Growing up, Jon “Polar Bear” Gonzalez always wanted to make people laugh.
He said his love of comedy all started when he was 9 years old.
The Austin native was with his family on a road trip in South Texas when he was trying to make his cousin laugh.
“(My cousin) had this goofy laugh,” Gonzalez said. “My brother was making him crack up, but (my cousin) wouldn’t laugh at me. I remember asking my brother and asked him how he was making my cousin laugh and he was saying, ‘I don’t know, just be funny.’ I was 9 years old at the time. There’s always been something in me that’s been intrigued by making people laugh. As I got older, I started doing it and since then it’s something that I became passionate about.”
Over the years, Gonzalez would follow his passion. Now, the famous stand-up comedian and entertainer will be returning to the Permian Basin for two shows next week with a show in Odessa and in Midland.
The shows, which are a part of the “Cinergy is Funny” Live Comedy Showcase will take place at 7:15 p.m. April 25 in Odessa at Cinergy Cinemas on 8250 E. Highway 191 and at 7:15 p.m. April 26 at Cinergy Cinemas at 1917 Liberty Drive in Midland.
Tickets for the show can be purchased online at tinyurl.com/2ee9hcvt for the Odessa show and at tinyurl.com/bdfj9f5w for the Midland show.
It hasn’t been long since Gonzalez’s last trip to the Permian Basin which was just last fall.
“I’m excited,” Gonzalez said. “It’s always fun to go out there to perform. People usually come out and show a lot of support. The people are able to resonate with the material really well. I can’t wait to get out there.”
Since the pandemic, Gonzalez has toured all over the country, performing his live stand-up show while also growing his fan base through TikTok and his weekly show on Facebook and YouTube.
After getting involved in the local comedy scene, Gonzalez quickly found success through the release of multiple comedy skits which went viral, receiving millions of views on social media.
“It’s definitely going to be packed with laughs,” Gonzalez said of his shows in the Permian Basin. “It’s going to be a good time … I’m working on some new stuff. It’s going to be some stuff that people haven’t heard before. I’m going to talk about going viral and how my life has changed. I can’t wait to share that with the people.”
Recently, Gonzalez completed his first nationwide tour which was called the “Whispanic Causing Panic” tour in 2022.
“It was my first tour where I was on the road for a long time,” Gonzalez said. “I think I went through 14 or 15 states in 21 days. That takes a lot out of you. You wake up one morning and you’re driving to the next city to perform and you do it all over again. It’ll definitely take a lot out of you. It’s hard to explain to a normal person the adrenaline you feel after you get off the stage. There will be times where I get off the stage and get back to the hotel and can’t go to sleep until 3 or 4 a.m. It takes a while for the adrenaline to calm down.”
The live comedy showcase will be hosted by husband-and-wife team, T.K. Matteson and Kara Kimbrough. In addition to her appearance on “America’s Got Talent,” Kara has performed throughout Los Angeles’s most renowned comedy clubs, starred in the TLC Bridal show, “Along for the Bride” and A&E’s “Nobody’s Perfect,” along with producing and starring in “The Busted Barbie Comedy Show,” which debuted at Lucky Strike at Hollywood and Highland.
“I can’t wait to come out and perform,” Gonzalez said. “Just make sure you’re 17 and up because it is rated R. Don’t get mad at me when you hear me talking about crazy, off-the-wall stuff.”
If you go
- What: Jon “Polar Bear” Gonzalez.
- When: 7:15 p.m. April 25 at Cinergy (in Odessa).
- Where: 8250 E. Highway 191.
- Where to purchase tickets: tinyurl.com/2ee9hcvt
If you go
- What: Jon “Polar Bear” Gonzalez.
- When: 7:15 p.m. April 26 at Cinergy (in Midland).
- Where: 1917 Liberty Drive.
- Where to purchase tickets: tinyurl.com/bdfj9f5w
