BY ANDERSON HOBBS for WEEKLY VOLCANO 5/16/25
“The first time I stopped smoking meth, people didn’t believe me. Which makes sense, because I was lying!” —Sam Miller
There’s something therapeutic about Sam Miller’s style of stand-up comedy, but just don’t call it therapy. Over the past decade, the Olympia-based comedian has honed his craft through unapologetically honest tales of drug addiction, homelessness, incarceration, and redemption. Miller is a natural storyteller who leads the audience on a relatable journey of self-deprecation with surprising vulnerability.
On his debut album Round Trip, Miller lays it all out with a wild-yet-poignant recollection of life on the streets—including the day in 2008 when he decided to get clean and sober. It happened after another meth binge, when he woke up under a tarp with a strange woman in front of the Capitol Theater in downtown Olympia—the same theater where he would record Round Trip for Stand Up! Records in 2023. The album reached number one on the iTunes comedy chart.
“Gabe Rutledge, a comic out of Olympia, told me the best way to do comedy is to talk about what makes you laugh and invite other people along,” Miller explained. “This comedy stuff isn’t something that I do. It’s something that I am.”
Miller, who grew up in Spanaway, returns to Tacoma on May 22 for a night at the Spanish Ballroom at McMenamins Elks Temple. He recently recorded his second comedy special in Astoria, Oregon, and said some of that new material could surface at the Tacoma show—if the mood is right.
There’s a certain gratitude for life that Miller channels into his routine as he riffs on the stupid things he did while he was high. But he’s dead serious about recovery and sobriety. In fact, it was during his early recovery that friends urged Miller to pursue comedy. Humor has been key to Miller’s survival, he says, noting that most people know someone in recovery.
“For a long time I was really ashamed of who I was. That made me make unhealthy decisions. I get to make better decisions today because I got help,” said Miller. “There are things that I did that I’m ashamed of, but I’m not ashamed of who I am.”
Miller admires comedy legends like George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin, and Mitch Hedberg, but cites a nontraditional influence on his entertainment style: pro wrestlers like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mick Foley. He also writes a lot—and some of it’s serious. He’s working on a collection of writings with renowned artist and cartoonist Pat Moriarity that includes a graphic novel portion depicting a time Miller got drunk “and tried to sleep with a dude’s wife and woke up with a gun in my face.”
Miller is in the middle of a tour that’s taking him across the country, including a recent headlining gig at the prestigious Zanies Comedy Club in Chicago. In between gigs, he has appeared on the Dopey comedy podcast as well as The Bob & Tom Show. And while he misses his wife and children while on the road, he is excited at the possibilities ahead.
“Dude, I couldn’t imagine that I would be here two months ago,” Miller expressed about his comedy career’s upward mobility. “Things are moving fast and moving in the right direction.”
Sam Miller performs at 7 p.m. May 22 at the Spanish Ballroom, McMenamins Elks Temple in Tacoma. Visit www.mcmenamins.com/elks-temple for tickets.
