A question about Billy Joel's My Life. What does the line "Now he gives them a stand-up routine in L.A." mean?

Question

The lyrics are below:

Got a call from an old friend

We used to be real close

Said he couldn’t go on the American way

Closed the shop, sold the house

Bought a ticket to the West Coast

Now he give them a stand-up routine in L.A.

Now he gives them a stand-up routine in L.A.

Answer 1

Stand up routine is an entertainer who is trying to get a break into the Big Time by playing small venues, (That's how I see it).