.160 --> 00:04:37.040 10 years after leaving high school. So you've 00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:40.240 got perseverance, public speaking, structured 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:42.939 entertainment, a bit of illusion, and this underlying 00:04:42.939 --> 00:04:45.579 moral compass all in the father figure. And young 00:04:45.579 --> 00:04:47.279 Nate was right in the middle of it, performing 00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:49.519 skits at church when he was about 11, practicing 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:51.779 magic tricks with his dad. This is so important 00:04:51.779 --> 00:04:54.579 for understanding the clean comedy thing later. 00:04:54.680 --> 00:04:57.060 His early performance training wasn't in some... 00:04:57.240 --> 00:05:00.139 edgy late night club. It was for families, church 00:05:00.139 --> 00:05:02.759 groups, community events. The expectation was 00:05:02.759 --> 00:05:05.100 always, you know, keep it clean. So that G -rated 00:05:05.100 --> 00:05:07.699 framework wasn't something he adopted later as 00:05:07.699 --> 00:05:10.620 a gimmick. It was baked in from the start. Totally. 00:05:10.939 --> 00:05:14.160 And that constraint, that choice to stick with 00:05:14.160 --> 00:05:16.800 it professionally, ended up being this huge commercial 00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:19.279 advantage down the line. But outside the family 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:22.839 performance bubble, his own path was, well, let's 00:05:22.839 --> 00:05:25.220 say it feeds directly into that average man material. 00:05:25.620 --> 00:05:28.560 Education wasn't exactly smooth sailing. No, 00:05:28.620 --> 00:05:31.279 not at all. He went to Donaldson Christian Academy, 00:05:31.579 --> 00:05:34.480 DCA, where his dad actually taught history, which 00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:37.519 is interesting because years later, the sources 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:40.180 say Nate gave back in a big way. contributing 00:05:40.180 --> 00:05:43.279 $1 .15 million for a new facility there named 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:46.540 after him. Wow. Full circle. Yeah. But before 00:05:46.540 --> 00:05:48.720 that success, he did a year at Volunteer State 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:51.180 Community College, then transferred to Western 00:05:51.180 --> 00:05:54.300 Kentucky University, flunked every single course 00:05:54.300 --> 00:05:57.079 he took, dropped out, classic fodder for his 00:05:57.079 --> 00:05:59.079 act later. You know, these aren't just jokes. 00:05:59.139 --> 00:06:01.220 They're rooted in his actual experience of not 00:06:01.220 --> 00:06:03.519 quite fitting the standard path. And that drifting 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:06.019 continued into his early jobs. This is where 00:06:06.019 --> 00:06:09.470 the average persona really comes from. Working 00:06:09.470 --> 00:06:12.189 a cell phone kiosk inside a Walmart. Delivering 00:06:12.189 --> 00:06:14.189 furniture. Yeah. Working at Applebee's, which 00:06:14.189 --> 00:06:16.870 is where he met his wife, Laura. And then the 00:06:16.870 --> 00:06:20.250 kicker, the meter reader job. For the water company 00:06:20.250 --> 00:06:22.569 in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, that seems to be 00:06:22.569 --> 00:06:24.930 the one. The job that finally pushed him over 00:06:24.930 --> 00:06:27.430 the edge. The I gotta do something else moment. 00:06:27.550 --> 00:06:30.149 Exactly. He was a big fan of the Bob and Tom 00:06:30.149 --> 00:06:32.750 show, the radio program. They featured comedians 00:06:32.750 --> 00:06:36.399 all the time. And that seems to have... planted 00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:38.959 the seed. He finally decided, right, I'm going 00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:41.339 to try stand -up. And he quit the meter reader 00:06:41.339 --> 00:06:43.939 job along with another guy, Michael Clay, who 00:06:43.939 --> 00:06:46.240 also wanted to do comedy. What's interesting 00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:48.899 here, though, is the family reaction. Yeah, it's 00:06:48.899 --> 00:06:51.459 not the typical story of struggling artists versus 00:06:51.459 --> 00:06:54.279 disapproving parents. His parents were apparently 00:06:54.279 --> 00:06:56.699 supportive right away. They even came to his 00:06:56.699 --> 00:06:59.899 very first open mic night. That's huge. Yeah. 00:06:59.959 --> 00:07:02.800 In a field where