With a career spanning over 37 years, comedy veteran Brad Upton is just getting started. You can catch him taking the stage on Thursday, March 5 at 7:30 pm.
The world is discovering comedian Brad Upton after 36 years in the standup business. Upton was teaching the fourth grade and coaching high school track in Pasco, WA when he first stepped on stage in 1984. He quickly decided that he wanted to do standup instead, so he quit teaching in June 1986 and never looked back.
He made several cable TV appearances in the early ‘90’s, headlined comedy clubs from coast to coast, opened for big name music acts and was hired to perform at corporate events. He never sought the brighter lights of LA or New York and chose instead to remain based in Seattle.
As his reputation grew and his work became renowned, Upton began working on the occasional cruise ship in 1999. Three years later he won the Las Vegas Comedy Festival and appeared at Caesars Palace as part of the HBO Comedy Festival. He toured briefly with the late, great Joan Rivers and has spent the past 15 years as the opening act for the legendary Johnny Mathis.
In 2017 he taped a special for a brand new comedy platform called Dry Bar Comedy. Things would soon change in ways he never expected. Dry Bar released a clip of Brad in June 2018 about millennials that went viral in ways very few comedy videos have ever done. Boomer Triggers Gen-Z Snowflakes with now 90 million views on YouTube, is the most viewed standup video on the planet. The viral phenomenon sent the album to the top of the iTunes charts and drove his ensuing special I’m Not Done Yet to new heights. Collectively, the clips and full specials have garnered well over 200 million views across all platforms and continue to build momentum from newfound fans all across the country.
So how does someone catch fire in his 32nd year? The internet. Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have suddenly led millions of people to Upton’s comedy and they have discovered a comedian that has mastered the nearly impossible task of appealing to people from the ages of 18 to 80. No one has been more surprised than Brad; he has been very humbled by the newfound fame at this point in his career and is currently working feverishly all over the country - including a stop at Walton Arts Center - to take advantage of his moment in the sun.
Upton has performed with legendary acts including Jeff Foxworthy, Neal McCoy, Kenny Rogers, Lewis Black, Dolly Parton, George Jones and continues to tour with music icon Johnny Mathis. He’s also been a regular guest performer at the iconic Grand Ole Opry.