Iconic observational comedian hits the Harris Center stage this Saturday night
Renowned comedian Paula Poundstone is making her way to Folsom this weekend, bringing her signature style of smart, spontaneous humor to the Harris Center for the Arts for one night only. The iconic comic takes the stage Saturday at 7:30 p.m., promising a performance packed with wit, unexpected observations — and, apparently, some advice for the city’s wildlife.
Poundstone, who has been a staple of the national comedy scene since the 1980s, is known for her razor-sharp observational humor and her unmatched ability to engage with audiences in real time. She tours extensively across the country and is a regular panelist on NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me, where her comedic timing and quirky commentary have made her a fan favorite.
Ahead of her Folsom appearance, Poundstone took a deep dive into local news — a habit she’s developed to better connect with each city she visits. While researching the area, she said she stumbled upon a recent Folsom Times story about local coyote safety tips and couldn’t help but offer her own offbeat take.
“I saw ‘coyote safety tips’ on the website. It says to make a loud noise if you are followed or approached by coyotes,” Poundstone said in an interview with Folsom Times. “I would take it a step further. I’d recommend singing the ‘Pina Colada Song,’ which was never a good song and made no sense whatsoever. Sing it loud.”
It’s that kind of unexpected humor that has made Poundstone a comedy legend. From her groundbreaking HBO specials like Cats, Cops and Stuff—which won a CableACE Award—to her historic appearance as the first female comic to host the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, her career spans decades of boundary-pushing comedy and cultural commentary. She’s starred in two TV series bearing her name, voiced characters in Pixar’s Inside Out films, and authored two books, including The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness, a Thurber Prize semi-finalist.
Poundstone began her comedy journey in Boston in the late 1970s and quickly rose to fame thanks to her unique blend of improvisational crowd work and social curiosity. In the early days, she famously crisscrossed the country by Greyhound bus, performing at open mics before settling into the San Francisco comedy scene. It was there that she caught the eye of Robin Williams, who helped launch her national career.
Today, she continues to captivate audiences with her podcast Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone, an unpredictable and hilarious exploration of life’s oddities, co-hosted with fellow comic Adam Felber.
Whether riffing on national politics, dissecting the quirks of modern life, or, in this case, advising Folsom residents on how to musically deter local wildlife, Poundstone brings a style that is uniquely her own — intellectual, self-deprecating, and endlessly entertaining.
Tickets for Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. performance are still available and can be purchased online at www.harriscenter.net.
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