ON STAGE
What: Jeremy Hotz
Where: McPherson Playhouse
When: Saturday Jan. 26, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $60.50-$71 from rmts.bc.ca, by phone at 250-386-6121, or in person at the Royal McPherson box office
The temperature of Jeremy Hotz’s stand-up comedy — from tone to content — is determined by a constantly changing set of circumstances.
For Hotz, a Canadian living in Los Angeles, it comes down to what’s pissing him off, from vacations to children’s television.
His beefs at the moment include but are not limited to the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump. What differentiates Hotz from many of his comic peers is that politics accounts for only a small portion of his act.
And while his anger toward the U.S. president can be felt in his various tirades, Hotz never mentions him by name. The comic says that’s his small attempt at sapping the president of his power.
“The overall feeling of the country, and of the rest of the world, since this guy has been in office, everyone is kind of on edge,” Hotz said during an interview from Los Angeles.
“I’m on edge, too. But do I concentrate on Trump and all that nonsense? No. I concentrate on all the shit he’s responsible for, without mentioning his name. I don’t even acknowledge him. I hate him that much.”
Hotz’s Dangerously Handsome tour brings the Ottawa-born funnyman to the McPherson Playhouse on Saturday, his first show in the city since 2016.
The tour is a big one, with 23 dates between B.C. and Nova Scotia over the next seven weeks.
That meant laundry was on his agenda as he prepared to leave Los Angeles for the tour-opening show on Friday night.
“It is a little trying. But it only puts me in a shittier mood, and then I’m funnier. Why do you think I play in February? It’s the shittiest time of year, when Canada is the most Canada-like.”
Hotz has embraced his insecurities throughout his career, making the most out of his ability to constantly complain.
With a hand often draped over one eye, his on-stage style is unusual; a creaky voice and Canadian je ne sais quoi only add to the intrigue.
In short, he comes across like a gentler but equally aggrieved Lewis Black.
“The older you get, the more ornery you get,” Hotz said. “When I was younger, I was already a miserable old man. I’ve just grown into it. I’m better at it now.”
The Gemini Award winner and Just For Laughs festival veteran has several projects on the go, in addition to his national tour.
He’s unable to provide details on the two shows he’s pitching to networks in Canada and the U.S., but confirms he will appear in a movie, James the Second, starring Isaiah Washington, Nick Stahl and George Wallace, due this summer.
He also taped two shows at Ottawa’s Algonquin Commons Theatre in November, which will be available on DVD at his upcoming shows.
Shackleton, his emotional support dog, helps Hotz with his generalized anxiety disorder. The sidekick makes an appearance in the concert video and will have a cameo on his tour dates, Hotz said. “He’s a bit of a ham. And he’s stealing my thunder. I used to be the star. That f--ker.”
The rise of Netflix has given audiences immediate access to specials from a range of comics. Sebastian Maniscalco, for example, made a solid living for years on the comedy circuit before Netflix brought his act to the masses.
He recently played four shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the first comic ever to do so.
Hotz has yet to see a similar influx of attention. “Am I seeing a greater interest in comedy? There’s a little bit of that. But you also wonder if there’s a bit over-saturating the market, and that’s not good for comedy, either.”
This, of course, gives rise to one of Hotz’s rants. Is he really like that in real life?
Hotz hears that question all the time from fans. Though he plays up the misanthropic element on stage, he admits to being exasperated by society as a whole.
“When something upsets me, it’s natural for me to come out loudly and express how I’m feeling about it. I’ve made a career out of that. You can’t shut me down in real life.
“But even though this stuff works on stage for me and kills, sometimes in life people stare at me like I’m an a--hole, so I’ve got to be careful. Especially in airports. The lady taking the tickets doesn’t find me amusing at all, just so you know.”
