Today we’d like to introduce you to Pat Largo.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hi! I’m Pat Largo, and I created an all-inclusive stand-up comedy event called Comedians Uncorked! I have been in the entertainment arena since 1990. I was a Tampa Bay and Orlando area radio personality for sixteen years. I’ve always been fascinated with stand-up comedians and had the pleasure and honor of interviewing many over the course of my radio career. I’ve been lucky to talk with Dave Attell, Bill Burr, Wanda Sykes, Bob Saget, Robert Schimmel, and my friend, Larry The Cable Guy. I finally got the nerve to try a comedy open mic on December 7th, 2007, and I fell in love with it! I was working at a hotel in Tampa when I got into a car crash in February of 2018. (Not my fault) LOL! I wasn’t able to do the same job after, so I left. Not knowing what to do, I went to a local Port Richey, FL. venue looking for work. The owner was talking with me, and we mentioned entertainment. I asked if he ever had a stand-up comedy show, and he said no. So right there, I booked my first comedy show with no name to it, no equipment, and no idea of what I was doing. I went in looking for a job and ended up with a business! After a friend and me were trying to think of a name for the show, he mentioned the word “uncorked.” Comedians Uncorked was born and been going throughout Tampa Bay and recently Orlando since May of 2018, booking many different Florida comedians!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The only smooth part is doing the actual show and being on stage. LOL! I’m a nervous wreck right up until the first joke. The struggle is basically being a one-person staff. I pretty much do everything from finding and booking a venue for a show, booking the comedians, making sure we have all the equipment we need for any type of show. I know, especially from seeing my friends, that I have to hustle every day! I don’t really have a “day off.” It’s fun, very tiring; however, it’s all worth it. My friends support me. My girlfriend, Lisa, puts up with a lot! She supports and really helps me do this comedy stuff. It’s worth the fact that we make people laugh and enjoy themselves for at least 90 minutes.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Whew! Y’all ask great questions! I’m just a guy who knew I needed to work from a very young age. My parents instilled that in me. I also knew I didn’t want to do a regular job/career. I’ve had plenty of those, ya know? I do enjoy talking with people and supporting local indy businesses. I love meeting people I don’t know at all and hanging with people I’ve known for over thirty years. I’ve always liked to make or try to make people laugh. I think that kept me from getting beat up in high school. LOL! I’m proud of my radio career. I’m proud to know and have worked with Tampa Bay radio legends like Jack Harris, Ron Michaels, and the late, great Tedd Webb. I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my favorite bands, Metallica in 1999! Got to be the boom mic operator for national TV in 1991 when Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf returned from Iraq to MacDill AFB. Watching him stand at the top of the steps from the plane and saluting…I’ll never forget that. I guess I’m most proud that I did it. I got to experience the highs and lows of professional broadcasting and lived to tell about it. I just try to be me.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I truly feel I have the ability to communicate and be ingratiating with everyone. Just have some personality. Even if ya don’t know much about anything, smile and show some personality. That seems like a good start.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.comediansuncorked.com
- Instagram: Comedians Uncorked
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/comediansuncorked/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@comediansuncorked
