Doug Blough Shares the One-Time Stand-Up Comedy Attempt That Turned Into a Blizzard-Struck Misadventure

Back when Doug Blough still considered himself funny, he was often asked why he never became a comedian, and he always responded that he was afraid people would laugh at him. That answer only pushed more people to encourage him toward stand-up, even though he preferred being humorous while comfortably sitting.

Few people knew he actually tried stand-up about 10 years ago during what he recalls as the worst winter in memory. His young musician friend Garrett Randolph had rented the Cody Theatre to release his first album and asked Blough to perform a comedy routine as part of the event.

Blough agreed because he was close with the entire Randolph family, but he was annoyed when Garrett’s press release posters around town described him as a local comedic legend. He felt the phrasing added unwanted pressure, similar to how he disliked being pushed into bodybuilding contests back in the ’90s despite being proud of his physique.

He told Garrett to tone down the description, but his nephews Rusty, Jay, and Trey still tease him about the phrase to this day. On the night of the event, Blough’s brother Paul drove him through heavy drifts and a whiteout to get to the theater for the performance.

Because so few people braved the storm, Garrett delayed the program’s start time in hopes more attendees would arrive. While waiting, Blough spent time chatting with Susan Buffkin, who was serving drinks at the small catered bar, and he enjoyed a few ice-cold beers to ease his nerves.

Over an hour later, the delayed program finally began, and James Klessens, former head of Forward Cody (see:
Forward Cody), introduced Blough to the modest audience. Before leaving for the venue, Blough had written numerous notes on his left palm to guide his routine.

When he took the stage and received a few initial chuckles, he prepared to deliver his best material. But when he looked at his hand, he saw nothing but smeared ink, washed into nonsense by the frosted beer glasses he had been enjoying earlier.

With no notes to rely on, he froze as he looked out at his smiling great-nephew Trey, Trey’s wife Cierra, and roughly 20 audience members. Completely lost, Blough ended up improvising poorly and drifted into talking about the football season and his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers.

He left the stage feeling like a local pathetic legend, far removed from the grand title printed on Garrett’s posters. That single event marked both the beginning and end of his stand-up career.

Since that blizzard-struck night at the Cody Theatre, Blough jokes that he has barely stood up from his couch, and he’s never attempted stand-up comedy again.