so many comics talk about battling 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:05.139 family expectations or having no support, having 00:07:05.139 --> 00:07:07.060 that backing, plus that background and clean 00:07:07.060 --> 00:07:09.560 performance, it's a different kind of launch 00:07:09.560 --> 00:07:11.579 pad. It really is. It's less about rebellion 00:07:11.579 --> 00:07:13.899 or therapy through comedy and maybe more about 00:07:13.899 --> 00:07:16.139 honing a craft he already had some foundation 00:07:16.139 --> 00:07:18.600 in with the stability of family support behind 00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:20.959 him. That lets you focus purely on the performance, 00:07:21.180 --> 00:07:23.879 maybe. Okay, so he has this foundation, this 00:07:23.879 --> 00:07:27.279 support. But then comes part two, the grind. 00:07:27.879 --> 00:07:31.759 We're talking roughly 2002 to 2012. This is where 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:34.360 he has to build the act, define the style, and 00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:36.779 just fight for stage time. Starts in Chicago, 00:07:37.019 --> 00:07:40.560 2002. Right. And Chicago presents his first big 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:43.360 strategic choice. He checks out the Second City, 00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:46.019 the famous improv place. The launching pad for 00:07:46.019 --> 00:07:48.879 so many huge names. Exactly. But he decides, 00:07:49.079 --> 00:07:51.519 nope, not for me. He specifically chose stand 00:07:51.519 --> 00:07:53.740 -up. Enrolled in a place called Jim Roth's Comedy 00:07:53.740 --> 00:07:56.519 College. So right away, he's focusing on the 00:07:56.519 --> 00:07:59.079 solo act, the crafted monologue, not collaborative 00:07:59.079 --> 00:08:01.399 sketch stuff. Interesting. He knew his lane early. 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:03.860 Seems like it. And while he's figuring that out, 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:05.720 he's doing the classic comedian hustle waiting 00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:08.339 tables, grabbing any stage time he can at Zany's 00:08:08.339 --> 00:08:11.180 Comedy Club. Then two years later, 2004. He makes 00:08:11.180 --> 00:08:14.360 the big move. New York City. The ultimate test, 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:16.360 right? The proving ground. He apparently said 00:08:16.360 --> 00:08:19.180 that Jerry Seinfeld documentary, comedian. Great 00:08:19.180 --> 00:08:21.680 doc. Shows the grind. Life -changing for him. 00:08:21.740 --> 00:08:24.339 A big reason he went to New York. But, yeah, 00:08:24.439 --> 00:08:26.540 the reality. Even tougher than the documentary 00:08:26.540 --> 00:08:29.100 probably showed. How so? Well, the sources mention 00:08:29.100 --> 00:08:31.819 him working as a barker. You know, standing outside 00:08:31.819 --> 00:08:34.440 the Boston Comedy Club, handing out flyers to 00:08:34.440 --> 00:08:36.460 tourists, just trying to get people in the door. 00:08:36.639 --> 00:08:39.659 In exchange for maybe... five minutes on stage 00:08:39.659 --> 00:08:41.659 later that night pretty much that's how hard 00:08:41.659 --> 00:08:44.399 it was to get noticed and to survive he's walking 00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:47.799 dogs delivering packages for fedex just scraping 00:08:47.799 --> 00:08:50.080 by how long did that last the sources say it 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:52.820 took him about a year just to get his first paying 00:08:52.820 --> 00:08:55.840 gig in new york A whole year of playing to tiny 00:08:55.840 --> 00:08:58.779 crowds, sometimes single digits, often for free. 00:08:58.919 --> 00:09:01.179 Brutal. But while he's doing that, he's also 00:09:01.179 --> 00:09:03.539 watching the big names, right? Learning. Absolutely. 00:09:03.559 --> 00:09:06.480 He's seeing legends live. Dave Chappelle, Louis 00:09:06.480 --> 00:09:09.259 C .K. back then, Patrice O 'Neill, Bill Burr, 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:12.179 giants of the scene. He's absorbing everything. 