Review: Joe Sib reaches new heights with ‘Nowhere Near the Top’


Joe Sib Nowhere Near the Top

Joe Sib – the co-founder of SideOneDummy Records – is building on his punk roots by (stage) diving into the hilarious world of comedy. The former frontman of Wax and 22 Jacks finds the funny in all things parenting on Nowhere Near the Top, which is available digitally and on vinyl on April 28.

It comes as no surprise that Sib leaps into the topic of parenting at the top of the release as he co-hosts the popular podcast Rad Parenting, along with Anea Bogue. He explains that never-ending household bills forced the comedian to sell his family on the idea of a staycation, despite neighborhood peer pressure to travel the world. “You better ‘Belize’ we ain’t going to Hawaii,” he jokes.

One of the best (or sometimes worst) ways to decide on parenting techniques is to look back at your own childhood, which Sib does with an incredibly funny memory of the joy of going to McDonald’s with his mom, who patiently puffed on her cigarette as he happily ate in the backseat. “McDonald’s was a treat for me when I was a kid,” he says setting-up to skewer overly-conscientious California cuisine. “For my kids, McDonald’s isn’t a treat, it’s a threat.”

Whether he is sharing a story about building a trampoline for his son or monitoring his teenage daughter’s incessant incoming text messages, Sib hysterically mines the frustrations of fatherhood for comedy gold. Helping his son with his math homework (yes, word problems are still the worst) and defining modern terms like Pilates and emojis are also among the hilarious topics addressed on Nowhere Near the Top.

Although Nowhere Near the Top is Sib’s first release, he has already made a name for himself as a talented stand-up comedian appearing on such shows as Coming to the Stage and Live from Gotham. He has appeared at notable festivals including San Francisco Sketchfest, Bridgetown Comedy Festival, FYF Fest and more. He also wrote and starred in the one-man show, California Calling, during which he shares his love of music along with pivotal moments of his life.

Click here to pick-up your copy of Sib’s debut comedy album and follow him on Twitter to stay up-to-date on where you can see him perform live.