Published: September 07, 2008 10:37 pm      

Polish comic visiting city

Know a good Polish joke?

Bob Golub wants to hear it.

The Los Angeles comedian will visit Johnstown on Thursday, walking the streets and visiting the bars to get new material. He’ll also be trying out some of his act on Flood City residents.

“Johnstown, to me, represents everything America is all about. That’s why all the politicians come to Johnstown,” Golub, 50, said from his California home.

Plus, the city holds fond memories for the Sharon native.

“I used to wrestle in Johnstown when I was a kid, in tournaments,” he said. “For me, to go to Johnstown is a memory of my father, who’s been dead 11 years.”

Golub is headlining a trio in the “Three Poles Walk into a Bar Comedy Tour.”

The other members are David Kwiatkoski and Mike Stankiewicz.

They’re playing the State Theatre in State College on Saturday. A rousing polka beat by Kevin Solecki will set the mood.

The comics have appeared on the Howard Stern show, the Bob and Tom radio show and on CNN.

All three have Polish backgrounds.

“I had a Polish dad and a Croatian mom. But we always favored the Polish side,” Golub said.

“Everyone tells Polish jokes,” he added. “And that’s the thing about the show that’s appealing: If we can take jokes and laugh at ourselves, that’s saying something.”

While in Greater Johnstown, Golub also will be filming documentary segments that he says may be spliced into his stand-up comedy routines.

“I want to grab the ethnicity of the town,” he said, mentioning pierogies in particular.

Johnstown will have to wait for its time in the sun, though.

Golub said he’ll be shooting tons of documentary footage and the local segment won’t be ready for the State College show.

He has no set schedule for his visit to the city.