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Josh Blue bringing standup show to Olympic South Side Theater in Cedar Rapids
Award-winning comedian riffs about his kids, his U.S. Soccer Paralympics team
Ed Condran
Mar. 28, 2024 6:30 am, Updated: Mar. 28, 2024 10:57 am
Josh Blue was kind enough to pull the curtain back a bit when detailing his experience on “America’s Got Talent” last year.
The ‘AGT: All-Star“ edition judges — Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel — gushed over Blue. However, the comic, who placed third in the competition, revealed that he didn’t interact with the arbiters of taste, except from a distance on the set.
“The contact between me and the judges was minimal,” Blue said while calling from his Denver home. “I never actually met them. I just saw them from the stage. But I didn’t have to meet them. Every time I performed they gave me a standing ovation, which is better than words. To get that kind of reaction while being on one of the biggest platforms in the world is amazing.”
If you go
What: Comedian Josh Blue: “As Not Seen on TV“ tour, with Doug Thompson opening
Where: Penguins Comedy Club at The Olympic South Side Theater, 1202 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids
When: 7:30 p.m. April 4, 2024
Tickets: $35 table seat, $70 couch; theolympiccr.com/events/comedian-josh-blue
Artist’s website: joshblue.com/
Blue, 45, is ready for the bright lights since he has honed his skills as a standup comedian for more than 20 years. The odds against anyone trying to make a living in comedy never stopped Blue, and the same can be said for the challenges of cerebral palsy.
“I was inspired to be a comic ever since I was a kid,” he said. ”I was influenced by Bill Cosby, but you can’t talk about him anymore. I loved watching Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor and Dave Chappelle. I thought it would be cool to try standup. It’s the best decision I ever made, since I can’t think of a better way to make a living than making people laugh.“
Blue, who will perform a Penguins Comedy Club show April 4, 2024, at the Olympic South Side Theater in Cedar Rapids, is riffing about his children and technology. His son is 16 and his daughter is 14.
“It’s been a rough couple of months, since both of my kids are pushing boundaries,” he said. “I’ll talk about that onstage. It’s nothing horrible. It’s just typical kid stuff they’re putting me through. My son got caught drinking. It’s a lot of the same stuff I did. I can’t be too upset.”
Blue’s children never speak with their father about his references to them in his act.
“I don’t know how much they know about what I say regarding them,” he said. “Later in life they’ll look at it and see that their dad said some funny things about them. However, what I said wasn’t particularly kind.”
Sometimes Blue performs with a broccoli shirt.
“People try to find some deep meaning with those shirts,” he said. “The shirt doesn't mean anything at all. My sister made me a broccoli shirt. She thought it would be funny to have a mystery behind a vegetable.”
Like many entertainers, Blue immerses himself in other artistic endeavors. When not writing jokes or performing, he sculpts and paints.
“You can call me ‘Palsy Pollock,’ ” he cracked while referencing legendary artist Jackson Pollock. “I bought $1,300 worth of canvas today. I love doing abstracts. I like that art and comedy are very different forms of expression. I’ve been an artist longer than I’ve been a comedian. I can’t draw a straight line, so I don’t bother with it, and I make abstract images.”
Fellow comic Steven Wright is a prolific painter.
“I know about that,” Blue said. “Steven is a really good artist.”
Blue also is an athlete, and is a role model for people with disabilities. His success as a member of the U.S. soccer team at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, Greece, was inspiring. However, Blue can’t help but rip himself and the squad.
“We were so bad that we didn’t have to worry about getting tested for performance-enhancing drugs,” he joked.
The personal digs are part of his charm.
“I’m a comedian,” he said. “Sometimes, you make fun of yourself. It’s part of what I do.”