Ricky Glore is a proud husband and parent, and what’s great is he balances those considerable responsibilities with his brand of humor, which will be on stage at Comedy Plex this weekend. We caught up with Ricky for Take 5 to get his opinions on comedy, social media and Chicago.
They say comedy is a craft, so how do you hone your craft?
Honing your craft is flexing your muscle. I was never good at math, but the way I’ve approached comedy as I get older, it’s almost mathematical. I almost think that people who do comedy are obsessive with humor. How I hone my craft is being obsessive with my POV of being a dad or discussing what it’s like being from Kentucky, the stereotypes. I’ve been really getting into crowd work. I don’t think I’ve figured out my voice in comedy.
What do you do when you come to Chicago to perform? Any places you like to go?
I lived in Chicago eight, nine years. This is the first time my wife and my six-year-old daughter and my twin boys are all going to come up. It’s like any favorite vacation spot; it’s like, “What are the important things?” We have some friends coming out to the show. My wife was like, “We have to be mindful of people coming to us.” We’re going to be pivoting to keep our circus entertained. I think we should go to the Chicago Children’s Museum. The Museum of Contemporary Art is awesome; any of the museums are great. There is this little shack, Byron’s, it’s hands down the best hot dog place. But I do put ketchup on my hot dogs. (Laughs)
Can you tell us about the new podcast DADDIO with fellow DryBar comedian Glen Tickle?
Glen and I did a string of shows in Florida at the end of 2024. They were very poorly attended. I was like, “How can that be?” Two DryBar headliners, and we can’t sell any tickets? So we have an off-night and we are both nerds for comedy; we could do an open mic. It was the best audience on the tour. This was near Boca Raton, Florida. (We said) maybe we need to do a podcast?
How important is social media to your standup career?
I wish it was not. I like to entertain, whether it is in person, whether it’s music, or painting. The great things are connecting with people and entertaining. Like TikTok, people can say that’s a short attention span outlet, and its detrimental. I think there are innovations that come from it. From that standpoint, I do think social media is incredibly beneficial. I think it’s a new tool. I think AI could be another tool.
For a comedian, and a parent, who wants to break into comedy, what is your advice?
Find times you can go do your sets at open mics or popups. Don’t feel like you have to do the hang afterwards. Breweries, wineries that are family friendly have open mic nights. Come bring your family, do your set, they tend to close early.
In addition to his DADDIO podcast with Glen Tickle, you can check out Ricky on his socials, like Instagram, X and Facebook.
Take 5: RICKY GLORE