Don’t hassle the Hofstetter…
Seriously, don’t do it. If you’ve ever seen a video of Steve Hofstetter, you should know better. If you haven’t, you’re missing out on one of the most insightful minds of modern times.
The guy could have taken a lot of different paths and been a success. He’s got the wit and timing and that “it” factor that draws in your attention. His insights aren’t profound, they’re grounded in basic common sense which is becoming ever so rare but yet they’re a breath of fresh air in the chaos.
As soon as I found out he was performing in San Francisco, I wanted to interview him. I put it off thinking he’d be too busy and say no but decided to send the email anyway. Much to my surprise, he not only responded, he agreed to give me 15 minutes before the show.
The guy is a fucking machine doing over 200 dates per year all over the world. If you’ve never been on tour, you really can’t comprehend the logistics of doing this. Most people can’t plan a week-long vacation and this dude is all over the place bringing his A-game each night.
I arrived early while they were doing soundcheck and the lights were dimmed. I couldn’t see him but I could hear him giving orders and setting up the show with efficiency and precision. He wasn’t rude or demanding, he was polite to everyone but it was clear he knew what he was doing and how he needed things for the show to be a success.
Another thing I should mention that might not be clear in his videos is that he’s a big dude. Imagine that nerdy guy who gets picked on and then he stands up and the room goes silent, that’s him. He’s like 6’4 and carries himself with confidence. Remember Jason Segel’s character in SLC Punk? Same basic idea…
“You must be Seth?” he said as he walked up slightly rushed but totally focused. I….completely slurred my words and babbled something that clearly made no fucking sense.
“We’ve got to hurry up and do this, I’ve got a meet-and-greet in 30 minutes.” he said as we started walking up to the Green room. He wasn’t being rude, he just had a whole lot of shit going on. In no way was I offended since 15 minutes is a big chunk of time and energy for a guy like him to give to a dude like me.
The good news is that I’m a Chef so as soon as I walked in the room, it was go time. I slipped into my zone, unpacked my gear, and set up my cameras without hesitation. I could tell that he was obviously still skeptical about giving me the time so I turned on the cameras and pulled out my notes. After the first question, he loosened up a bit and, honestly, it’s the best interview I’ve ever done.
After we finished, he mentioned that he was going to be doing some brand new material on anxiety and mental health and since the show wasn’t sold out, I decided to buy a ticket and take the ride. I know, I should have gotten one earlier but I’ve had shit going on.
One of the things that I admire about the guy is that he works his ass off to help lift up other artists. On this tour, he’s got an opener he’s traveling with but also picks a local comic to give them exposure.
Steve comes out, does a quick intro and explains the rules to the crowd while getting em built up for the show. Having spent 21 years on stage, he knows how to pull your attention even if you have no idea who he is.
Both openers were funny as a fuck. Both in the material and delivery, they did a hell of a job. In a weird way, comedy is like food. You can have great material but if you don’t have a sense of timing and delivery, you’ll fall flat. Unfortunately, I was way too stoned to remember their names. My apologies.
Steve’s set exceeded expectations and even his new stuff hit home. If you were analyzing and over thinking about it, you could slightly tell that it was his first time and it might need some polish but, it was one of the best descriptions of anxiety I’ve ever heard. The slight shake in delivery actually made it feel a bit more authentic. I’ve always liked the guy but now have even more respect for him given how graphically honest he was while also being able to poke fun at the condition. His take on the difference between fear and anxiety made sense and I think it’s going to help a lot of people as a result.
The bad news is that the show was on a Sunday, between Christmas and New Year’s, in San Francisco. This means that it was a crowd of people who genuinely like Steve and knew what to expect. It also meant that the place was vacant of drunks and hecklers. If you’ve ever watched his clips, Steve is a fucking Aikido Master at spinning these clowns around and turning them into a punchline. Watching him take down idiots with simple logic is a beautiful thing and yet we didn’t get to see it since people were respectful.
I needed this. Not just the fact that I got to hang out and interview someone I admire, I needed to be in a room of like-minded people sharing the same fears yet coming together on a cold rainy Sunday night to find hope and laughter. Normally I hate crowds but there was a sense of community in the audience that I haven’t felt in a while and all three comics gave me plenty to think about on the drive back to Oakland. Not a bad way to end a weird fucking year…
Also, check out his venue in Pittsburgh