Joe has hit the stage four times at the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival, leading to two development deals with major television networks.

Transcription

1 BIOGRAPHY: JOE MATARESE Joe Matarese grew up in Cherry Hill, NJ and now resides with his wife and 2 kids just minutes outside of NYC in the burbs. His completely autobiographical act pokes fun at his subtly dysfunctional Italian family, his own neuroses and use of the SSRI Celexa and the ADD med Adderall improving him in so many ways, life with 2 young kids, and his marriage to a psychologist (his perfect match). Joe s talent for turning real life struggles into comedic gems has landed him appearances on the most sought after TV and radio shows including The Late Show with David Letterman, America s Got Talent (where he received a standing ovation from all 4 celebrity judges and the 2000 person crowd), Chelsea Lately, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central Presents (his very own 1/2 hour special), The Howard Stern Show, and his brand new 1 hour special Medicated. You may also recognize him from Bravo s reality series Better Half where he taught his wife to perform standup and she brought home the $20,000 prize. Joe has hit the stage four times at the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival, leading to two development deals with major television networks. Joe s podcast, Fixing Joe, is available every Friday in itunes, and everywhere else you can find podcasts. Now in its third season, the show's format continues to evolve. True to its beginnings, every week Joe shares a specific problem he s having in his life in talk show format. New to this season, Joe starts each episode with brand new, under development, live standup on that week's topic, giving fans a window into how his everyday struggles feed his comedy. He then brings the issue of the week to a comedian round table, fields phone calls from listeners who call into share their experiences and give Joe advice, and usually ends the show with some of his classic stand up bits on topic. Over the first two seasons of Fixing Joe, there have been over 300 episodes with guests like Craig Ferguson, Artie Lange, Jay Mohr, Phil Rosenthal, and even Robert Romanus, otherwise known as Damone from one of Joe's all time favorite movies: Fast Times At Ridgemont High. Season 3 brings more of Joe's comedy to his fans while keeping the real-life issues and poignant moments of previous seasons. As always, Joe keeps hoping that by fixing him, you fix a little of yourself at the same time.

2 PRESS RELEASE: JOE MATARESE Comic Gets Fixed for Success March 4, 2016, New York City Today everyone has their own neurosis, but most don t make a living off their problems. Joe Matarese is the exception to that rule. Attempting to fix his own issues while married to a psychologist (his perfect match) and raising two kids in a leafy New York suburb is the fuel for Matarese s fame as a stand up comedian and podcast maestro. A combination of Richard Lewis and Ray Romano, Joe Matarese s entire stand up act deals with his neuroses, daily life with his wife and kids and his dysfunctional Italian family. After beginning stand up comedy at a Philadelphia open mic at age 19, Joe Matarese has perfected his trade over the past 25 years, gaining fame with multiple performances on The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. His unique brand of humor has been showcased at the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival as well as in his own comedy special on Comedy Central. Despite this success, for years a dark cloud hung over Joe Matarese who felt he was constantly struggling against chronic anxiety, anger issues, and a lifelong history of ADD. For a time, Matarese found unique ways of channeling these issues, producing a CD entitled, When Comedians Attack, that documented his verbal outbursts at unsuspecting hecklers, and another entitled Disconnected, revealing how his psychological issues were affecting him as a husband and new father. While most comedians shy away from medication in fear that their "crazy" fuels their creativity, Matarese ultimately felt his was holding him back. It was at this point that he decided to take charge by starting medication for anxiety and ADD. Rather than avoiding these personal topics on stage, in true Matarese fashion, he turned himself into a comedic advocate for self-help and a poster child for psychotropic drugs. In his most recent 1 hour special, aptly dubbed, Medicated, Matarese uses his comedic talents to openly discuss how these medications have turned his life around. Joe s podcast, Fixing Joe, is available every Friday in itunes, and everywhere else you can find podcasts. Now in its third season, the show's format continues to evolve. True to its beginnings, every week Joe shares a specific problem he s having in his life in talk show format. New to this season, Joe starts each episode with brand new, under development, live standup on that week's topic, giving fans a window into how his everyday struggles feed his comedy. He then brings the issue of the week to a comedian round table, fields phone calls from listeners who call into share their experiences and give Joe advice, and usually ends the show with some of his classic stand up bits on topic. Over the first two seasons of Fixing Joe, there have been over 300 episodes with guests like Craig Ferguson, Artie Lange, Jay Mohr, Phil Rosenthal, and even Robert Romanus, otherwise known as Damone from one of Joe's all time favorite movies: Fast Times At Ridgemont High. Season 3 brings more of Joe's comedy to his fans while keeping the real-life issues and poignant moments of previous seasons. As always, Joe keeps hoping that by fixing him, you fix a little of yourself at the same time. The successful podcast show has been recently turned into a 13-episode web series also called, Fixing Joe, which is now available on Not bad for a neurotic guy who needs your help.

