I’ve met many people this year and, sadly, most of them were not famous. I understand it’s not their fault, but they might have tried harder. Anyway, I’m not going to talk about them because you don’t know who they are.

Who I will talk about meeting, is the great Joe Gatto. On December 29th, my Lady, Morgan, and I attended Joe Gatto’s Let’s Get Into It tour at the Palace Theater in Albany. The show was a delightful mix of humor and heart, as Joe shared stories about growing up and the experiences that shaped who he is today. While he touched on his time with the Impractical Jokers, most of the show focused on personal storytelling. It was funny, inspiring, and full of the charm that made him my favorite Joker.

As much as I enjoyed the evening, I have to admit something surprising: earlier this year, my youngest son, Chase, and I saw the other Impractical Jokers live, and they were even funnier. I think what tipped the scales for me was their focus on behind-the-scenes stories from the show. Those insights were fascinating and added a layer of humor that I wasn’t expecting.

This isn’t to say that Joe’s show wasn’t lacking in any way. Meeting him afterward was an unforgettable experience. He was incredibly approachable and down-to-earth, which made it easy to chat with him in the five minutes we were allowed. I thanked him for all the laughter he’s brought into my home over the years. Morgan asked him how to correctly pronounce his last name. And, in true Lady fashion, my wife pulled out a picture of our dog, Larry Asparagii, named after one of our favorite Impractical Jokers bits, to show off. Joe zoomed in on the photo to get a better look of Larry and even recalled the skit that gave him his namesake.

Meeting Joe!