Home Features Sign And Drive

Sign And Drive

Comic Patrick Garrity is redefining the post-show autograph processs, signing-up new fans everywhere he drives.

by Chuck king
762 views
south florida comedy, fort pierce, sflcomedy, south florida comics

FORT PIERCE – Patrick Garrity is putting the “auto” in autograph.

Rather than signing autographs for fans after shows, Garrity invites fans outside, hands them a Shaprie, and asks them to put their autograph on his automobile.

“I came up with the idea that I could just have people sign it, because I’m not really a selfie person,” Garrity said. “It gives something for the audience to do after the show. It kind of makes an assembly line for me so that they go sign the car and take pictures. And it’s memorable. They might not remember my name, but they remember the guy with the car.”

Hood, quarter panel, door or even dashboard, Garrity lets fans sign his car wherever they please. His car is stocked with permanent-ink Sharpies that don’t wash off in the rain. He gladly loans them fans following the show.

Along with fans, fellow comics like Kevin Nealon, Bert Kreischer and Jim Norton contributed their signatures to the project.

“I’ve had some good ones,” Garrity said.

Following an uproarious late January set headlining the Casey and Spaz Comedy Corner 10th anniversary celebration at the Sunrise Theatre, show producer and comic Casey Peruski made sure to add his signature to the Xterra’s hood.

“Love it,” Peruski said. “He is out there grinding on the roads. I think showing all the different audiences the life that he’s leading as a comedian and having the resolve just builds his fan base.”

South Florida comedy fans will have another opportunity to adorn Garrity’s ride when he headlines Saturday’s Spill The Beans comedy show at Underground Coffeehaus in Fort Lauderdale. Danny Benavente, Larry Young and David Sadman are also scheduled to perform. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $15 in advance, $20 at the door

Anyone who signs the Xterra that night will be doing so on Garrity’s third iteration of a mobile autograph book.

He initially covered a 1994 Honda Accord in too many John Hancocks to count. The epitome of a road dog comic (Garrity’s Twitter handle is @PGroaddog), the 40-year-old Garrity had been essentially living out of his car while sleeping on the couches of friends as he traversed the country for nearly two decades. His Accord accrued 387,000 miles before a car accident closed that book five years ago.

He drove a 1999 Honda CRV for about four years before it was stolen. By the time the CRV was recovered, Garrity had already purchased his current ride, a 2004 Nisson Xterra, which is approaching 140,000 miles. Garrity changed the Xterra’s paint scheme from yellow to white to better display the signatures, and had a pirate skull with sword microphones behind it painted on his driver side door. The words “The Never Ending Tour” are printed across the logo.

Advertisements

“I’m going to try to get another year out of this one then upgrade to something else,” Garrity said.

Counting all three cars, Garrity estimates the number of signatures reaches into the thousands.

If Garrity gets his wish, that upgrade will be next-level large.

“Eventually I want to get a tour bus for everyone to sign,” Garrity said.

Related Videos

Leave a Comment