3 PRESS: JOE MATARESE Comedian Joe Matarese has the Rx for funny Matthew Chimento1:04 p.m. EST February 12, 2016 LINK: Editor's note: Due to high demand, a second show by Joe Matarese has been added at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Ritz. See infobox for ticket details. I like to imagine comedian Joe Matarese moving through his essential life stations the way we all should: with Gonna Fly Now (you re not allowed to call it The Rocky Theme. Show some respect) building and crashing in the background. You know he hears those signature horns when he stands on stage at the Wells Fargo Center, on tour with a true master of the craft, Bill Burr, and in the company of more than 12,000 people. He had it on loop for his appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman, or alongside Chelsea Handler on Chelsea Lately, or even while winning audiences on Last Comic Standing. But duh. All of that s so obvious. And, really, a bit disingenuous. Because Gonna Fly Now is the score for the come-up. Your mind can go to a million different places when you hear that anthem, but you shouldn t forget it s Rocky running the streets. Putting in his work. Visualizing the zenith because, and let s be honest, the journey feels impossible right up to the very point it no longer is. Sometimes you can t shake its imprint, for better or worse. It becomes a defining characteristic. And as it just so happens, Joe Matarese is someone who pays particularly close attention to that journey. I, for instance, get more satisfaction out of thinking that, in addition to all the other big, glorious, rushing-the-ring moments, Joe Matrese hums the composition made immortal by Bill Conti while chatting with me on the phone and breaking into a brief sidebar with his wife. His son ( Trying hard now ) needs to be picked up from winter soccer practice ( Getting strong now ) and there are instructions to read on a note ( Gonna fly now ). What does water bottle mean? he asks. Oh. Don t let him forget his water bottle. Dude might as well be adorned in a sweatsuit, shadowboxing. Born and raised in Cherry Hill (he s a product of East, should you have wondered), Matarese is a stand-up comedian going on 25-plus years in the business; a Philadelphia

4 fan (his first realization sports life existed outside of Greater? Tug McGraw s landmark 1980 We re No. 1! speech); an active podcaster; and a forever pledge to the Church of Balboa. Throughout his more than 25 years in the business, Matarese has traveled wide and achieved much. He always keeps his South Jersey roots in mind. (Photo: PHOTO PROVIDED) Plus he s really funny. I should tell you how funny he is. Very. He s also gearing up for a homecoming performance, of sorts, at the Ritz Theatre in Haddon Township Saturday, Feb. 13, where he intends to share his honest, no-punches pulled material, much of which derives from his most recent special, Medicated. (Joe s) act is polished, his delivery is casual, says Kris Clayton, production manager and technical director with the Ritz Theatre Company. Clayton met Matarese a few years back in the capacity of comedy club general manager and fast identified headliner potential. He was one of the guys that helped me understand comedy and the process comics go through developing an act, says Clayton, who is part of the team at the Ritz committed to diversifying the venue s upcoming entertainment lineup by adding more alternative offerings, such as comedy showcases. Matarese draws his new material from his Medicated special, which portrays in an honest light his adoption of medication to treat anxiety and adult ADD. (Photo: PHOTO PROVIDED) So long as I provided an audience, I knew Joe would deliver the goods. I understand you re going to dip into your new comedy special, Medicated, at the Ritz Theatre. Can you tell me a little about the material? A major theme in my material is fixing me. I fix all of me in this special and not just my mental state, either. Marrying a psychologist and starting a family really helped motivate me to eventually try Celexa for my anxiety issues and, more recently, Adderall for adult ADD. I m very pro-medication now. I feel like my life has changed for the good in so many ways. I m a better comedian. I m really organized with all of the projects I m working on, and, most importantly, I m also a better father to my two children. I read a book by Phil Rosenthal ( You re Lucky You re Funny: How Life Becomes a

