Interview · moment 9 of 20
The Machine Story Goes Viral
from Bert Kreischer · #137
Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.
4 minGuest
Bert details the unglamorous, low-ticket New Year's Eve show before the Machine story clip went viral on Facebook in December 2016, instantly transforming his ticket sales the following weekend in a blizzard in New Jersey and then Buffalo.
- 24:21Showtime Special comes out, no one sees it.
- 24:48Venue lost money on the weekend; Tim wanted to give them a refund out of guilt.
- 25:17Three years earlier, Tim's guarantees across the board were just 10 grand with $500 bonuses per show.
- 25:44The machine story goes viral and Tim sells out every single show at Stress Factory.
- 26:16Tim asks the crowd how many came from Joe Rogan's podcast, then realizes the rest came for the machine video.
- 26:40That viral machine video becomes a genuine game changer for his career.
- 26:56Vinnie gives Tim two grand extra, which leads him to start the weight staff raffle.
- 27:19Next weekend in Buffalo, same blizzards, same sellouts—17 years in, suddenly an overnight sensation.
- 27:37Machine story had been in his special before Facebook allowed it to go viral.
the machine storyVinnie BrandLebedy LiveStress FactoryJoe Rogan's podcastShowtimeFlorentine