Comic Steve Trevino says Arizona is a special place for him. He’s driven through it “a million times.”
One trip didn’t go quite as planned.
“My water pump in my car went out in Tucson,” he said. “I’m over there trying to figure it out on my own, when a Tucson resident helped me for 45 minutes. I will never forget Tucson. I just thought, ‘Thank God for this guy.’”
Trevino will return to Arizona for two shows: 8 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall in Tucson, and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 21, at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix.
Fans can expect new material from Trevino and he’s looking forward to sharing it.
“I think it’s become more personal, real and honest,” he said. “You write about what you know, the day-to-day things you say and do and participate in. It makes me proud to show off my new material.”
The key is to be relatable, something that superstar comics lack, he said.
“When you hear a comedian who has really, really made it, they’re just not really relatable,” Trevino said. “They say, ‘You know when you get out of a helicopter…’ No, I don’t know what it’s like.”
Trevino is spending this year “touring like crazy” and preparing a new special, perhaps for Netflix, for which he loves working. He and his wife, Renae, will continue “Steve & Captain Evil: The Podcast.”
“Renae and I are proud of what we’ve accomplished,” Trevino said. “I hated it at first, but now I love it. Our day to day is so busy with business, work or the kids. We rarely have time to have a real conversation with each other.
“That hour that we spend together — I don’t want to sound horrible — it’s more for us than them (listeners). I truly enjoy my time with her.”
Authenticity here is important, as well.
“We decided a long time ago to portray our real relationship,” he said. “I think people — through the lens of social media — only show you the beautiful things.
“They don’t show you the grit of it all. We had a big moment in our lives. We were pregnant and I started talking about it on stage. Unfortunately, we had a miscarriage. So now what? What do we say now? We talk about it. We make it funny, and we tell the story.
“I think that was a real big turning point for both of us. It was very hard when I talked about it on (the special) ‘My Life in Quarantine.’ It was a big lesson for my wife and I. We felt like we were alone and all these friends were calling. They said, ‘Hey, we’ve been through it.’ I think that’s the ‘secret sauce.’ I talk about things that people aren’t willing to talk about.”
Trevino is looking forward to seeing where his career takes him. He would love to have his own TV show, or part of an ensemble on a TV show. That’s the reward for being a great stand-up comic, he said.
“You look at every great standup and, as they become great, they get to do movies and TV sitcoms,” he said.
“I’m hoping that works for me as well. I’ve been doing stand-up for almost every single weekend for the past 20-something years. I think TV or film would be a fun, creative break for me and really motivating for me.”
Steve Trevino
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, April 20
WHERE: Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, 260 S. Church Avenue, Tucson
COST: Tickets start at $32.50
INFO: musichall.tucsonconventioncenter.com
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 21
WHERE: Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix
COST: Tickets start at $30
INFO: celebritytheatre.com