5 Sitcom ) and one thing he wrote that I totally agree with is: the longer you do stand-up, the more specific your comedy material is to your own life, and the broader the appeal. It s amazing how many people who are on medication or thinking about taking it relate to my Medicated stand-up. If they hear me, they might leave thinking, Huh, maybe that could be something to help me. What was it like cutting your comedy chops in this area of the country? I used to go to Philadelphia to perform and I remember being nervous. It was not my comfort zone. I would drive over the Ben Franklin Bridge, sign-up for an open mic and get my name on the list. I was such a Jersey guy that I would drive back to Cherry Hill and wait two hours before I had to perform, then go back in. My parents would be like, oh my God, you re going into Philadelphia?! Also, most of the comics performing at the clubs in the city were from Philadelphia or around it, and they were making fun of New Jersey. I was thinking, Oh wow, I live in the place that comedians make fun of. I always liked having a driveway, though. I ve always felt this region is a breeding ground for funny people and things. What do you think gives us that humorous edge? There s something about growing up in a town where the sports teams always struggle and are always the underdogs. We have a negative thing here that drives us. It s part of why you become a comedian because you don t feel good inside or you re insecure. Like, I always thought my brother got more attention than me. I know the Rocky movies have been pretty important to you and you like to work your Sylvester Stallone impression into your act. What is it about that character you enjoy so much? Do you identify with him, in a sense? The original Rocky film is the best movie of all time. What other movie has like 2,000 quotable lines? It s also very poignant and includes a lot of subtle life lessons. There were some things about the character that reminded me of myself, but I didn t realize until I got older. I mean, I was nine when I first saw the movie and there s no way I could have understood some of the themes then. For instance, there s a scene where he s looking in the mirror and sees a picture of himself when he s younger and you can see what he s thinking without him saying it: he s not happy where he is. To be a comedian and realize I m opening for someone huge like Bill Burr, I have to at the same time be honest and think: why can t that be me? I feel like I m good and I m worthy, but I totally connect with (Rocky) feeling that way. Also, like Rocky, I have a tough guy exterior but I m actually a sensitive baby underneath. I sometimes hear comedians disparage lesser topics as unintellectual and claim they would never touch them in a stand-up routine. Do you have any off-limit subjects when it comes to material? Or if you come up with a funny concept about airline peanuts, will you go there? In addition to stand-up, Matarese also stays active with his podcast, Fixing Joe, where he interviews celebrities and shares his honest brand of comedy. (Photo: PHOTO PROVIDED) If you can find a new angle on a subject that s been done to death, I actually like that. It means you re being clever.

6 But then at the same time, a subject like farts there s no way to do that cleverly. Even if you did the best fart joke ever, I can t respect that. Just get really specific and talk about who you really are. I worked with a comic once who was doing basic observational stuff. The last joke in his whole set was about doing 10 years in prison and I was like, dude. How do you not have 25 minutes (of material) about being in prison? That should be your opener. I never went to prison bring me there. Then two years later I saw the same comedian and he told me it was the best advice anyone ever gave him. Leonardo DiCaprio fights a bear and barely (ugh, I am the worst) survives in The Revenant. I wasn t buying it at all. In your estimation, is there any practical way to fight a bear and walk away? Or does the bear always win? I m intellectualizing the question. Like, maybe if I could play dead really well Actually, I d probably wish I was dead if I survived a bear attack. I d be complaining about the mauling and the gashes in my shoulders for the next 50 years. Joe Matarese performs at 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Ritz Theatre, 915 White Horse Pike, Haddon Township. Tickets are $25. For more information, go to ritztheatreco.org. To keep current with Joe Matarese, or to access his Fixing Joe podcast, find him online at joematarese.com.

