On this episode of The Adam Carolla Show, comedian Avi Liberman joins Adam in studio to talk about his new book Strange Gigs, which chronicles the bizarre and unexpected shows he’s had to perform while on the road. Avi recalls one of his worst gigs ever, entertaining a rowdy crowd of drunk U.S. Marines, before he and Adam look back on their early days grinding it out at open mics. Adam shares the story of waiting all day for his shot at The Laugh Factory, only to be bumped by Pauly Shore, and explains why he’s never liked bumping other comics himself. The two then dive into the current state of stand-up, with Avi offering his honest take on crowd work and roast comics.

In the news, Elisha Krauss stops by with some of the week’s trending headlines. They react to the story of Rampage Jackson’s son, Raja, who is under investigation for a ruthless attack at a Los Angeles wrestling event. They also take a lighter turn with the viral clip of New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani failing at a bench press attempt during Men’s Day in Brooklyn — a moment that earned him public ribbing from political rivals like Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams.

Later, acclaimed chef Brad Kilgore joins the show for a mouthwatering conversation about pizza and the restaurant industry. Adam asks Brad to weigh in on the best style of pizza, before the two bond over their love of meatballs and debate the merits of ricotta cheese. They also discuss how chefs put creative spins on traditional dishes, while Adam samples slices of Brad’s famous pizza and doubles down on his love for thin-crust New York style. The conversation expands to the challenges of running a restaurant today, before the two swap topping preferences — from their shared love of olives to Brad’s favorite bacon combinations, and Adam’s surprisingly controversial take on bacon itself.

Get it on.

FOR MORE WITH AVI LIBERMAN:

BOOK: Stranger Gigs - Available NOW on Amazon

Touring Israel in October 8-12 benefitting the Koby Mandell Foundation

INSTAGRAM: @avilibermancomedy

WEBSITE: aviliberman.com 

FOR MORE WITH ELISHA KRAUSS: 

INSTAGRAM: @elishakrauss

WEBSITE: elishakrauss.com 

JOURNAL: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/author/elisha-krauss/

FOR MORE WITH BRAD KILGORE: 

PIZZA: Pizza Freak Co - Frozen pizza shipped to your door 

WEBSITE: Pizzafreakco.com

INSTAGRAM: @brad_kilgore

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