Oct. 14: Ivan Decker

Tonight we've got Canada's Jerry Seinfeld, Ivan Decker! I want it to get to the point where any time there's an article on Ivan (and there are going to be more and more), they say, "He's been called Canada's Jerry Seinfeld." Lord knows every time somebody writes about Gad Elmaleh, they say he's the Jerry Seinfeld of France. And Ivan's way more like Seinfeld than Elmaleh is. Not in a derivative way, either. Like Jerry, he's a real joke craftsman and observationalist, and displays the same commitment to standup comedy. That he's also thin and neat is just extra. Coincidentally, it was just announced earlier this week that Ivan will be opening for Elmaleh at the Chan Centre in November. Ivan has opened for lots of celebrity comics and in most cases, he's been better than the headliner. That's why his star is on the rise. He's been on Conan, won a Juno Award, and has a Netflix special coming out in 2019. I'm sure there's more, too. There always is with Ivan, although he's the last person to tout his successes. I'll pry them out of him tonight.

We're on the air in Vancouver at 11 pm at 100.5 FM so tune in. You can livestream us anywhere in the world at coopradio.org or on the TuneIn Radio app, too.

Podcast episode 508ish: Shawn Farquhar

It's always a treat when Shawn Farquhar finds room in his busy calendar to join us. The world-renown magician will be home for a few months, now, too, which is a treat for lower mainland magic fans. He's doing four close-up shows over two nights at an intimate little theatre in the Shangri-La Hotel on October 5 and 6. And then he'll be the magical host of Bacio Rosso for 2.5 months. In this hour, we talk about the Beverly Hillbillies, optimism in the face of disaster, and he tells us an amazing story of what happened to him right outside our studios just before the show started. Plus, we've got magician jokes!

Tune in right here, right now, below. Or find What's So Funny? on iTunes and subscribe to us. Or Stitcher. Or wherever you find quality podcasts.

Podcast episode 507ish: Chris Griffin

Relax, it's not the cartoon character. Nor is it Clifford, the Big Red Dog. We've got the real Chris Griffin on this episode. The standup comic from Calgary who lives in Vancouver. That Chris Griffin. Chris is filming a special at the Biltmore Cabaret on October 18 so this is out in plenty of time for you to listen and get excited for his live show. It's his first time on What's So Funny? but hopefully not his last. Sam Tonning was absent, and we're not sure what was up with that, but I made sure to give Chris a complex about it. He talked about his youth, and his adulthood. That about sums it up. Why don't you listen for yourself?

You can do that right here, below. Or better yet, go subscribe to What's So Funny? on iTunes and leave us a review. We're also available on Stitcher and all those other cool podcast places.

Podcast episode 506ish: Wes Barker

Proof of the trick

Welcome to episode 506ish. This actually should have been 504ish, but I forgot about it! Summer really plays havoc on my routine. Oh well. Sorry Wes Barker! Better late than never. Here the comedy magician talks about working solo – sans assistant, preparing for defeat in all aspects of his life by getting the excuses ready before any competition, hell gigs where airlines have lost his magic props, plus he does a nasty prank on your humble but skittish host but makes up for it with a real trick with the help of Sidekick Sam.

Have a listen. The sound quality is a bit wonky, but it's listenable. It's a station problem that has since been addressed. Click below to listen or subscribe to What's So Funny? on iTunes or Stitcher or wherever you find quality podcasts.

Sept. 23: Shawn Farquhar

It's hard to get Shawn Farquhar as a guest. The master magician is on the road something like 250 days a year. But he's got some good news. He's got two (2) new and different local shows coming up, one that'll keep him at home for a few months. We'll talk all about them, plus lots more I'm sure because if there's one thing Shawn loves more than magic, it's talking. And he's equally good at both. Although he's only a 2-time world champion of magic, not talking, so maybe he's better at magic.

We'll be on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM, which, if you prefer, you can livestream at coopradio.org or find us on the TuneIn Radio app. Or, if you're patient, the episode will be out as a podcast later this week. Even if you're not patient, actually.

Podcast episode 505ish: Colleen Brow

Colleen Brow's Fringe show hadn't yet started when she guested on the program. Now it's all water under the bridge. All reports say her show was a rousing success. And who knows, she might mount it again. But listen to this episode to find out where her psychological state was just days before it started. Plus we talk about her time doing standup comedy and community theatre. And as an added bonus, she swears more than I've ever heard!

Listen to the episode here, or better yet, go download it at iTunes or Stitcher and listen to it on the go somewhere. It's so much more exotic that way.

Podcast episode 504ish: Steve Allen & Laura Accili

If you've been around the comedy scene in Vancouver in the last decade, chances are you've been to Kino Café in Cambie Village. For the past eleven and a half years, Steve Allen and Laura Accili havec been presenting standup comedy at least once a week. Allen pulled a Victor Kiam, the businessman who liked Remington razors so much he bought the company. Steverino liked the Kino so much, he bought it! And we liked the Kino so much we held our station fundraiser there, putting on a helluva show that raised a cool grand for CFRO radio. In this episode, they and guest host Sam Tonning do the hard math and figure out how many shows that's been. They talk about memorable nights, listen to comedy cuts, and generally talk comedy and how the two of them are involved in the longest-running weekly standup show in the city.

Listen to the podcast below, or better yet, go download it on iTunes or Stitcher. Or even better yet, subscribe to What's So Funny? on iTunes and you'll always be up-to-date with the latest podcast episode.

Podcast episode 503ish: Brett Martin

Brett Martin is hot but the levels are hotter! Something was/is amiss at the radio station when Brett guested with guest host Sam Tonning, but while a bit distorted, the show is listenable. So give it a shot! They tried so hard! Brett and Sam have a long history together and it shows in this episode. Sam, who is regular host Guy MacPherson's manservant was first (and continues to be) Martin's right hand man on the Brett Martin Show, a live talk show held every month at Yuk Yuk's in Vancouver.

Click on the link below or download on iTunes or Stitcher.

Podcast episode 502ish: Harris Anderson & Andrew Huzar

When the host is away, Sam and his pals will play. In this episode, Sam Tonning has to work the controls and carry the show. But he also gets to yacht rock out and play comedy clips. In this episode, he invited friends Harris Anderson and Andrew Huzar to keep him company and the three talk comedy, naturally.

Have a listen right here, right now. Or download the episode on iTunes. Or even better: subscribe to the damn show!

Sept. 9: Chris Griffin

It's always nice to have a first-timer with us. Tonight we have just that: standup comic Chris Griffin hails from Calgary but has called Vancouver home for the past five years. On October 18, he's putting on two shows at the Biltmore and filming them for future release... somewhere. We'll talk about where and why and all the other Ws. And we'll ask him what it's like to share his name with an animated character.

We're on the air in Vancouver on CFRO 100.5 FM. We're on the air in Calgary and everywhere else that isn't Vancouver at coopradio.org and on the TuneIn Radio app.

Sept. 2: Colleen Brow

Look who's back? Why, it's none other than our old friend and helper Colleen Brow. Colleen, as regular listeners will know, used to by my manservant. She had stopped doing standup. She still doesn't do it, but she's been performing in other ways. She's been in a couple plays and enjoyed it so much, she decided to lose all the dead weight from big casts by going out on her own. She's got a one-woman show she's performing at the Vancouver Fringe Festival this month called Ten Tips for a Collapsed Uterus. We'll find out all about it and what else she's been up to.

We're on the air at 100.5 FM in Vancouver at 11 pm. If radio is too old-fashioned for you, try streaming us at coopradio.org. If streaming is too old-fashioned for you, find us on the TuneIn Radio app.