If you Google comedian Steve Hofstetter, you may stumble on this quote: “I don’t know what it is about the open road that makes it so appealing. Maybe it’s because when you’re headed somewhere, you don’t have to be where you’ve already been.” And if you go beyond his popular YouTube clips that first smack you in the face, and deeper into the internet abyss of search results mentioning Steve Hofstetter’s name, this more serious quote by a not always serious man takes on a whole new meaning.
Why? Because Hofstetter isn’t a one-trick pony. Sure, stand-up is his jam, but he keeps doing new things in that space, as well as in others, so he can keep moving forward on that physical and metaphorical road and not go back to where he’s been, making his achievements diverse. To name a few, he’s written for publications such as The New York Times and SportsIllustrated.com, hosted shows and segments on satellite and broadcast radio, released five comedy albums (the latest of which hit number one on the iTunes comedy chart), toured the college circuit a whole lot, and appeared on CBS, Showtime, VH1, Sundance, and ESPN. He was even on ABC’s “Barbara Walter’s Special,” and in the Lifetime movie, Psycho Yoga Instructor, both of which I thought were included in his list of accomplishments as jokes. (They are, in fact, not.)
Hofstetter’s latest venture is opening the Steel City Arts Foundation (AF)—a live, work, play environment for up-and-coming comedians. Located in Pittsburg, PA, Steel City AF will provide a facility for comedians to live, write, edit, maybe work out, record, broadcast, and more, free of charge. This project is merely the next stop on the charitable road for Hofstetter, who created the Martin Foundation back in 2014, in honor of his late father, to aid comics by providing monetary support to help them focus on their art.
And now, Hofstetter himself is back on the literal road, on his 100+ city “Comedy Without Apology” tour. Known for creating his stand-up in the moment by interacting with his live audience, Hofstetter is coming to Las Vegas to antagonize, humorize, and possibly traumatize, but not apologize, to our locals and tourists. (For an idea of what this means, watch some of Hofstetter’s YouTube clips from his live shows and then think hard about what you might ask him from the audience.) It is this brand of comedy that got Hofstetter noticed by Fox Television and landed him a show with them back in 2014, and it is sure to entertain when he makes his stop here.
As for what comes after this tour, that’s hard to say, but I have a feeling Hofstetter won’t be going somewhere or doing something that he has already done before. The road will remain wide open to him for as long as he’ll let it.
Comedian Steve Hofstetter will perform at The Fremont Country Club on Tuesday, October 5 at 7 p.m. Doors at 6 p.m. Tickets available at www.smashmagazine.com. This show is a 21+ event.