Wiseguys Comedy: Andy Gold

Much like the African elephant, the fruit bat or the tiger shark, the stand-up comedian has an instinct to leave the nest and migrate to one of the two coastal cities where one can monumentally thrive at making fun of everything. Salt Lake City’s own Andy Gold will be making the leap from the local comedy stages to the national scene, soon departing for New York City.

Since mid-2010, Gold has become a staple on Wiseguys’ stages. As a local headliner, he brought laughs on a weekly basis to patrons with a free evening. As a mid-card name for open-mic nights, he helped encourage new and emerging talent. And he has opened for national names touring the country.

With a recent number of local comedians choosing this past year to depart and make a name for themselves on the national circuit, it was only natural for that fever to spread; Gold is only the most recent comedian to bid Salt Lake City adieu and meet the next challenge in his comedic career. No stranger to challenges, Gold is a former drug addict who got clean after a near-death experience with heroin and channeled his energy into creativity.

All proceeds from Gold’s final show for the hometown crowd will go to help out Gold on his journey to The Big Apple. (Gavin Sheehan)