00:09:12.519 --> 00:09:14.759 So here's the key question for this period. He's 00:09:14.759 --> 00:09:17.519 in this tough, edgy New York scene. He's seeing 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:21.379 these boundary -pushing comics. Why double down? 00:09:21.960 --> 00:09:24.559 on being clean wasn't that like commercial suicide 00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:26.919 in that environment yeah see that's where it 00:09:26.919 --> 00:09:29.039 gets really interesting from a strategic point 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:32.379 of view on the surface yeah it seems like a massive 00:09:32.379 --> 00:09:35.799 disadvantage in those specific clubs but looking 00:09:35.799 --> 00:09:39.759 back it was an incredibly smart long -term play 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:43.120 it was market segmentation even if you didn't 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:45.360 call it that then how do you mean While he's 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:47.679 watching Chappelle and Burr kill with edgy stuff, 00:09:47.899 --> 00:09:50.779 he realizes his strength, his background, lies 00:09:50.779 --> 00:09:53.659 elsewhere. His reason wasn't just, I want my 00:09:53.659 --> 00:09:55.220 parents to watch. That was part of it, sure. 00:09:55.440 --> 00:09:57.100 But there was a professional goal, too. Yeah, 00:09:57.100 --> 00:09:59.480 definitely. He talked about wanting the ultimate 00:09:59.480 --> 00:10:01.879 compliment to be, I didn't even notice that you 00:10:01.879 --> 00:10:04.169 were clean. Think about what that requires. The 00:10:04.169 --> 00:10:06.090 jokes have to stand entirely on their own. No 00:10:06.090 --> 00:10:08.830 shock value crutch. Exactly. The writing, the 00:10:08.830 --> 00:10:11.169 observation, the structure, the delivery, everything 00:10:11.169 --> 00:10:13.269 has to be top notch because you're deliberately 00:10:13.269 --> 00:10:16.830 removing one tool, profanity, or edgy topics 00:10:16.830 --> 00:10:19.450 that many others rely on. And by making that 00:10:19.450 --> 00:10:22.250 choice. He instantly made himself marketable 00:10:22.250 --> 00:10:24.500 in ways those other comics weren't. Corporate 00:10:24.500 --> 00:10:27.120 gigs? Suddenly possible. Cruise ships? Maybe. 00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:29.779 Family -friendly tours? Bigger theaters in the 00:10:29.779 --> 00:10:32.379 Midwest and South? Absolutely. He was building 00:10:32.379 --> 00:10:34.700 a brand that could play anywhere, especially 00:10:34.700 --> 00:10:37.539 to that huge audience often described as flyover 00:10:37.539 --> 00:10:40.059 country that maybe felt ignored by the coastal 00:10:40.059 --> 00:10:42.759 comedy trends. And his delivery style matched 00:10:42.759 --> 00:10:46.019 that perfectly. The deadpan, the monotone. Yeah, 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:48.879 that very understated, almost surreal take on 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:51.279 everyday stuff. It's a style with a clear lineage 00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:53.730 he names his influences. Seinfeld. obviously. 00:10:53.809 --> 00:10:56.250 Steve Martin, Brian Regan, another master of 00:10:56.250 --> 00:10:59.490 clean observational humor. Bob Newhart, Bill 00:10:59.490 --> 00:11:02.029 Cosby, in terms of that storytelling style. All 00:11:02.029 --> 00:11:04.169 masters of structure and delivery, not necessarily 00:11:04.169 --> 00:11:06.570 political commentary or shock. Right. It's joke 00:11:06.570 --> 00:11:09.850 writing craft. And that focus on universal observational 00:11:09.850 --> 00:11:12.230 stuff delivered cleanly is what made his act 00:11:12.230 --> 00:11:14.789 so incredibly translatable across different demographics 00:11:14.789 --> 00:11:17.289 later on. So the grind starts paying off around 00:11:17.289 --> 00:11:19.769 2008. Yeah. That seems to be the turning point 00:11:19.769 --> 00:11:21.830 year, according to the sources. Yeah, things 00:11:21.830 --> 00:11:24.049 start clicking. He gets on Comedy Central's Live 00:11:24.049 --> 00:11:26.809 at Gotham, lands a spot on Late Night with Conan 00:11:26.809 --> 00:11:29.389 O 'Brien, huge visibility, and he gets invited 00:11:29.389 --> 00:11:31.629 to the prestigious Just for Laughs Festival in 00:11:31.629 --> 00:11:33.690 Montreal. And he starts doing USO tours? Yeah, 00:11:33.789 --> 00:11:37.039 extensively. Bahamas, Iraq, Kuwait. Performing 00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:38.600 for troops, that's like comedy boot camp. You 00:11:38.600 --> 00:11:40.220 have to connect with people from all walks of 00:11:40.220 --> 00:11:43.399 life instantly. No room for niche jokes. It forces 00:11:43.399 --> 00:11:45.179 you to find that common ground, that universal 00:11:45.179 --> 00:11:47.539 appeal. That experience had to be invaluable 00:11:47.539 --> 00:11:50.399 for honing the act for massive national tours 00:11:50.399 --> 00:11:53.090 later. So by 2012, things are looking up. He 00:11:53.090 --> 00:11:55.129 wins both the New York and Boston Comedy Festivals 00:11:55.129 --> 00:11:58.210 in 2010. He releases his first album, Yelled 00:11:58.210 --> 00:12:00.830 At by a Clown, in 2012. Which hits Noelle, too, 00:12:00.909 --> 00:12:02.970 on the Billboard Comedy Chart. A really solid 00:12:02.970 --> 00:12:05.549 debut. And he gets the industry nod with an appearance 00:12:05.549 --> 00:12:09.929 on Marc Maron's WTF podcast, also in 2012. The 00:12:09.929 --> 00:12:12.350 foundation, it seems, was finally solidly built. 