Going For Broke

John Grimes argues that having a comfortable, middle-class life is ruining his chances at stand-up success. He has a car and a two-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles, but what he really needs is a tragic hook (surviving a whale attack or a history of sleeping in his vehicle) to get people interested. Without a traumatic backstory, he has to rely on dry, observational humor about the mundane indignities of modern life.

This half-hour special, recorded at the Echos on Pico venue in Los Angeles and released by distributor Four by Three in March 2023, captures Grimes working through everyday annoyances. He spends his time onstage breaking down the irrational confidence of pedestrians crossing the street, the secret mechanics of interracial dating, and the delusion of checking up on an ex’s social media and assuming they downgraded. He also tackles food culture, wondering aloud why nobody ever announces a craving for white food, and questions the point of the WNBA Finals.

A native of Saint Louis, Grimes spent years grinding on the road, eventually touring with Tony Rock and becoming a regular at Hollywood clubs like the Laugh Factory. This set functions as a snapshot of his early Los Angeles years, showing a comic working to establish his voice in a crowded scene.