JB Smoove knows for a fact that he would make a terrible robot.
Each time that he hits the stage, this standup comedian is present with his audience, living in the moment and never limiting himself to a pre-planned script. As someone who thrives in improv, it’s understandable why his years portraying Leon Black on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, which was filmed entirely off the cuff, were so enjoyable.
On Saturday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m., Smoove is bringing his unique brand of comedy to Parx Casino’s Xcite Center in Bensalem, a venue that has come to be a consistent stop whenever he hits the road.
“This is one of my favorite places to perform,” he told The Times. “The Philadelphia area has always been good to me. People always come out and it’s always a great show. And it’s a great, great venue. Those people who work there, they take care of me every single time. I must’ve done it five times by now. It’s absolutely an amazing place to perform. I’m a New Yorker, but you know I love Philly! I love the Philly area and they know my love, so we always have a great time. I’m looking forward to taking my tour through there. It’s always a stop on my tour. Every tour I’ve done, I always do Parx.”
For those who attend the Parx Casino show, they can take comfort in knowing that they’re seeing an iteration that has never been done before, and will never be done again, thanks to Smoove’s improv abilities.
“My improv is something I love because it makes every show unique in its own way,” he said. “So I get the chance to bring things to life on stage that lead to callbacks. Whatever I say is there for the entire show. I love going back to things and catching people off guard and they say, ‘Oh, he remembered that! He put that there!’ There’s something cool about making that stage your own, and that’s what makes every show unique and fun, and every show stands on its own. You go where the audience takes you, and I think physicality allows you to do that.”
Whether he’s discussing how heavy doors are at the gym or the pained look of confusion that folks give upon being asked for directions, Smoove doesn’t just stand and speak. Rather, he works up a sweat, constantly moving around the stage as he uses body movement and facial expressions to bring these various, relatable scenarios to life.
“I’m a No. 1 fan of physical comedy because I truly believe it’s kind of like say and see, the reverse of see and say. I feel like you say something and you bring it to life. That’s always been my style since I was young. When I was a kid, I used to love to take on things and visualize them more, make things appear that are not there. And I think that’s a great way of presenting comedy,” he said. “I’m a horrible robot. I’m just not a good robot. I’m free-flowing. I like to have fun, be in the moment with the audience. And physicality, it’s that extension of what comedy can be. I’ve always been a fan of comedic actors, as well as standup comedians, so my balance is different.”
While each tour encompasses different topics, all are rooted in the same thing: Smoove providing a funny way to help audiences see life differently.
“That’s kind of been my thing. One thing I always say, ‘You ain’t wrong, you just ain’t right.’ There’s something funny about being right and wrong at the same time that really makes me laugh. There’s something funny about that kind of advice,” he said. “It’s not gonna hurt you. It’s gonna motivate you, but it’s gonna motivate you in a different way.”
Additionally, when brainstorming content for each tour, Smoove takes into consideration where he’s at in life, as well as the state of the world, which is ever-changing … especially for comedians. Smoove explained that, thanks to social media, attention spans are shorter and people take offense to things more easily.
“You become stagnant and you become stuck in this weird place where everything bugs you, and we don’t wanna get like that. You gotta laugh your way through things to get through stuff, and comedy is the perfect way, especially a JB Smoove show,” he said. “We have given people the ability to comment on literally anything that bugs them. We opened up the floodgates. So now anything and everything is for your opinion. It’s different. I always say, you can’t go somewhere and expect a comedian to just give you attention and perform a show without other people. Humor is meant to take your mind away from things. I look to accomplish that on every tour I do. I make it more about myself. That is a safe route, to make it more about your own experiences, just to make people happy. You can’t get mad or PC about something that is real that happened to someone else.”
Smoove’s knack for improv began before he even knew what this art form was. Always the outspoken guy in school who could take a conversation anywhere, his innate abilities benefited him well in his career in entertainment. As he built a name for himself on stage and screen, appearing on Saturday Night Live, Cedric the Entertainer Presents and more, Smoove became a fan of Larry David’s HBO creation. In fact, he knew that he’d be the perfect addition to the cast years before joining in Season 6.
“I don’t know how the world or universe works, but I truly believe that I was already destined to be on that show before I was even on that show. In my creative brain, I’ve always thought about a show where I could just go and be JB and improv and all of that kind of stuff,” he said. “My standup, my improv, came before Curb, but they helped each other in a great way. I don’t know how it would’ve been for me coming in with no feel for what improv is.”
With his Parx Casino appearance quickly approaching, Smoove is reminding audiences that they’re not seeing your average standup show. Rather, they’re going to enjoy a one-man performance.
“I can sit down, I can lay on the ground, I can do anything I wanna do because you are coming to see JB Smoove. I make it a point to make it unlike anything, any standup show you’ve ever seen. Rules will be broken, people shall be repaired, people shall be rejuvenated in their life. I’m a therapist, I’m an evangelist, I’m everything all wrapped into one. I’m a human burrito sometimes,” he said. “I’m just a bunch of ingredients rolled up. Sometimes all of them don’t go together, like oatmeal and baked beans. But for some reason, I put it all in there with some Cheetos and maybe some cashews, and when I roll it all together and take a bite, it’s still good! My show is always unique, always fun, and I look forward to the amazing, amazing Parx Casino, and my amazing, amazing audience that always comes out and supports me.”
Visit parxcasino.com/bensalem/xcite-center for tickets and more information.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