00:12:13.580 --> 00:12:15.620 OK, let's move into part three. The Ascent of 00:12:15.620 --> 00:12:19.399 Breakthrough is roughly 2013 to 2022, a decade 00:12:19.399 --> 00:12:22.139 defined by, well, some big moves, some setbacks 00:12:22.139 --> 00:12:24.580 and finally finding the right platform. He starts 00:12:24.580 --> 00:12:27.580 by moving to L .A. in 2012. Yeah, the classic 00:12:27.580 --> 00:12:30.220 move for comedians looking to break into TV and 00:12:30.220 --> 00:12:32.840 film. He mentioned being inspired by something 00:12:32.840 --> 00:12:35.279 producer Jerry Weintraub said about needing to 00:12:35.279 --> 00:12:39.000 leave your comfort zone. So off to L .A. But 00:12:39.000 --> 00:12:41.769 it didn't stick. Nope. The L .A. lifestyle, it 00:12:41.769 --> 00:12:43.750 just wasn't working for him and his family. He 00:12:43.750 --> 00:12:46.169 had a young daughter by then. So after only about 00:12:46.169 --> 00:12:49.750 two years, he makes this huge decision, move 00:12:49.750 --> 00:12:52.750 back to Nashville. Which professionally must 00:12:52.750 --> 00:12:54.529 have felt like going backward at the time. Oh, 00:12:54.529 --> 00:12:56.929 totally. The sources say he actually kept the 00:12:56.929 --> 00:12:59.409 move back quiet for a while. He was worried about 00:12:59.409 --> 00:13:01.509 how the industry centered in L .A. and New York 00:13:01.509 --> 00:13:03.850 would see it. Why was moving back to Nashville, 00:13:03.970 --> 00:13:06.960 his home turf, seen as such a risk? It's that 00:13:06.960 --> 00:13:09.320 coastal bias, really. If you're not physically 00:13:09.320 --> 00:13:12.840 there in the mix in L .A. or NYC, people often 00:13:12.840 --> 00:13:15.419 assume you're either not serious or worse, that 00:13:15.419 --> 00:13:17.840 you tried and failed. He was basically betting 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:19.919 against the perception that comedy focused on, 00:13:19.980 --> 00:13:22.100 you know, average American life outside those 00:13:22.100 --> 00:13:24.340 bubbles wasn't big enough for network TV. And 00:13:24.340 --> 00:13:26.659 the rejections he faced seemed to confirm that 00:13:26.659 --> 00:13:30.799 fear, didn't they? They really do. 2014, he has 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:33.259 a sitcom deal in development with NBCUniversal, 00:13:33.419 --> 00:13:36.320 Jimmy Fallon's company is producing. Sounds amazing, 00:13:36.460 --> 00:13:38.539 right? Yeah. Dream scenario. Scrapped. Doesn't 00:13:38.539 --> 00:13:40.620 happen. Same year, he auditions for The Daily 00:13:40.620 --> 00:13:43.019 Show after Jon Stewart left. Makes it down to 00:13:43.019 --> 00:13:46.100 the final two candidates. Wow. Got it. Jordan 00:13:46.100 --> 00:13:48.519 Klepper was hired instead. Another near miss. 00:13:48.620 --> 00:13:52.519 Ouch. And it continues. 2019, he actually films 00:13:52.519 --> 00:13:56.519 a pilot for ABC, a multi -cam sitcom based on 00:13:56.519 --> 00:13:59.799 his life. And get this, they cast Kurtwood Smith 00:13:59.799 --> 00:14:01.740 and deep Roger Rupp, you know, Red and Kitty 00:14:01.740 --> 00:14:04.659 Foreman from that 70s show, as his parents. Sounds 00:14:04.659 --> 00:14:06.940 like a slam dunk. So what happened? ABC passed, 00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:09.120 didn't pick it up. It's this pattern, right? 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:11.720 It wasn't necessarily that the material was bad. 00:14:11.960 --> 00:14:14.580 It seems more like a fundamental mismatch between 00:14:14.580 --> 00:14:18.519 his specific brand, clean, southern rooted, observational, 00:14:18.580 --> 00:14:20.899 and what the traditional networks thought would 00:14:20.899 --> 00:14:23.190 play nationwide at that time. He actually commented 00:14:23.190 --> 00:14:25.649 on this period. The sources quote him saying 00:14:25.649 --> 00:14:27.269 something like, I don't think there was a lot 00:14:27.269 --> 00:14:29.350 of entertainment made for people not on the coasts 00:14:29.350 --> 00:14:32.210 back then. That's a key insight, I think. The 00:14:32.210 --> 00:14:35.590 gatekeepers in LA and New York, they