Comedian Jo Koy Brings Mom Jokes and a Big Bag of Grain to Connecticut

He's one of the most in-demand headliners in America.

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Comedian, actor, podcaster and all around hilarious human being Jo Koy is coming to Connecticut on Sunday, March 24th at 7:30pm. We had the pleasure of talking with Koy on the Thursday (3/21/24) edition of the I-95 Morning Show to promote the gig.

We're fans so we know your mom is Filipino and central to your stand-up career and your storytelling, can you tell us more about why that is? 

Koy: "I love that you said storytelling too man because that is what it's all about, telling that story. You know, when you're a kid growing up in the 70s and 80s, you've got an immigrant mom, I'm half white, half Filipino and I'm just trying to find my identity. The one style of comedy that I gravitated to the most was the ones that told stories about their families. I love hearing the different stories from Louie Anderson, Cosby, Richard Pryor, and them talking about their families, I always related to that most. When I first started doing stand up I wanted to tell people my mom is Filipino without saying, hey my mom is Filipino. I just wanted to tell her story and let everyone relate.``

Hey Jo, we were checking out your website, what is with the giant bag of rice? 

Koy: "Haha, you know when I was a kid my mom made me get the biggest bag of rice. I'll speak generally and say, any kid with an Asian mom, when you go to the grocery store it's like get the twenty-five pound bag of rice! It's like Santa Claus's sack of rice, it's just massive. It just sits in the pantry, on the floor with a cup in it. I was just like I hate buying that size and I was like how about I make a cool sized bag of rice and it's good looking and that is how I came up with that concept for my bag of rice." 

Buy Jo Koy's Rice Today!

You've been all over this country, is there a region where you feel most comfortable performing in your style? 

Koy: "I think Middle-America is starting to get more and more fun for me. Maybe that is because it's outside the norm, you know? I don't know how to explain it but I was in Wichita, Kansas and I had the time of my life out there, I really did. I talked about it online, it's something about these small towns, I guess the older you get you don't miss the hustle and bustle of the big city."

See Jo Koy at Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday, March 24th at 

A lot was made of your Golden Globes gig but I thought it was really cool that a bunch of your contemporaries came out in defense of you. Was that a nice feeling to know that people like Dana Carvey, David Spade & Marc Maron had your back? 

Koy: "I think it was a reality that the general public wouldn't understand. You know, when you get Seth Meyers, Jamie Fox, Jimmy Kimmel, Steve Martin, they all understood the complexity of that gig. It's like you know I bash it over the head and I'm damned if I do, and I'm damned if I don't mention anything. But it's like bro, I took the gig in less than a week and a half, you know what I'm saying. Everyone turned it down and I wanted to take that risk and go for it. I saw an opportunity, I went for it and you know, that is what happened. So, if I could explain the situation you'd understand, if I keep going on it sounds like whatever." 

I think you ran into the hardest crowd possible and they get offended by everything, that is just my opinion.

Koy: "It's also what you saw too, it is not really how it was. When you see the cuts you're not really seeing the entire situation. If you would have seen it, it's like oh cool he's performing in a food court at a mall, got it! What a gig, he's in front of Baskin & Robbins and there is a sale on peppermint ice cream, like legit, it was pure chaos. You know you sit and explain and explain and you're not going to get it. It's literally the only award show where they're eating lobster and drinking wine, you know what I'm saying? It's like the craziest thing but no one knows that. You see the Oscars and you're like I don't understand what is happening!? It's like OK, put a lobster tail on every single lap and six bottles of Moet, you know what I mean. You hear clanking forks and butter falling and it's like what is going on!?" 

Would you do it again? 

Koy: "I ain't scared to do anything, the risk is the best part of life. I can say I did it, it's a crazy gig but who else would do it? Like I said, Chris Rock called me and said the same thing, they offered it to him and they turned it down. I saw the opportunity, it was 83 years that they've had this awards show and never, not once did they offer it to an Asian comedian or anybody to host it solo and that was my opportunity and I took it." 

Jo Koy did our show for the first time, years ago and I remember that I did not know much about him at that time but he was so funny. I became a Jo Koy fan that day and have watched as he's become a household name and one of the best in the business.

The Golden Globes was whatever, I just think anyone who was critical of that gig, should go watch his standup specials and see if they come away with the same opinion. I have a lot of respect for the way he handled this with us and the rest of the media.

See Jo Koy at Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday, March 24th at 

You can listen to our entire interview with Comedian Jo Koy below. We also spoke about how all moms pick up laundry with their feet, why it's hard to get driving directions in Hawaii, and how Jo juggles acting with standup.

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