Comedian Ilana Glazer set to perform in Nashville, talks about touring and the South

Ilana Glazer, a New York stand-up comedian, actress, producer, writer and more, will be headed to the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's James K. Polk Theater in Nashville on Friday, Oct. 27 as part of her Ilana Glazer Live! comedy tour.

Fans may recognize Glazer as the co-creator and co-star of the sitcom "Broad City," which follows Glazer and co-writer Abbi Jacobson's antics as they attempt to navigate ever-chaotic New York City. Glazer also appeared in the 2022 TV show "The Afterparty" on Apple TV+ and the 2021 film "False Positive," which she co-wrote and starred in.

The silly, outspoken and quirky comedy queen said she looks forward to her upcoming performance in Music City. Glazer said that she's stopped in Nashville before, noting: "Oh it's fun. It's really fun and, just, the people are great."

"I will be eating your hot chicken. I've done it before and I was pretty good," she said about handling the heat.

"I will definitely be timing it correctly with my show, so that ... let's just put it this way, so that my performance is not affected." She added that, although the dish may be a bit intense for her "New York Jewish tummy," it'll be worth it.

Glazer has been doing standup comedy for 17 years, but she says her current tour is the most joy she's ever experienced in the comedy touring business.

What has changed for Glazer is her outlook on touring and her prioritization of work-life balance.

"It's just been kind of magical to me to find this balance between work and rest," Glazer said, adding that she finds play in all of it. As a new mom and comedy professional on the road, Glazer has worked hard to achieve the balance that brings her joy in her personal and professional worlds.

Regarding the tour's material, Glazer rattles off a list of its components: "Being a mom, being a stoner, being a stoner mom. Anxiety and depression. My identity as a Jew. Being a teenager in the early aughts, which was a pretty vulnerable time to be a young woman. And we're ragging on Florida a little bit."

Glazer said she looks forward to telling the crowd about a pretty wild trip to visit her parents, who moved to Florida full-time last year. But, she didn't want to spoil the tale ahead of time, adding that it is worth the wait.

Glazer said she has historically been more used to Northern crowds, where she'll hone her material before she hits the road.

On this tour, Glazer has felt the love from audiences in the South, something that's caught her by surprise. She's enjoyed performing in Richmond, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Dallas; and Houston.

"I cannot believe how I am embraced as this like queer, Jewy New Yorker and they are Southern and they're hooting and hollering ... but for me! Little old me!" Glazer said, "Damn, I love the South."

Among Glazer's current favorite comics are: Jay Jurdan, Petey DeAbreu, Alison Leiby, Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Josh Gondelman and Sabrina Wu. But when it comes to this tour, Glazer says she is "just absolutely professionally in love with (her) collaborator who has made this tour possible," Madeline Kim, Glazer's tour manager, coordinator and producer.

Alongside her comedic endeavors, Glazer is also a proud and outspoken political activist.

"It's been really fun teasing apart my political passions in comedy," Glazer said. "My hour is so silly, that's what's been so joyful, just leave that stuff at the door. But I am so passionate about politics and political messaging for the progressive movement."

In 2016, Glazer founded Generator Collective, a political activism group that works to lower the barrier of entry for discussing politics. The group aims to humanize policy through social media, while inviting younger people to participate in politics in new ways and set different standards for civic duties.

Glazer uses the platform to fill in her audience about topics like voting and democracy, such as her Microdose Democracy campaign, which informs voters slowly over time so that they won't be overwhelmed by information before the 2024 presidential election.

And when Glazer is off the road, fans have even more to look forward to. Glazer just wrapped up a movie that she wrote with comedy friends Michelle Buteau and Josh Rabinowitz and is also looking forward to working on TV shows she is writing and developing.

Safe to say, there'll be plenty of laughs from Glazer's charming, engaging stories and quick-witted jokes to come in the future.

Fans can find more information about Glazer's upcoming show in Nashville at tpac.org.

To learn more about Glazer, readers can visit ilanaglazer.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Comedian Ilana Glazer scheduled to perform at TPAC in Nashville