Steve McGrew

Steve McGrew

Steve McGrew was a cartoonist for the Houston Chronicle when he first took to the stage, at an amateur night in a comedy club in his Texan hometown in 1979. He soon became a regular at Houston's Comedy Workshop where Sam Kinison and Bill Hicks also launched their careers.

He has been on the road across the US since 1986, and opened for the likes of Dolly Parton, Billy Crystal, The Beach Boys, B.B. King, Billy Ocean, Chicago and Huey Lewis.

He has recorded several performances for stand-up shows on TV including The World Stands Up and Live At Jongleurs in the UK. He made his own one-hour special which first aired on Boxing Day 1999 on UK TV Gold.

He is also a morning presenter on KYGO 98.5FM radio in Denver, Colorado.

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Steve McGrew – Original Review

Note: This review is from 2007

Review by Steve Bennett

Steve McGrew is one of America’s most successful road comics, with 20-odd years of headlining experience under his belt. He’s opened for some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Dolly Parton, Billy Crystal and The Beach Boys, and could possibly pass as a missing Bee Gee himself.

His years on stage have made him the consummate professional. His delivery is vibrant and pacy, with every gag hit with the laser-guided accuracy a cruise missile would envy. The set ploughs forward, fluidly, relentlessly, offering just enough pause for laughs but not for contemplation. His timing is split-second precise.

The subject matter is unwaveringly mainstream, not straying too far from the most well-worn paths of stand up. Most of it’s about relationships – and with three divorces under his belt, he’s certainly got enough source material. It’s about being lazy as his wife nags, about romance ebbing out of a marriage, about being drunk, about the soundtracks to porn music. The comedy bingo-card of hackneyed subjects soon has full house.

His patter is punctuated with a stream of similarly familiar tricks, such as the recurring squealing pig straight out of Deliverance. But the way he employs them is faultless, and you can’t deny their effectiveness at getting, and amplifying, the laughs.

He’s America’s Jeff Green, with unambitious material expertly told. He’s such a master craftsman he should be in some sort of guild, even if the artistic side of stand-up is less well-served. So while most thoughts he conveys will be instantly familiar to comedy devotees, you do have to stand back and admire the way he does it.

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Published: 23 Oct 2007

Past Shows

Edinburgh Fringe 2006

The World Stands Up Live


Agent

We do not currently hold contact details for Steve McGrew's agent. If you are a comic or agent wanting your details to appear here, for a one-off fee of £59, email steve@chortle.co.uk.

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