maybe didn't 00:14:35.590 --> 00:14:38.610 see or trust the market potential for the audience 00:14:38.610 --> 00:14:41.409 he intuitively understood and represented. They 00:14:41.409 --> 00:14:43.690 were chasing different trends. So his success 00:14:43.690 --> 00:14:46.639 ultimately came. from finding a way around those 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:48.740 gatekeepers. Exactly. Proving the market existed 00:14:48.740 --> 00:14:51.179 through different channels. But first, another 00:14:51.179 --> 00:14:54.840 bit of almost success. His first hour -long special, 00:14:55.159 --> 00:14:58.039 Full Time Magic, came out on Comedy Central in 00:14:58.039 --> 00:15:00.679 2015. How about that do? Well, the album version 00:15:00.679 --> 00:15:03.200 hit number one on the Billboard comedy chart. 00:15:03.340 --> 00:15:06.539 So, critically well received. Yeah. But the timing 00:15:06.539 --> 00:15:09.559 of the TV premiere was disastrous. It aired the 00:15:09.559 --> 00:15:12.039 exact same night as the massive Floyd Mayweather 00:15:12.039 --> 00:15:15.100 Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao boxing match. Oh no, the 00:15:15.100 --> 00:15:17.179 fight of the century. Yeah. Bargatze himself 00:15:17.179 --> 00:15:20.399 said, completely deadpan, nobody watched my special 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:22.340 that night. I didn't even watch it. Ah, you gotta 00:15:22.340 --> 00:15:25.080 laugh. I guess a huge milestone, totally overshadowed. 00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:27.620 So the act is clearly ready, the audience is 00:15:27.620 --> 00:15:29.960 out there, but the traditional platforms, network, 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:33.299 TV, even basic cable specials aren't quite launching 00:15:33.299 --> 00:15:35.960 him into the stratosphere, which is why Netflix 00:15:35.960 --> 00:15:38.740 becomes the game changer. Right, Netflix. How 00:15:38.740 --> 00:15:40.679 did that start? It started with their series 00:15:40.679 --> 00:15:43.940 The Stand -Ups in 2017. It featured shorter sets 00:15:43.940 --> 00:15:46.179 from different comics. His appearance on that, 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:49.559 he said it changed everything. How so? Like immediate 00:15:49.559 --> 00:15:52.820 impact. Yeah. The sources note a really noticeable 00:15:52.820 --> 00:15:55.600 jump in ticket sales for his very next tour date 00:15:55.600 --> 00:15:58.679 after that aired. Suddenly, the audience he'd 00:15:58.679 --> 00:16:01.960 been building piece by piece, city by city, had 00:16:01.960 --> 00:16:05.639 this easy, global way to discover him. Netflix 00:16:05.639 --> 00:16:08.039 provided the scale the networks hadn't. And that 00:16:08.039 --> 00:16:10.460 led directly to his own full Netflix specials. 00:16:10.460 --> 00:16:13.059 Absolutely. The Tennessee Kid in 2019, that was 00:16:13.059 --> 00:16:16.059 huge. Forbes magazine called it the best comedy 00:16:16.059 --> 00:16:18.659 special of the year. That's high praise. Massive 00:16:18.659 --> 00:16:21.200 validation. And then, even in the middle of the 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:24.039 pandemic, 2021, he releases The Greatest Average 00:16:24.039 --> 00:16:26.419 American. They filmed it outdoors at Universal 00:16:26.419 --> 00:16:28.279 Studios because of restrictions. It was sourceful. 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:30.480 And it worked. That one got him a Grammy nomination 00:16:30.480 --> 00:16:33.460 for Best Comedy Album in 2022. By this point, 00:16:33.539 --> 00:16:35.879 the brand is undeniable. The Atlantic runs a 00:16:35.879 --> 00:16:38.139 profile calling him the nicest man in stand -up. 00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:40.620 The persona and the success were finally perfectly 00:16:40.620 --> 00:16:42.980 aligned in the public eye. Which brings us to 00:16:42.980 --> 00:16:46.320 part four. Full -blown stardom. The modern media 00:16:46.320 --> 00:16:49.090 machine. and building the brand basically from 00:16:49.090 --> 00:16:53.669 2023 onwards. The Netflix success clearly showed 00:16:53.669 --> 00:16:56.649 everyone his audience was real and huge. Yeah. 00:16:56.769 --> 00:16:59.129 And that leverage is why his next big special 00:16:59.129 --> 00:17:02.490 deal was with Amazon Prime Video. It showed he 00:17:02.490 --> 00:17:06.059 wasn't tied to just one platform. Hello World, 00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:09.079 released in 2023. How did that one do? It broke 00:17:09.079 --> 00:17:11.480 Amazon's records, became their most streamed 