Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Angelo Gingerelli. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Angelo , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

In 2023 I released my first comedy special/album titled “Stuck in the Middle.” It’s about an hour long and contains most of the best material from my first decade in comedy with an underlying narrative about being stuck between the “normal” world and the somewhat crazier world of stand-up comedy. Recording the special was one of the best nights of my career and so many of my peers/friends helped me get my ideas recorded and released. From audio engineering to cover design and everything in between, it was really the culmination of a decade of performing and collaborating with some insanely talented and creative people.

I’d like to eventually release another special or album, but I would be totally satisfied if “Stuck in the Middle” remained the most enduring work from my stand-up comedy journey.

Angelo , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Angelo Gingerelli and I’ve been a stand-up comic at The Jersey Shore since 2013. I’ve been lucky to be a part of Asbury Park’s thriving arts and entertainment scene for over a decade and witness the local scene really evolve and flourish.

Since 2021 I’ve been a part of Ugly Pancake Productions with Joe Borzotta. The idea behind UP was to offer a mobile comedy club experience where we bring the comics, lighting, sound system, etc. to your venue and produce shows for our clients that allow them to relax and enjoy the entertainment while we do the work both on stage and behind the scenes. This model has worked very well because there are a lot of organizations in our area that are primed for hosting comedy nights and there is a ton of local talent, so we are able to book shows packed with great comics and not have to travel too far away from our homebase.

Outside of Ugly Pancake I still do shows in other clubs and with other producers, but Ugly Pancake provides a good foundation to consistently get on stage, help local community groups and be a steady presence in the local scene.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The biggest challenge with running an entertainment company in a resort area is the constantly changing venues and management teams. I’ve established relationships with bars/restaurants/event spaces where the comedy shows were consistently selling out, but their other nights were so slow they went out of business, changed owners or replaced the entire staff, which sets us back to square one with booking that venue in the future. This constant state of changing ownership, rebranding and high employee turnover means we are always selling ourselves to new people, even though we are somewhat established in the area as one of the most consistently successful comedy production companies in the entire state of New Jersey.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I came into the comedy game with a very “punk rock” or “back pack hip-hop” philosophy. I realized early on that it was almost impossible to get booked in traditional venues (comedy clubs, festivals, etc.) because there were so many talented people fighting for so few spots. This lead to renting venues, buying my own audio/lighting and taking on all marketing and promotion by myself. This attitude was the perfect thing at the perfect time for Asbury Park, New Jersey, which is a town with a deep history of musicians working outside the traditional music industry and the community really supported my efforts from local media coverage to performing at some of the legendary music venues in the area.

This wasn’t necessarily a pivot in my personal philosophy, but definitely different from the way a lot of artists think and a mentality that has mostly served me well over the years.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fifthroundmovement.com
• Instagram: Mr5thRound
• Facebook: Angelo Gingerelli
• Linkedin: Angelo Gingerelli
• Youtube: Mr5thRound
• Soundcloud: Angelo Gingerelli

Image Credits

Photo 1 (Black & White) Beth Berardi
Photo 4 (Christmas T Shirt) Jeff Crespi
Other Photos Joe Borzotta