Rising Comic Damian Montes Steals the Show at Jimmy Kimmel's Comedy Club in Las Vegas

Writer’s Credit: Jacob Jordan

Photographed By: Ally Jordan - @lexography.ports

I had the pleasure of seeing Damian "I'll take whatever's not dry" Montes perform at Jimmy Kimmel's Comedy Club on July 17, 2026. Damian was featuring for comedian Cat Ce who currently boasts a special on Amazon and Apple TV. He came out strong winning the crowd over instantly with some self-deprecating jabs at his look and style. After a little light ribbing of the MC we were into the meat of his set where his comedic timing and rhythm were fast and tight without feeling stilted or rushed. He touched on his ongoing sobriety and Mexican heritage where he lampooned those calling themselves "California Sober". He also explored the struggles of being a bi-sexual man married to a woman, catching strays from all sides as he evaded others' attempts to define who he is or should be.

In an interview with photographer Ally Jordan, Damian spoke about his inspirations and the impetus for his desire to become a comedian. He talked about growing up watching Comedy Central Presents as a child, citing comedy luminary George Carlin and his ability to explain complex political topics through the lens of humor. But to Damian it has always been about making people laugh. For him, it's about finding that place where, no matter what you believe, you can find the silliness in life and bring balance to every perspective with humor.

During the interview, Damian discussed how he started his stand-up comedy journey at the tender age of 13 performing a set at the 'Brainwash Cafe & Laundromat', a combination restaurant and laundromat in San Francisco that has also hosted Robin Williams and Ali Wong in the earlier stages of their careers. He described wanting to perform merely for the love of the craft, and elaborated that in his naive ignorance, he believed everyone was merely there to get high together and make people laugh… later finding out the fully grown adult performers were actually getting paid the whole time. He spoke about how the jokes he tells are him, that the real breakthrough comes when you tell jokes not about things that you think are funny but about the things about your life that are funny. "I remember this transition, of trying to write a joke about anything I just didn't care about. I tried so hard and it just wasn't good, but then I told a story about the first time I told my Mom I was gay, and people thought it was hilarious. And I was like, 'Oh… I just need to be more authentic and stop bullshitting about things I don't care about.'

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Damian explained he made this breakthrough right around the time the pandemic was winding down; he joined a comedy group in San Francisco and began doing material more authentic to himself, finding the humor in his unique experiences. He expounded, "I'm not trying to relate, I'm not trying to work through something, but when something in my life happens I talk about it. And people just feel that authenticity." It certainly felt that way at JK's comedy club; the crowd was laughing along as he explained that one of his biggest pet peeves is other people telling him how he should be. He related a story in which he pulled an Uno reverse on a friend who questioned his sexuality by repeating the same phrases his friend used about his gayness to question the validity of his grandmother's cancer diagnosis. These kinds of antics were Damian's stock and trade as he closed his set by asking "Would you guys like to see the dumbest thing I do?" and proceeded to do impersonations of owls from different places. This kind of lighthearted silliness and love of storytelling made for a great set and fantastic feature for Cat.

In the future Damian looks to headline his own shows; he's confident in his comedic chops and wants to see his act grow. In the interview, he spoke on the challenges facing an up-and-coming comedian. He described the ultra-competitive environment at the early stages and the constant need to self-promote through social media, all leading to that pivotal turning point when your name gets recognition. He discussed learning from the comedians on tour and those that have reached a point in their career where they can reach a hand down to those still fighting for a spot in the limelight. If good luck is when hard work meets opportunity, then with a philosophy of "You just have to keep going because if you quit you'll never make it", Damian is well on his way to finding his place as one of comedy's greats.

You can find Damian here on social media,

https://www.instagram.com/comediantdm?igsh=MXR5OHI0eXc2b3U5eA==