00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:14.380 original comedy special ever, apparently pulling 00:17:14.380 --> 00:17:17.240 in 2 .9 million viewers in just the first 28 00:17:17.240 --> 00:17:19.859 days. 2 .9 million? That's a significant number 00:17:19.859 --> 00:17:22.140 for a comedy special. It really is, and it proves 00:17:22.140 --> 00:17:23.900 his audience will follow him wherever he puts 00:17:23.900 --> 00:17:26.200 his content. That gives a creator immense power 00:17:26.200 --> 00:17:28.740 in negotiations. The platform needs him as much 00:17:28.740 --> 00:17:30.440 as he needs the platform. And the mainstream 00:17:30.440 --> 00:17:32.460 entertainment world, the one that maybe didn't 00:17:32.460 --> 00:17:34.740 quite get him earlier, they finally came calling. 00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:37.180 in a big way. Saturday Night Live. Not just once, 00:17:37.180 --> 00:17:40.079 but twice as host. October 2023, and then again 00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:43.380 almost exactly a year later, October 2024. He 00:17:43.380 --> 00:17:46.960 called hosting SNL a giant, giant leap for his 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:48.960 career. And those appearances generated some 00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:51.549 really popular sketches. Right. Oh yeah. The 00:17:51.549 --> 00:17:53.990 George Washington sketch, especially, where he's 00:17:53.990 --> 00:17:56.210 mocking the absurdity of American measurements 00:17:56.210 --> 00:17:59.750 like inches and feet and the weirdness of English 00:17:59.750 --> 00:18:02.190 spelling. Totally relatable everyday frustration. 00:18:02.269 --> 00:18:04.970 Exactly. Applied to this historical figure with 00:18:04.970 --> 00:18:08.390 his signature deadpan style. It went viral because 00:18:08.390 --> 00:18:11.329 it was clean, clever, and hit on something universal 00:18:11.329 --> 00:18:14.450 without being edgy or political. Perfect Bargatze 00:18:14.450 --> 00:18:16.329 formula. And then the ultimate establishment 00:18:16.329 --> 00:18:19.809 nod. Hosting the Primetime Emmy Awards. That 00:18:19.809 --> 00:18:23.009 was September 2025. Right. That signals you're 00:18:23.009 --> 00:18:24.910 seen as a safe pair of hands, someone universally 00:18:24.910 --> 00:18:27.190 liked, non -controversial enough for a major 00:18:27.190 --> 00:18:30.190 live broadcast. It cements his place in the mainstream. 00:18:30.609 --> 00:18:32.730 And he started getting Emmy nominations himself. 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:35.880 For his own work. Yeah, his 2024 special, Your 00:18:35.880 --> 00:18:38.539 Friend, Nate Bargatze, got nominated in 2025 00:18:38.539 --> 00:18:41.460 for two big ones, Outstanding Variety Special, 00:18:41.740 --> 00:18:44.279 pre -recorded, and Outstanding Writing for a 00:18:44.279 --> 00:18:46.559 Variety Special. So the industry isn't just hiring 00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:48.700 him to host, they're recognizing the quality 00:18:48.700 --> 00:18:50.640 of his stand -up output at the highest level. 00:18:50.859 --> 00:18:53.059 Alongside all this, he's kept up direct connection 00:18:53.059 --> 00:18:55.339 with his fans through his podcast, right? The 00:18:55.339 --> 00:18:59.019 Nateland Podcast. Started in 2020, yeah. Co -hosted 00:18:59.019 --> 00:19:01.559 with fellow comics Brian Bates, Aaron Webber, 00:19:01.640 --> 00:19:04.680 and Dusty Slay. That podcast is actually a really 00:19:04.680 --> 00:19:07.920 smart part of his whole operation. How so? It's 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:10.579 vertical integration, basically. It lets him 00:19:10.579 --> 00:19:12.759 stay connected with his core base consistently 00:19:12.759 --> 00:19:16.319 between the big specials. It reinforces the brand, 00:19:16.579 --> 00:19:19.839 the clean humor, the relatable vibe. And crucially, 00:19:19.960 --> 00:19:22.700 it provides regular, reliable, non -political 00:19:22.700 --> 00:19:25.279 content that keeps him visible and selling tickets 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:27.920 without need. a constant stream of Netflix or 00:19:27.920 --> 00:19:30.680 Amazon specials. Smart. Now let's talk about 00:19:30.680 --> 00:19:32.539 some of the personal choices that underpin this 00:19:32.539 --> 00:19:35.039 massive career. The sources mention he used to 00:19:35.039 --> 00:19:37.160 drink heavily earlier on. Yeah, he's been open 00:19:37.160 --> 00:19:39.220 about that, said it got very close to really 00:19:39.220 --> 00:19:41.799 damaging his career prospects. He made the decision 