Like it or not, Andrew Schulz is growing up.
The 40-year-old comedian is a first-time father, and that journey fuels the bulk of his current standup tour. It’s called “Life” for a reason.
Schulz’s stop at Denver’s Paramount Theatre this week – part of three sold-out shows – drew a decidedly younger demographic willing to hear Schulz’s bumpy path to fatherhood.
Final Shows of The Life Tour.
We added a few more.
See you soonhttps://t.co/ESE9SE2VmV pic.twitter.com/mShT4EfoOg
— Andrew Schulz
HEZI (@andrewschulz) October 10, 2024
It’s not what many expected. Schulz’s humor is apolitical but barbed, brimming with counter-culture observations. That approach has made him famous enough to lure Donald Trump to his “Flagrant” podcast.
It also made him a target for the woke Left. He’s been canceled – twice – and it could get worse before it gets better.
No matter. His fans remain by his side and they cheered on every step of his fatherhood journey at Thursday’s 9:30 pm MT show. He luxuriated in the reception, referencing news that the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) canceled his upcoming show hours after his Trump interview went live.
He had planned to shoot his upcoming comedy special at the New York venue. He vowed to find a new club, and fast.
“I wish we filmed the special here tonight,” Schulz said in response to a fan cursing out BAM for its actions.
Andrew Schulz says his performance at the Brooklyn Academy of Music was cancelled following his Trump interview pic.twitter.com/nB93owbgwn
— Autism Capital
(@AutismCapital) October 16, 2024
That was as culturally pointed as the night got, minus a brief acknowledgment of Aurora, Colo.’s Venezuelan gang woes.
Consider this a kinder, gentler Schulz, but he’s still not pulling any verbal punches. The adults-only material had the tone his fans craved.
RELATED: ANDREW SCHULZ SHREDS MEDIA, W.H.O.
The show opened with endless clips of a younger Schulz, both his early years and pit stops on the road to adulthood. He’s in a nostalgic mood, partially brought on by the birth of his daughter, Shiloh.
It wasn’t easy for Schulz and his bride to conceive.
He shared that intimate journey with laughter and revelations. Consider “Meatball,” the fertility worker who told the comic jokes he found bleakly hilarious. Or how he considered pausing his hair medication to help the chances he’d impregnate his bride.
That kind of raw honesty left a mark.
Schulz remains an unabashedly masculine performer. He’s no Andrew “Dice” Clay, but his riffs on being gay suggest schoolyard taunts of yore. It’s never mean-spirited, and the crowd hardly minded.
One quip referenced gay people being barred from heaven. He’s acknowledging what some people believe without endorsing it. Heck, he likely finds it silly based on his tone.
It’s vintage Schulz. He’s adept at jokes targeting different communities, often with the blessing of members in the crowd. He proved that in his 2022 special, “Infamous.”
Another example? He said his newborn baby looked Latino when she was first born, much to his shock. Again, zero malice intended. The demographically mixed crowd howled.
Much of the set involved topics others have riffed on before. Not every joke scored, and some fatherly observations felt overly familiar.
He imprinted the better gags with his perspective, proving a nimble wit in the process.
Schulz’s evolution should be fascinating to watch. Fatherhood will change a man, and his profile soared even higher after the Trump interview. He may be a hit with Gen Z now, but Father Time is undefeated.
Let’s hope he retains some of that boyish charm along the way.
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