Joe Wong September 22, 2010

Self-titled as an “all American immigrant,” Joe Wong came a long way from a rosy-eyed new immigrant to a blossoming comedian. His jokes range from ethnic, personal, political, observational to bizarre. It’s not always easy to categorize his humor, but it is always inspired.

In China, Joe enjoyed watching traditional Chinese standup comedy and sketches. He wrote and starred in two comedy sketches that won accolades from audiences. Continually fascinated by the vibrant American culture, he tried to learn about it through rock music from static-laden radio stations and a limited amount of books and movies.

Joe finally made the leap to the United States in 1994 and ended up at Rice University in Texas. In 1996, Joe honed his writing skills by becoming a columnist for the campus newspaper The Thresher. He was thrilled to find out how much people enjoyed his humor.

Moving to Boston in late 2001 to take advantage of the well-established comedy scene, Joe enrolled in standup, acting and improvisational comedy classes. He quickly became a Boston favorite among comedians and audience members alike. Joe has won the Lizard Lounge weekly comedy contest six times, thus standing out in the comedy club in Cambridge, Massachusetts noted for its smart comedians.

In 2003, Joe wrote and produced the short film, "Joe Huang For President," which won Best Short Film at the 2003 Cambridge Fringe Fest beating out nationwide competition. After the Fringe Fest, he appeared on the local television show Chowdah (Comcast).

Cheered on by his fellow comedians, Joe was a finalist in the 2003 Boston International Comedy Festival, thus making his way to the top eight of some 300 contestants from all over North America. During the competition, scouts from NBC and CBS, as well as reporters from local newspapers took notice. One of his jokes was quoted in the Boston Herald.

In the 2005 Boston Comedy Festival, Joe participated in the David Letterman Showcase show where his performance won rave reviews from the press. Later that year, he was interviewed by WBUR the public radio station who also broadcast part of his live performance.

In 2006 and 2007, Joe performed and headlined in numerous high profile shows such as the Autism Speaks Show, the ACDC Benefit Show and the Ticket to Asia Show. He was featured and interviewed in three newspapers, two magazines and the NECN and ABC TV stations.

Currently, Joe Wong performs regularly in major comedy clubs and colleges throughout the country, as well as benefits and corporate events. His volume of comedy material, his originality, and his "cut-from-a-different-kind-of-mold" character create a persona that audiences can't help but love.

Awards:

Finalist at the Boston International Comedy and Film Festival (May 2003) Best Short Film award at the Cambridge Fringe Fest (March 2003) Six-time winner of Standup Comedy Contest at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, MA

Miscellaneous Facts:

Dream job: work on TV announcing losing lottery numbers.
Music: loves classic rock, but there are no new songs in that genre.
Music theory: Dave Matthews is a poor man's Paul Simon; John Mayer is a poor man's Dave Matthews; Paul Simon is a poor man's John Mayer