By Nick A. Zaino III Published Sept. 11, 2026
Josh Gondelman has a lot of hometown pride, as someone who grew up around Boston rooting for all the major sports teams. Some people take it too far, he says in his latest special, “Positive Reinforcement.” A Red Sox cap is fine, he says, but then it gets aggressive — like adding a Patriots jersey with the name “Blue Lives Matter” on the back for some reason. “Level three is a button-down shirt with a camo pattern made of shamrocks, and it’s called ‘shamouflage,’” he says. “You’re really only supposed to wear it when a Dropkick Murphy is born or dies.”
Boston looms large for Gondelman, who plays three shows at The Comedy Studio on Sept. 19. A Stoneham native and a Brandeis alum, he started his career here with his first open mics in 2004. And he will frequently write bits about Boston that he says play well when he’s touring around the country.
The cultural touchstones for the city nationally are often films like “The Departed” and “The Town.” Or even “Good Will Hunting,” which created another stereotype Gondelman calls the “secret surly genius.” And Gondelman thinks the stereotypes are a helpful starting point for comedy, but people should know that’s not all there is to Boston.
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