When?
December 1 @ 7 p.m.
Where?
Sanctuary Events Center 670 4th Ave N, Fargo, ND
Details
21+

Josh Blue, the amazing comedian, who happens to have cerebral palsy, is coming to Fargo and we are excited he is doing so! His accomplishments and appearances include:

1st place in NBC’s Last Comic Standing in 2006
A set in 2018 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
A performance at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal
Appearances on Comedy Central’s Mind of Mencia
Becoming the first comedian to perform stand-up on the Ellen DeGeneres Show
Five hour-long specials
Representing the United States in 8 countries as a member of the US Paralympic Soccer Team
And so much more that we can’t even list it all

This is our Q&A with him ahead of the show.

You grew up in the twin cities, did you ever make a trip to Fargo?

Yes, we did. I was really young. I think my folks had friends that lived there. We stayed with them for a night or two. It was one of those family road trip deals.

When you’re touring, do you ever get much of a chance to check out the places you travel?

Not as much as I’d like to but we definitely get to do some of that. And when I do, I like to walk around and check a place out.

Do you have any plans for Fargo?

I don’t. You know, I barely know what I’m going to have for lunch.

Do you enjoy touring?

I do, but it’s also a lot of work. I enjoy performing, but getting to a place and staying in a hotel isn’t something I enjoy anymore. It’s a lot of work for sure.

So, I’m sure winning Last Comic Standing was a pretty pivotal moment in your career, but do you remember the first time you thought that standup comedy might be something you could pursue as a career?

I actually studied standup in college and started doing it then. I didn’t really know how you could make a living at it in college, but I quickly realized that once I got into the real world, those other comedians were doing what I was doing so I thought, ‘Well shit, I can do it. Let’s do it.’

How long did you have to try your hand at it before you were making a livable income?

I’m very fortunate that I was making money right away. First, when I started, it would maybe just be a couple of free beers, but it was something. And then, I started getting paid pretty quickly. From the word ‘go’ I’ve been pretty good at this. I have no idea why. Whatever the ‘it factor’ is, I just have it. I had a day job for six months after college at a day program for adults with physical and developmental disabilities. Then, I just became a comedian, which not many people can say. I was 22 years old and living off money for making people laugh. It has been a cool ride so far.

For fans who are already familiar with your work, how will your show in Fargo be different?

Well, the thing is, if you haven’t seen me live, you haven’t really seen what I do. The stuff I do on television is very muted. The stuff I do on shows like America’s Got Talent is a very controlled environment and I play within those boundaries. But when it’s my show, and you’re coming to see me for an hour, there are no boundaries and I take you on a journey, man. Seeing me live is a different experience.

How much are you ad libbing when you are up there for a show?

It just depends on the show. I always like to say, the jokes I have are like bricks and the improv is the mortar and you just slap it in where it fits. And you know, it’s not even bricks—that’s too uniform. The jokes are the rocks. I’d say 92% of my show is prepared material, but then the other 8% is just flying by the seat of my pants.

You’ve been in music videos, you’ve toured, been in films and had standup specials. Is there anything else that you’re working on right now that you want to talk to people about?

I mean, I don’t have this in the works, but I’d love to have my own sitcom or my own TV show—something that can highlight my humor. It’d be groundbreaking having a disabled person be a lead in a sitcom as well. That side of things is needed at this point in society.

It’s interesting to hear you say that because it seems like sometimes people with a disability or condition say that they don’t want to be a spokesperson for something. Is that something you embrace?

No, I mean, I never asked for this. I just want to be the best standup comedian out there. But it does come with a level of responsibility. And being a spokesperson for a whole group of people is pretty insane. But I try not to dwell on it too much and just let the work speak for itself, and that just shows what we’re all capable of.

Who are some of your favorite comedians?

I’m a huge Chris Rock fan. And I love Mitch Hedberg, he was amazing. Bill Burr is amazing. Dave Chapelle is really, really good. You almost can’t even call him a comedian. It’s like he came from a different world.

I’ve gotten to work with Dave probably 60 times. I’ve been to his house. It’s pretty cool to say that I’ve been able to hang out with probably the most famous comedian that will ever grace the planet.

What’s it like interacting with Chapelle on a personal level?

He’s just like you see him on stage. On stage, that’s just Dave talking. He’s very kind. His brain just sees things differently than most everybody else.

Do you have any advice for aspiring comics out there?

Yeah, don’t bother, I got it covered.

The real truth is, If you want to be a stand-up comic, you have to immerse yourself in the lifestyle. If you can go to a comedy show, you have to go to the show—whether you’re in it or not. Just embrace the scene, embrace the culture. That’s where you really learn from, you can just learn from watching it.

Is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers?

I’m just excited to come. The live show is going to blow your socks off. It’s going to be a different animal than what you’ve seen and I’m looking forward to freezing my balls off.

If you’re not familiar with my work, you should check out my stuff on Amazon Prime. I have four hour-long specials on there and endless amounts of YouTube videos. My Dry Bar Comedy Special is almost at 20 million views which is pretty bonkers.

If you come to my show, you’re definitely not going to be disappointed. I’m definitely not a clean comic either. I don’t do a lot of grotesque sexual jokes, but I do like to say f***.

To learn more about Josh Blue, head to: joshblue.com

Facebook: /officialjoshblue
Instagram: joshbluecomedy
Twitter: @JoshBlueComedy
YouTube: Josh Blue Tube