00:19:41.799 --> 00:19:44.339 to stop drinking entirely back in 2018. And looking 00:19:44.339 --> 00:19:46.779 at the sheer logistics of his career now, that 00:19:46.779 --> 00:19:48.980 decision seems almost necessary, doesn't it? 00:19:49.079 --> 00:19:52.319 You have to think so. Doing 148 arena shows a 00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:55.230 year. Constant travel, high pressure, needing 00:19:55.230 --> 00:19:58.410 to be sharp every single night. You just can't 00:19:58.410 --> 00:20:00.630 maintain that kind of pace and consistency if 00:20:00.630 --> 00:20:03.230 you're not taking care of yourself. Sobriety, 00:20:03.230 --> 00:20:05.809 for him, it feels less like just a personal health 00:20:05.809 --> 00:20:08.049 choice and more like a fundamental professional 00:20:08.049 --> 00:20:11.309 requirement to operate at that elite level and 00:20:11.309 --> 00:20:14.329 maintain that dependable, nicest man in stand 00:20:14.329 --> 00:20:16.890 -up brand. And that consistency extends to his 00:20:16.890 --> 00:20:19.950 deliberate choice. not to talk politics in his 00:20:19.950 --> 00:20:22.369 act. That feels like a very conscious business 00:20:22.369 --> 00:20:24.890 decision in today's world. Oh, absolutely. He 00:20:24.890 --> 00:20:27.170 explicitly says he needs to stay in my lane. 00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:29.880 His reasoning, according to the sources, is that 00:20:29.880 --> 00:20:32.200 sharing strong opinions makes the show about 00:20:32.200 --> 00:20:34.420 me, the comedian, rather than about the audience 00:20:34.420 --> 00:20:36.640 and their shared experiences. Which in a polarized 00:20:36.640 --> 00:20:39.099 climate is a masterstroke for maximizing reach. 00:20:39.240 --> 00:20:41.759 By avoiding divisive topics, he ensures his comedy 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:44.160 remains welcoming to the broadest possible audience. 00:20:44.420 --> 00:20:47.619 He minimizes the risk of alienating anyone, which 00:20:47.619 --> 00:20:49.940 is crucial when you're trying to sell 1 .1 million 00:20:49.940 --> 00:20:52.619 tickets across the entire country. It's a specific 00:20:52.619 --> 00:20:55.190 strategy for universal appeal. It also relates 00:20:55.190 --> 00:20:57.529 to how he handles his faith, right? He's openly 00:20:57.529 --> 00:21:00.150 Christian, talks about living to serve God. Yeah, 00:21:00.190 --> 00:21:03.410 he says things like, I am second to God. Faith 00:21:03.410 --> 00:21:05.849 is clearly important to him personally. But he's 00:21:05.849 --> 00:21:08.269 hesitant to be labeled a faith -based comedian. 00:21:09.170 --> 00:21:11.789 Why is that? He seems worried it puts him in 00:21:11.789 --> 00:21:14.809 a box. That people might write stuff off or assume 00:21:14.809 --> 00:21:16.769 his comedy is only for a religious audience, 00:21:17.069 --> 00:21:19.809 which would limit his reach. He wants the clean 00:21:19.809 --> 00:21:22.549 comedy to be seen as a stylistic choice about 00:21:22.549 --> 00:21:26.089 broad appeal and strong joke writing, not necessarily 00:21:26.089 --> 00:21:28.410 a noosh driven purely by religious doctrine. 00:21:28.569 --> 00:21:31.470 He's protecting his wider commercial viability. 00:21:31.690 --> 00:21:34.849 Makes sense. So looking ahead, what else is he 00:21:34.849 --> 00:21:36.609 branching into? It's not just stand up anymore. 00:21:37.019 --> 00:21:38.779 No, he's definitely building outwards. He co 00:21:38.779 --> 00:21:40.519 -wrote a movie called The Breadwinner, set for 00:21:40.519 --> 00:21:42.900 2026, and he's going to make his feature acting 00:21:42.900 --> 00:21:45.299 debut in it. Expanding the brand into narrative 00:21:45.299 --> 00:21:47.480 film. Exactly. And he's got a book coming out 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:50.599 in 2025 called Big Dumb Eyes, stories from a 00:21:50.599 --> 00:21:53.299 simpler mind. Again, reinforcing that core persona. 00:21:53.500 --> 00:21:56.200 These are smart moves for long -term career stability, 00:21:56.519 --> 00:21:59.579 diversifying beyond the relentless touring schedule. 