International Man of Misery back on Canadian stages

He is once again taking Kitchener’s Centre in the Square stage (tickets are available here) during his Canadian tour. During his February, which consists of 23 shows, he took the time to chat about ketchup and anxiety as well as what we can expect with his newest material.

 

Since we last saw him on this stage in 2009, Jeremy Hotz had a girlfriend for about a week, continued living in L.A. and found a friend in his new dog, a longhaired Chihuahua named Shackleton.

 

Pets, particularly dogs can be therapeutic for people like Hotz, who has been diagnosed with generalized anxiety.

 

“They say he’ll help that. He seems to be anxiety-riddled worse than me, so I think that maybe we’re helping each other.”

 

For Hotz, the G.A. conclusion came years after being diagnosed by a real psychologist with “eating too much ketchup” as a child. The doctor thought that there was something in the sauce that was causing the future joke cobbler to have anxiety issues.

 

The correct diagnosis is related to the person and not the condiment and is known to cause excessive worry, irritability and difficulty concentrating among several other things that could make the stage an uncomfortable place to be.

 

“What happens is when I walk out there, it magically goes away,: said Hotz. “So I am actually more comfortable in front of an audience than I am off stage. That’s the way that works. It’s really weird and it probably comes from years of doing this. I don’t know.”

 

Based solely on that longevity as a stand-up comedian, he seems to be doing okay.

 

Currently in the midst of his career’s great life span, Hotz, who has been living in L.A. for the past 18 years is back in Canada with his International Man of Misery Tour.

 

“It will be miserable. It will be stuff that you haven’t heard before. You know, I make up half of it anyway when I am right there, that’s how I work, so that’s what you’ll be hearing.”

 

As for the ketchup, he resumed eating it about a week after his erroneous diagnosis. On its pairing with macaroni and cheese: he’s a full-on mixer, not a dipper.

 

“That’s why men and women don’t get along. It’s all macaroni and cheese related.”