Funnyman Jon Stewart of The Daily Show is in Austin this week where he is filming his show live at ZACH Theatre. Stewart, who jokingly refers to Texas as “indicted Gov. Rick Perry’s home state,” will broadcast a week of shows here covering the midterm elections he calls “Democalypse 2014: South by South Mess.” On Saturday, Stewart’s team tweeted, “Monday! TDS in Texas! The best thing to happen to Austin since … whatever great thing they hosted last weekend.” And so it begins …
His guests for the week include Texas State Senator and Gubernatorial Candidate Wendy Davis, Representative Joaquin Castro and musical guest Austin-based Spoon. They haven’t announced the guest for Wednesday yet, so we’re assuming it will be a Republican or Willie Nelson … ha-ha!
We’re pretty sure Jon will spend most of his time in Austin, but what if he has some extra time to kill? Perhaps he will join the list of Lake Travis area celebrity sightings?
If he’s looking to stay fueled with meaty goodness, we think he’d really enjoy the Knuckle Sandwich from Noble Sandwich Company. The horseradish compliments his satirical side, right? Or perhaps he’d like to grab a steak dinner at the Steiner Ranch Steakhouse and a Lake Travis sunset at one of our famous patios? Jon definitely needs to check out The Donut Hole for a patriotic Stars & Stripes donut, because … well, it just makes sense.
While this is the first time Stewart has filmed The Daily Show in Austin, it’s not the first time our city has been the star of his show.
In April 2013, The Daily Show cracked a joke about Austin and it went viral as one of the most-viewed clips ever. You can catch it online everywhere, but here’s the gist of it. As the news clip rolled, the reporter explained North Korea’s unexpected threat, “There’s a chart marked US MAINLAND STRIKE PLAN with missile trails aiming at Hawaii, California, DC, and for some reason … Austin, Texas.” Stewart paused, made a few of his signature expressions and quipped, “You … you gonna blow up Austin, Texas? Why … you wanna get the rest of Texas on your side? Or did South by Southwest reject your Indie film?” (Wait a second, is that spot on the map Lexus of Lakeway … hmmm)
Even though Jon Stewart doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously, the show is seriously successful. It is a two-time Peabody Award recipient and a 19-time Emmy winner, including a record 10 consecutive wins for Outstanding Variety Series. This is the 11th time the series has hit the road for its “Indecision” election coverage.
Tickets sold out many moons ago for this Austin Democalypse tour stop, but if you keep an eye on Twitter, you can follow the fun with Comedy Central. In addition to filming his show, Jon Stewart will also be making an appearance at the Austin Film Festival in support of his film Rosewater on October 30.