00:21:59.740 --> 00:22:02.069 And he's a big golfer. Apparently quite good. 00:22:02.250 --> 00:22:05.410 A seven handicap, the sources say. He plays in 00:22:05.410 --> 00:22:07.829 those celebrity pro -am tournaments like the 00:22:07.829 --> 00:22:10.869 AT &T Pebble Beach Pro -Am. Which also fits the 00:22:10.869 --> 00:22:13.529 brand, doesn't it? Clean cut, accessible, kind 00:22:13.529 --> 00:22:16.109 of corporate friendly hobby. Totally. It connects 00:22:16.109 --> 00:22:18.329 him to a certain demographic, reinforces the 00:22:18.329 --> 00:22:20.829 wholesome image. And then there's the biggest 00:22:20.829 --> 00:22:24.589 ambition of all. Nateland. The theme park. Nate 00:22:24.589 --> 00:22:27.289 Lynn. Yeah, his plan to build an actual theme 00:22:27.289 --> 00:22:30.329 park in Nashville, modeled apparently on the 00:22:30.329 --> 00:22:32.630 old Opryland USA park that used to be there, 00:22:32.769 --> 00:22:35.089 a place he actually worked as a teenager before 00:22:35.089 --> 00:22:38.089 it closed down. That's ambitious. A theme park. 00:22:38.170 --> 00:22:40.589 It's huge. But think about it. It ties everything 00:22:40.589 --> 00:22:42.990 together. The Nashville roots, the commitment 00:22:42.990 --> 00:22:45.710 to family -friendly, clean entertainment, the 00:22:45.710 --> 00:22:48.710 massive financial success allowing for huge investment. 00:22:48.789 --> 00:22:50.990 It's like the ultimate physical manifestation 00:22:50.990 --> 00:22:53.579 of the Bargatz brand. From working at Oberland 00:22:53.579 --> 00:22:56.680 to potentially building its successor. Exactly. 00:22:56.859 --> 00:22:59.599 It's a statement that the average American family 00:22:59.599 --> 00:23:02.019 -focused market segment he cultivated through 00:23:02.019 --> 00:23:06.140 comedy is big enough and profitable enough to 00:23:06.140 --> 00:23:08.859 support this massive, permanent entertainment 00:23:08.859 --> 00:23:12.339 destination. It's the logical endpoint, almost, 00:23:12.519 --> 00:23:14.720 of his entire strategy. Okay, so let's try and 00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:17.089 wrap this all up. We've traced Nate Bargatze 00:23:17.089 --> 00:23:20.069 from flunking out of college and reading water 00:23:20.069 --> 00:23:22.369 meters. Through the brutal New York comedy grind, 00:23:22.609 --> 00:23:25.230 the network near misses. To becoming literally 00:23:25.230 --> 00:23:27.730 the highest grossing comedian on the planet, 00:23:27.809 --> 00:23:30.130 selling over a million tickets a year, making 00:23:30.130 --> 00:23:34.349 $82 million gross. And he did it all by sticking 00:23:34.349 --> 00:23:37.890 religiously to this clean, observational, deadpan 00:23:37.890 --> 00:23:40.589 style. His career is just this incredible example 00:23:40.589 --> 00:23:43.789 of finding a niche or maybe recognizing a massive 00:23:43.789 --> 00:23:45.950 underserved market and absolutely owning it. 00:23:46.009 --> 00:23:48.849 He navigated the industry's biases, used streaming 00:23:48.849 --> 00:23:51.549 to prove his audience existed, and built a brand 00:23:51.549 --> 00:23:54.509 around relatability and consistency, not controversy 00:23:54.509 --> 00:23:57.150 or politics. He basically found this huge audience 00:23:57.150 --> 00:23:59.569 that the coastal entertainment machine was either 00:23:59.569 --> 00:24:02.289 ignoring or didn't know how to reach and delivered 00:24:02.289 --> 00:24:04.450 exactly what they wanted. Which leads us to our 00:24:04.450 --> 00:24:06.069 final thought, something for you, the listener, 00:24:06.190 --> 00:24:08.750 to really chew on. We've seen the numbers, the 00:24:08.750 --> 00:24:11.710 massive tour gross, the record breaking attendance, 00:24:12.230 --> 00:24:15.410 the streaming success. And we've noted that this 00:24:15.410 --> 00:24:17.549 explosion really happened after he moved back 00:24:17.549 --> 00:24:19.589 to Nashville, after he doubled down on being 00:24:19.589 --> 00:24:22.509 apolitical and family friendly. Right. So the 00:24:22.509 --> 00:24:25.500 question is. What does Nate Bargatze's specific 00:24:25.500 --> 00:24:29.019 trajectory tell us about the real, maybe underestimated 00:24:29.019 --> 00:24:31.839 commercial power of that flyover state or average 00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:34.839 American audience? Should his phenomenal success 00:24:34.839 --> 00:24:37.480 force the wider entertainment industry, Hollywood, 00:24:37.720 --> 00:24:39.519 the networks, the streamers to fundamentally 00:24:39.519 --> 00:24:42.579 rethink where they focus their energy and investment? 00:24:42.880 --> 00:24:45.460 Is the conventional wisdom about what sells nationally 00:24:45.460 --> 00:24:49.289 just wrong? The data from Bargatze's career certainly 00:24:49.289 --> 00:24:51.349 suggests that a huge profitable market might 00:24:51.349 --> 00:24:53.710 be hiding in plain sight far away from the usual 00:24:53.710 --> 00:24:56.869 coastal hubs. Maybe the future of truly massive 00:24:56.869 --> 00:24:59.710 mainstream entertainment success looks a lot 00:24:59.710 --> 00:25:01.690 more like Nate Bargatze than anyone in Hollywood 00:25:01.690 --> 00:25:02.029 expected.