7 PRESS: JOE MATARESE s #OUTSIDETHEBOX TOUR National comic Joe Matarese to bless Holy Cross chess team Not all angels have wings. Holy Cross Elementary's chess team has been reminded of this. By: Andre Lamar Apr. 28, 3:50 pm LINK: Not all angels have wings. Holy Cross Elementary s chess team has been reminded of this. Comedian Joe Matarese, of America s Got Talent fame, will bless the Holy Cross Crusaders Chess Team with a benefit show at the Knights of Columbus Council Hall in Camden on May 13. There will be a silent auction. A portion of the ticket sales will be shared with the chess team, whose members are ages 6 to 14. The club will use the funds on travel to a national tournament in Tennessee next year. Chiagozie Umobi, a sixth-grader, is thankful for the comedy show. It ll help get our chess club s name out, the Magnolia resident said. I think it s a really good thing for the comedian that s helping us out. Ron Poliquin, chess team coach, said it s a big deal landing Matarese. We re pretty lucky to have a nationally-known comedian, someone who s been on David Letterman and America s Got Talent, the Dover resident said. He s such a great talent and has been everywhere and done so much. It s a slam dunk The comedy-show benefit started from Poliquin s relationship with Matarese. Over a year ago, he became a follower of the therapeutic podcast Fixing Joe, which has blossomed into a new season titled Fixed Joe. On Fixing Joe, Matarese s listeners, guests and friends offered solutions to whatever problem he was dealing with in a given week. One of the fans that was calling in a lot was the guy Ron Poliquin, who s the coach of the chess team, Matarese said. We re friends now. I talk to him all the time. Recently the comedian began giving his fans entertainment advice through his new project, Outside the Box. At joematarese.com, he offers fans a list of ideas on how they can produce their own Matarese comedy show in their respective cities. Poliquin came up with the idea to have a benefit show for the chess club. When it s a fundraiser, I always say it s a slam dunk, Matarese said. I help them raise some money and at the same time, I make money. It s a great feeling. Matarese, from New Jersey, is a veteran comedian of 20-plus years. He s appeared on talk shows including The Howard Stern Show and The Late Show with Craig Ferguson. He recorded a half-hour special with Comedy Central. Matarese delivers autobiographical humor. He highlights his struggles as a husband with two kids trying to make his own dreams come true. His brand of humor is perfect for parents raising young kids, Poliquin said.

8 VIDEO LINKS: JOE MATARESE Joe Matarese SeeSo 1HR Special Medicated - Italian Grandmothers: Joe Matarese SeeSo 1HR Special Medicated - The Truth About Christmas: Joe Matarese SeeSo 1HR Special Medicated - Parenting Requires Acting: Joe Matarese on America s Got Talent: Joe Matarese s 2nd Late Show with David Letterman: Joe Matarese on Gotham Comedy Live on AXS TV: Joe Matarese on The Late Late show with Craig Ferguson: Joe Matarese on Chelsea Lately: Comedy Central Presents: Joe Matarese: Fixing Joe: Web Series (13 episodes) IMAGE LINKS: JOE MATARESE PUBLICITY PHOTO 1 IMAGE LINKS: JOE MATARESE PUBLICITY PHOTO 2

9 CONTACT: JOE MATARESE If you would like to book Joe as a headliner at your comedy club or private event please contact the appropriate representation below. MANAGEMENT Authentic Management Rick Dorfman rick@authenticm.com PERSONAL APPEARANCES Authentic Management Rick Dorfman rick@authenticm.com