BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Referencing the eeriness of Bethlehem Steel's blast furnaces behind him on Musikfest's Steel Stage, comedian Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias told his audience Thursday that he had always dreamed of performing in front of Freddy Krueger's house.
"That thing next door, man it's all rusted," he said. "It looks like the place they killed Robocop."
- Gabriel Iglesias performed at SteelStage on Thursday
- The comedian is one of three stand-up performers ever to headline Musikfest
- He joked about becoming a gun owner and reconciling with his estranged father
That was among the many laughs the comedian drew during his 70-minute headline show.
The show, which started shortly after sundown, kicked off with sets by Iglesias' longtime sidekick Martin Moreno (Fluffy nation knows him as just Martin) and Matt Golightly.
Following a 20-minute intermission (a cartoon version of Iglesias flashed and instructed the crowd to go pee-pee before the show), Iglesias took the stage about 9:30 p.m.
He's among only three stand-up comics to headline Musikfest in its 40-year history, and is no stranger to the Valley.
Iglesias has wowed fans at sold-out shows at Wind Creek casino (where he was staying this time around) and for a crowd of about 4,000 at the Great Allentown Fair in 2018.
"This feels very weird for me," he said. "It feels strange. Yes, we're doing the show here, but I'm still staying at that hotel. It feels like I'm cheating, but I'm still staying at the girl's house."
Donning his usual attire — a classic Hawaiian shirt, loose shorts and a page boy hat (at one point he took it off and mocked his baldness) — he covered an array of subjects: becoming a first-time gun owner (he said the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic made him do it), and more recently, how he was the victim of a home invasion (they trashed his home and stole his guns, ironically).
He touched on an appearance on "Hell's Kitchen," during which he did his best not to anger a cantankerous host Gordon Ramsey, and a scary airplane takeoff experience (with his chihuahuas, Vinnie and Risa, suspended in mid-air at one point).
The set contained a mix of both witty humor and endearing tales.
Iglesias, who was raised by his mom, Esther, spoke about her death 10 years ago and how he reconciled with his estranged father and met two of his sisters.
And the crowd, which filled about 90% of the venue, ate it up.
The show was a stop on his "Don't Worry Be Fluffy" tour, and patrons were asked not to film or record during the show. Aside from a few rule-breakers, most obliged.
It was a nice break from the usual concerts filled with people obstructing views by holding up and recording on their phones.
Iglesias started his career in 1997 (he said his first gig was in Arizona where he got paid $50 and lost his virginity).
He was 21 — just a few years younger than his son, Frankie, 25, is now.
"Every time I talk to him, I feel out of touch," Iglesias joked.
The comedian, who is Mexican-American and often shares about growing up Latino in America, shared what it was like to finally bring his tour to Mexico.
"Whenever you're an entertainer and your background is Mexican and you're born here and you attempt to take whatever talent you have to the Motherland and perform, you better bring it," he said.
He told the crowd that while performing in the capital, Mexico City, he brought his dad onstage (the two hadn't talked for 15 years and shared tequila and tears).
As he got to converse more with his newfound relatives and discuss their family tree, he learned the Iglesias men have a history of Alzheimer's disease.
"The doctors said that the last thing you'll forget with Alzheimer's is what you were most passionate about," he said.
"If I'm lucky enough to live to be 80-plus and I wind up suffering from this illness, I at least have the luxury of knowing that the last thing I'm going to forget are my jokes."
Iglesias' many accomplishments include two comedy specials: “I’m Sorry For What I Said When I Was Hungry” and “Stadium Fluffy."
He's also the only stand-up comedian ever to sell out Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, the Grand Ole Opry, Sydney Opera House and Dodger Stadium.
From the roars of laughter heard Thursday, that made sense.
As the horns and clacks from trains nearby tried to drown out the cheers coming from the crowd, Iglesias finished his set with a story from a recent gig in Canada.
It turned out the majority of that audience were from the States.
"When I asked if anyone was from America, they went crazy and starting chanting, "USA, USA, USA! Then it got quiet and you could hear someone say, 'Merica," he recanted.
"I said, 'ladies and gentlemen, do you understand what just happened? We just made history."
When Iglesias delivered his last punchline, the crowd whipped out their phones in solidarity and jumped to their feet.
The mic drop moment went off without a hitch.
"Who would have thought you'd see the day where thousands of Americans would cross a border to see a Mexican?" he said.
