Stuttering John and Friends

Friday, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Saturday, 7 p.m., 9…

Stuttering John and Friends

Friday, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Saturday, 7 p.m., 9 p.m., 11 p.m.

The Improv, $20

21+

(412) 462-5233

Known for asking straightforward rude questions to very well-known celebrities, John Melendez, better known as The Howard Stern Show’s character Stuttering John, will be performing at The Improv at the Waterfront Friday and Saturday nights.

John blames his childhood on his stuttering, as well as his obsessive-compulsive disorder that he only knew as “the fear” when he was growing up. His fear kept him from playing baseball for fear he’d drop a fly ball and being tickled by his brother or sister for fear of suffocating. He also had a fear of going outside, because he might open his mouth and stutter, in turn getting beat up by neighborhood bullies.

John has taken his “fear” and used it as a career opportunity. When one of his close friends was leaving an internship with the Howard Stern Show, John begged him to give him a good word for the position. His friend recommended him to Gary Dell’Abate, the producer of the Stern show, and John was hired immediately simply because of his stutter.

John’s first big role in the show was to go to red carpet events and interview celebrities with the rudest of questions and try to get some sort of a response from the celebrity. While receiving fair abuse for his questions, from being slapped to being choked, the skits became a popular highlight for the morning talk show, and helped bring the Stern show to its current platform.

Having been on the show for 10 years, John does less of his red carpet interviews because celebrities are more willing to come in for interviews with Stern. John has released comedy albums with several different skits and is taking his show on the road. He’ll play Pittsburgh’s Improv Friday and Saturday night. Both nights, Stuttering John is sure to be f-f-funny as h-h-hell.