Tom Rhodes Radio Smart Camp

I first saw Rick Shapiro perform when I lived in New York City 1998 - 1999. He wasn't playing in comedy clubs then he had a regular Wednesday night stint at a bar in Lower Manhattan. A musician friend of mine took me to see him and the musician friend told me "This guy does more than comedy. He does raw naked truth". I was ready to not like it but what happened over the next two hours as I sat watching him in this dark bar was uniquely powerful. It took him about 20 minutes to warm up but once he did there were slabs of brilliance. He spoke so freely and candidly about being a heroin addict and male prostitute I was transfixed. The sheer raw power of his honestly as he portrayed different stories of his personal history made me a fan of his work and the comedy thunderbolts he was throwing down.  I didn't meet Rick until about 7 or 8 years ago at a party of comedians in Los Angeles. I must have ignored everyone for most of the night because my main memory of that party is of talking with Rick all night about