Up front and straight to the point is how Earthquake describes his style of comedy. Audiences wouldn’t want it any other way from a performer who’s revered by comedy fans and is fellow comedians alike for his razor-sharp wit and frank, funny take on the world around him. That’s the brand he brings to the Strip for a much-anticipated series of performances at the Laugh Factory in the Tropicana Las Vegas.

Born Nathaniel Stroman, Earthquake earned his nickname from his mother growing up in the southeast of Washington, D.C. After an 11-year career in the Air Force, he decided to develop his comedy career, working as a stand-up in Atlanta’s comedy clubs before breaking through nationally as a performer on the Def Comedy Jam Tour in 1997.

His later TV appearances include Premium Blend on Comedy Central and Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO. He also starred as Uncle Mike on Everybody Hates Chris and appeared alongside Ice Cube in The Longshots.

He continues to tour extensively in the U.S. and Canada, with highly acclaimed performances at festivals such as The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas and Just for Laughs in Montreal.

Earthquake Background

A comedian, actor and radio host born and raised in Washington, D.C., Nathaniel Stroman has been better known as Earthquake ever since he was given the nickname by his mother. He joined the Air Force the day after graduating high school, eventually rising to the rank of sergeant. He ended his 11-year military career during the first Gulf War in 1991.

All those experiences helped Earthquake develop the honest and often hilarious style of stand-up that first earned him attention in the Atlanta area in the early 1990s. His national breakthrough arrived in 1997 when he joined Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam Tour. Appearances on such shows as BET’s ComicView led to further opportunities in film and TV, including spots on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, Jamie Foxx’s stand-up showcase Laffapalooza!, Weekends at the D.L. with D.L. Hughley and Real Time with Bill Maher. Earthquake also performed the recurring role of Uncle Mike on The CW’s Everybody Hates Chris, starred in Kevin Smith’s Clerks II and voiced the part of Root the Rooster in the 2006 animated hit Barnyard.

Released in 2005, Earthquake’s first DVD About Got Damm Time was hailed as a frank, fearless and hysterically funny demonstration of his stand-up abilities. It also helped cement his place as a favorite of fellow comedians like Whoopi Goldberg and John Mulaney.