STAND-UP TUESDAYS: Joe DeRosa

Stand-Up Tuesdays is a weekly comedy spotlight written by the wonderfully talented Angie Frissore. Covering both known and unknown comics, Stand-up Tuesdays is your new source for all things funny.

This week, Angie puts a spotlight on Joe DeRose and his latest release, Return Of The Son Of Depression Auction. If you or your comedy troupe would like to be featured on Stand-Up Tuesdays, please email utgjames@gmail.com.

It seems to me there’s been a subtle turning of the tide in the world of stand-up comedy, bringing with it a style of humor that is winning audiences over everywhere – the geek comic. These once-shunned, once-shy beings have carved out a niche for themselves that requires none of the bravado and ego that some comics rely on (I’m looking at you, Dane Cook) and instead turn the tables by maximizing on their own flaws.

Comedian Joe DeRosa takes things to a whole new level in his second full-length CD, Return Of The Son Of Depression Auction, talking about everything from being largely out of shape to having the posture of an earthworm.  Recorded at Go Bananas in Cincinnati, the album is intended to serve as a sort of sequel to his debut CD, The Depression Auction.

“This album was a big step for me because #1 it was my second album. I was very, very flattered and pleased with the way my first album was received. I didn’t expect for it to make the Punchline Magazine Top 10 of the year(Punchline’s now Laughspin),” DeRosa tells The Laugh Button. “I wasn’t expecting it, I was lucky enough to get on a couple other lists and I was very flattered by that, very flattered especially when I saw the other comics that I was on the list with. They were all comedians I really, really admire.”

DeRosa, whom I am convinced never sleeps, is more than just a comedian. He’s also an actor, musician, and film director – having made his directorial debut earlier this year with the short film Cheat, which was selected for the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival and stars DeRosa, Robert Kelley, and Bill Burr. He’s also currently writing, directing and producing a series of web shorts for Atom.com, and co-hosting the podcast “Uninformed” with Bill Burr.

The best part of DeRosa’s CD, at least to me, is what he has to say about food (and he’s got a lot to say).

“Smoothie shops are the worst, they’re very misleading aren’t they? The whole place is red and yellow and pink, and those are delicious colors to look at.  So you see that, and you go, ‘I’m runnin’ over there, I’m getting a cherry chocolate smoothie and it’s gonna be delicious!’” DeRosa muses.

“But you run over there, and you can’t wait to order it, but you can’t – because all they have on the menu is shit like The Immunity Blend – ground wheat grass with a shot of penicillin and vitamin C pills floating around in it. Oh my god I will punch you in the fucking throat right now. Give me a cherry chocolate smoothie.”

DeRosa also delicately paints a mental image about what he calls the worst moment in his life – puking on the subway – with such hilarious detail that I’ll never be able to eat fast food in public ever again.

“Oh my god, my throat is clogged up with chewed up chicken and Pepsi! And I can’t breathe! Holy shit! I’m gonna throw up.”

Joe DeRosa’s Return Of The Son Of Depression Auction should definitely be on your list of comedy albums to own as it’s by far one of the top five albums of the year. Pick up your copy today over at Comedy Central!

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3 Responses to “STAND-UP TUESDAYS: Joe DeRosa”

  1. Thanks for the shoutout! Joe is the man!

  2. Alex says:

    You misspell his name in the opening paragraph. Just an FYI :)

  3. B says:

    old no shoulders derosa is an excellent example of funny.