Don’t look now but a nice Jewish boy from the New York borough of Queens is getting a whole lotta of love from the denizens of Charm City.
In a social media post promoting his upcoming appearance on Friday night, May 8, at downtown’s Baltimore Soundstage venue, comedian, author and podcast host Steve Hofstetter noted that many people have recently warned him against performing in the town that gave the world “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Formstone, Mama Cass, Old Bay Seasoning and Bromo-Seltzer.
“My Facebook event for my Baltimore show is filled with people saying things like ‘Oh no! It’s got so much crime! You sure?’” he wrote. “And to them I say yes, I am sure. I am from Queens and I don’t get my crime statistics from some terrified old white guy on Fox News.”
In the post, Hofstetter, 46, noted that Baltimore — which some pundits have humorously dubbed “Paris on the Patapsco” — statistically experiences less crime than St. Louis, Detroit and Memphis, “cities I perform in that no one seems to ‘warn’ me about. Soundstage is in Baltimore’s ultra-touristy Inner Harbor, around the corner from a Fogo de Chao, Capital Grille, and Hard Rock Cafe.
“If there’s anything we know about scary neighborhoods, they’re filled with over-priced chain restaurants targeted at middle managers on a business trip and yuppie children’s birthday parties,” he wrote.
In his unabashedly defiant defense of Bawlmer’s honor, Hofstetter concluded, “If you’re one of those suburban Chicken Littles that is terrified of going to the big bad city, feel free to watch my digital shows. I’ll be hanging with the adults who don’t think ‘The Wire’ was a documentary. See you next Friday, Baltimore. IF YOU ARE BRAVE ENOUGH!”
According to Baltimore Fishbowl, the post so far has received more than 2,700 likes and generated more than 500 comments, most of them from appreciative Baltimoreans thanking Hofstetter for his support and kind words.
One of them was from local resident Emily Alt, who attached a photo of the iconic Domino Sugars sign at night and wrote, “I was by myself downtown after dark when I took this photo last weekend. Enjoy, hon!”
A former resident of Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, Hofstetter — who attended the Jewish Theological Seminary for a couple of years — now lives with his family in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Todah rabah, Steve. And while you’re in town, have a knish and a Natty Boh on us!
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