Among the many things Jon Fisch’s audience can expect on Thursday night—the opening night of the Hoboken Comedy Festival—making fun of Jersey was not one of it.
Fisch, 39 (or as he says, “on his triple bar mitzvah”), a comedian you know from many stand-up gigs in the city as well as a David Letterman, used to live in Weehawken for many years and has quite some history with Hoboken.
“I went to the uptown New York Sports Club, I went to the park by the water, I got parking tickets there,” Fisch said in a phone interview on Thursday. “They have that smashed bagel place. Oh yeah, I love that!” (Fisch said also that he once got food poisoning at the Frozen Monkey cafe, a mid-town coffeeshop that has since shuttered.)
While Fisch moved out many years ago and now resides in Astoria, Queens, he said he was excited for his return to Hoboken. It has been about seven years.
“I’m excited to come over a little early and walk around and get nostalgic,” he said.
Before being a full time stand up comedian, Fisch worked at a psychiatric hospital as a mental health counselor. But when he enrolled in a comedy class about 14 years ago, he was hooked immediately.
“I think I just always wanted to do it, and I didn’t think I could,” he said. For the past eight years, Fisch has been a full time comedian. And, he added, he still stays in touch with his friends from that class.
“That’s what kept me going,” Fisch said, “a support system.”
In New York City, Fisch is a regular at the Comedy Cellar, Gotham Comedy Club, Broadway Comedy Club and the Comic Strip.
Fisch said he was planning to try out some new stuff on the Hobokenites on Thursday night, but will also use some jokes from his repertoire.
“They can expect me to be fully clothed, not make fun of Jersey and tell funny jokes.”
Anything else to add, Jon?
“Normally I’d say there’s no jokin’ in Hoboken,” he said, “but tonight there will be.”