Comedian Alex Edelman
on London, Butterfingers, and why ‘you gotta see the show’
Stand-up comedian Alex Edelman has appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” and “Conan.” His award-winning oneman comedy show “Just for Us” has been performed around the world and even landed on Broadway earlier this year. The Brookline native is bringing the show (which had a two-week run in Boston in April) to the Emerson Colonial Theatre Dec. 15–17. He said in a recent phone call from Los Angeles that performing before a hometown crowd is “always special” — and familiar. “A big part of who I am is this Boston guy,” Edelman, 34, said. “So getting to do comedy here … it suits me as like a funny little Brookline guy who gets to perform for other weirdo Bostonians.” He called “Just for Us” a “comedy show and a theater show … a comedy show with sort of a high-calorie content.” While he said it is joke-heavy, it centers on what he called an “interesting incident” when, in 2017, after being trolled online by antisemites, he found out who some of them were and attended one of their white nationalist meetings in Queens, N.Y. When asked what happened when he was discovered by one of the members, Edelman said “you gotta see the show” — the same answer he gave when asked what the title of the show — “Just for Us” — means, before adding that the meaning “is a twist at the end of the show.” We caught up with Edelman, who lives in New York City and Los Angeles — but said he also spends a fair amount of time with his family in Brookline — to talk about all things travel.
If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go?
London. It’s my second home. It’s foreign and exotic all at the same time. I know the people there. So many of my wonderful friends and fellow comedians are there. I love it. I cannot get enough. The food and the museums get the worst rap, but there are some world-class places. Truly. I miss living there — all quiet strolls and cidery afternoons.
Where was the first place you traveled to after COVID restrictions were lifted?
I drove to Zion in Utah. I’m a desert guy. I love slot canyons; “127 Hours”-type stuff. My girlfriend at the time and I hiked the Narrows together. It was just absolutely wonderful.
Do you prefer booking trips through a travel agent or on your own?
Myself. It eventually all just comes back to me. They’re like “What do you prefer?” and I look it up.
Thoughts on an “unplugged” vacation?
I think about doing one every single day. I never will. I know that about myself.
Do you use all of your vacation time or leave some on the table?
I don’t take nearly enough vacations. I take one a year — usually by accident or spontaneously.
What has been your worst vacation experience?
I have never had a bad vacation. There is no such thing. Maybe one. … An ex-girlfriend took me to Santa Barbara for my birthday but got freaked out by something outside the hotel and made us leave after one night. That wasn’t great, but I got it and it was still cute.
Do you vacation to relax, to learn, or for the adventure of it all?
Adventure and learning. I have never relaxed. Ever.
What book do you plan on bringing with you to read on your next vacation?
”The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity” by David Graeber and David Wengrow.
If you could travel with one famous person/celebrity, who would it be?
I’ve done “Somebody Feed Phil” on Netflix and [Phil Rosenthal is] an amazing traveler. I also love the show “Travel Man” with Richard Ayoade. He’s incredible.
What is the best gift to give a traveler?
The phone number of someone on the ground who knows something.
What is your go-to snack for a flight or a road trip?
Butterfingers. Can’t get enough. Or these things called YumEarth Chewys [fruit chews]. If you know, you know.
What is the coolest souvenir you’ve picked up on a vacation?
I’ve found so many cool books — incredible books that I’ve brought back with me. I found a signed collection of Arthur Miller plays in Stockbridge. The Berkshires are an underrated vacation destination. Didn’t go until the pandemic forced more local travel and God was it just a blast.
What is your favorite app/website for travel?
Skiplagged and Atlas Obscura.
What has travel taught you?
The people will make it memorable; not the places.
What is your best travel tip?
Come with a plan but allow for spontaneity.