MTV's Steve-O checks off Lafayette on his 'Bucket List Tour,' performance Wednesday

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Thirty years ago, MTV's Steve-O dropped out of college and enrolled in clown school.

And his life of televised pranks and stunts has been a circus ever since.

Known for his stunts on MTV's "Jackass," Stephen Glover – AKA Steve-O – will be performing stand-up comedy as part of his "The Bucket List Tour" at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Long Center for Performing Arts.

Glover began his television career with MTV airing the first season of "Jackass" in 2000, working with well known actor and stunt man, Johnny Knoxville. However, MTV was far from the first time Glover took part in stunts and other risky physical acts.

'Jackass Forever':Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O reunite for 'more mature' film. Yeah, right.

"I would pinpoint the beginning of my career as dropping out of the University of Miami in 1993," Glover said. "...At the time, when I was dropping out of the University of Miami, the obvious question was, 'Well, what are you gonna do now?' and my response was that I was gonna become a famous stunt man by video taping stunts with a home video camera.

"...Everyone I told this plan to truly felt sorry for me."

Glover soon went to Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College where he utilized what he learned to work as a clown up until the first day of filming for MTV. As Glover puts it, it was the same day he took off his clown makeup for the last time as he performed his first stunts for MTV.

Some of the home-video stunts Glover did were pitched for "Jackass," but were denied for being too dangerous or inappropriate to show on television. That did not stop Glover from filming stunts such as "things that were flagrantly illegal," as Glover put it.

"There's multiple medical professionals in disguise administering stolen drugs. One case, I got a medical professional in disguise puts an IV in my arm and pumps general anesthesia drugs into it while I'm riding a bicycle."

Guests can expect stand-up comedy with a twist at Glover's show, as 10 videos of his stunts and other shenanigans will also be included. As Glover explains, his comedy show is "XXX" rated for a good reason.

"The videos that play during the show...just go downhill...The footage I screen during the show, some of it makes full grown men pass out in their seats...We absolutely average one guy per show.

"You can also safely expect that, if you bring a child there, that you could get arrested. It's a whole new take on live comedy."

In addition to continuing "The Bucket List Tour," Glover also has a new book coming out in September 2022. His book, "A Hard Kick in the Nuts: What I’ve Learned from a Lifetime of Terrible Decisions," is a combination of his autobiography and lessons Glover has learned throughout his career and more.

"The idea of a book of wisdom from Steve-O is obviously ridiculous," Glover said. "We take advantage of it for the comedy that it's worth. There's certainly a lot about the book that's funny, but the reality is that the lessons I've learned are pretty gnarly and heavy. 

More:'Jackass' Steve-O duct tapes self to Hollywood billboard in diaper, removed by fire department

"As unrelatable as my experience in life can be, the wisdom I've gleaned from it, I think, is very relatable."

Those wanting to hear more about Glover's wild life and professional career, along with those of other celebrity guests, they can tune in to Glover's podcast, "Steve-O's Wild Ride." Guests such as Demi Lovato, Shaq, Tony Hawk, Post Malone and more have appeared on his show. All episodes of Glover's podcast can be found on his YouTube channel.

Despite Glover touting his wisdom as "ridiculous," he does have some advice to share with prospective stunt workers, comedians and anyone else deciding if they want to pursue their dreams.

"My advice for everybody is the same," Glover said, "no matter what it is you're trying to pursue is: start doing it. Don't wait for and opportunity, don't wait to get picked. Just start doing whatever it is that you want. Do whatever it is that you want to get good at.

"The only caveat is, find somebody who's further along than you or some reliable source to ensure that you're starting in the correct manner."

Tickets for Glover's Wednesday performance are nearly sold out as of Friday. Tickets range from $43 to $53 each. VIP tickets are sold out. Visit www.steveo.com to learn more about Glover's upcoming show and other work.

Margaret Christopherson is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email her at mchristopherson@jconline.com and follow her on Twitter @MargaretJC2.