RIP BOB SAGET

April 1, 2011 - I was a partner at a law firm and I recently stopped playing music and managing bands. I started improv with a friend for fun and he was getting a short stand up set for a sold out Bob Saget theater show and he asked me to tag along to act as his manager and keep him calm.
As I entered the theater, a limo was also dropping off Bob Saget right in front of us. Having just left the Cubs home opener (they won) with a few drinks in me, I approached Bob and we talked about the upcoming show, guitars and baseball as we made our way to the green room together. I wish I remember more of the actual conversation but I do remember he was very kind and sincere in his questions to me.

Later, my friend who was opening was nervously prepping, as it was his first big show, so I hung out with Bob and his feature, Mike Toomey in their green room. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to be there, but I saw Bob was tuning up his guitar so I told him about my years as a musician and an anecdote about my music days. At one point, he laughed and said “you should do that bit tonight.” I reminded him that I was not the comedian on the show but he still goaded me into going on stage, saying he wanted to tag onto something I said when he went up later. Soon everyone in the room was trying to convince me to go on stage, knowing I had only done improv and NEVER done stand up before. I politely declined.
Maybe he was just hoping to see me bomb, maybe it was an April Fools prank, or maybe he was just being nice, I don’t really know. Because of the confidence of making Bob Saget laugh and having him think I was an actual comedian, I went to my first open mic the next day and I was hooked from that moment on. The day after that I went to another open mic at Merkle's Bar & Grill for a competition where I ended up winning and being the host (2 1/2 Persians) for the next three years.

I recently reached out to him to make sure he knew this story, as I have told it in nearly every interview about my "origin story." I heard once that he knew about it but I messaged him to make sure he knew what he meant to me, not just that day but with the Aristocrats, his autobiography, his tweets, and of course Full House and America’s Funniest Home Videos.
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For better or worse, Bob Saget is the reason I do stand up comedy today. Maybe I would have eventually found another way to stand up but my journey100% started with Bob Saget and I am forever grateful to him for his positive influence on me and the positive energy he spread while he was alive. Rest in peace, Bob.