‘Mostly Jokes’ standup show brings dark comedy about mental health to the Panida

By Reader Staff

Comedian Aaron Foster has been around. From performances at The Comedy Store, The Ice House, Flappers, The Ha Ha and The Comedy Chateau in the L.A. area, to Laughs Unlimited in Sacramento and Reno-Tahoe Comedy (and more), he’s also a former host of HGTV’s FreeStyle — a gig he left for standup as a way to deal with depression and anxiety.

As it turned out, those darker emotions — the ones that most people don’t want to talk about, much less laugh about — were the perfect material for his comedy career, which has led him to his current show, “Mostly Jokes,” which he’s touring through the country ahead of taping his first special in November, with a stop Wednesday, Sept. 17 at the Panida Theater (300 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint).

Rooted in Foster’s experiences growing up with a bipolar father and schizophrenic brother, “Mostly Jokes” looks head on, though with a subversive, wicked sense of humor, at what it’s like to live through survivor’s guilt and other mental health challenges. Plus there’s navigating mid-life, which can be a joke in itself. It’s no surprise that Foster identifies his main influences as the likes of Mike Birbiglia, Maria Bamford, Gary Gulman, Marc Maron, Taylor Tomlinson and Neal Brennan.

Named “Best Solo Show” at the Tucson Fringe Festival in January, “Mostly Jokes” will come to the Panida main stage at 7:30 p.m. (doors open 30 minutes before the performance) and tickets are $16.50 (plus tax), available at the box office or panida.org.