Podcast episode 471ish: Shawn Farquhar

Everyone knows Shawn Farquhar is a master magician. One of the absolute best. He's fooled Penn & Teller twice. He's a 2-time world champion of magic. He's the former president of IBM! No, not that IBM; the International Brotherhood of Magicians. He travels the globe most of the year but he dreams of one day being able to open up a little magic theatre here in his home province. Hey, but did you know this: Shawn started out performing comedy magic with comedians like Brent Butt and Ian Boothby and Ian Bagg in comedy rooms around BC. He tells us about the time he tried his act without the magic part. And he's got tons of other great stories, too. Plus we play a round of Talk About, a game show he and his wife were contestants on way back when. We could have gone on for another hour easily.

Have a listen. It's a good one. You can click below or just go to iTunes or Stitcher or Libsyn or wherever you usually get your podcasts.

Nov. 26: Charlie Demers

Charlie (aka Charles) Demers has been with us twice before but not since 2010. So it's time he came back. I'm surprised we can get him because he's one busy feller. At least it seems that way. He's got books coming out the ying-yang, is seemingly on every other episode of CBC's The Debaters, is the voice of a slug on the animated Netflix series Beat Bugs and does another voice for My Little Pony, co-hosts a podcast that involves reading, of all things, and he just released his first ever standup comedy album. I got winded just writing all that. The album is called Fatherland and is on 604 Records. We'll play a track from it on the show tonight, promise. And we'll talk to Charlie about what he does in his free time.

We're on the air, as usual, at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM here in Vancouver. You can livestream us at coopradio.org or listen via the TuneIn Radio app.

Nov. 19: Gavin Matts

We've got a fresh new face on What's So Funny? tonight. Gavin Matts has been tearing up the stages, as they say, around the lower mainland for a couple of years but 2017 is his year. Timing is everything, especially in comedy, and this kid's got it: he released his first album, Premature, and won the SiriusXM Comedy Competition within days of each other. This contest was a pretty big deal. It took months, featured comics all across the country, and even better, handed out a cool 25 large to the winner. We'll talk to Gavin about his whirlwind year and lots of other stuff. So tune in, won't you? I'm going to wear my best hoodie.

We're on the air in Vancouver at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM. Or for those poor souls who can't afford a radio, there's always coopradio.org for live streaming purposes, or the TuneIn Radio app. They're all good.

Nov. 12: Paul Anthony

Has it been two years already since Paul Anthony last visited us? Apparently so. Vancouver's own Major Bowes returns for his fifth solo visit (back in 2007, he co-guested with Aubrey Tennant, and he may have guested on a lost episode as his alter ego Hugh Phukovsky). We'll find out what's new in the world of his always-fun monthly show Talent Time at the Rio Theatre. And we'll talk about his serious acting work in a very deep and dark play he starred in. And who knows what else!

Tune in to CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver at 11 pm or livestream us at coopradio.org. If those options don't work for you, there's always your TuneIn Radio app. They all lead to us.

Podcast episode 470ish: Wes Barker

How is this photo 3D? Must be magic.

The last time Wes Barker was with us, he was a struggling young stunt magician. Then, thanks to the What's So Funny? bump, he catapulted to fame and fortune, wowing the judges on America's Got Talent, fooling the masters Penn & Teller, and becoming king of YouTube with his popular channel full of his special brand of magic, comedy, pranks, hijinx, and x-ray vision. His enthusiasm for what he does is contagious, as you'll hear in this podcast episode.

This gizmo below will help you get started listening. So will iTunes or Stitcher if you search for What's So Funny? and/or subscribe to it.

Podcast episode 469ish: Randy Charach

We had a fun time with our guest Randy Charach a few weeks ago. Randy is known today as a stage hypnotist and keynote speaker, but I didn't know he started out at Punchlines Comedy Club in Gastown. He was doing magic then, always with a comedy bent. In this episode, we talk about his history in entertainment, including acting and producing, and about hypnotism in general. In fact, he gives What's So Funny? listeners a special relaxation gift. You'll have to listen to be able to access the link. It's good in perpetuity, he tells us. Oh, we also find out what kind of underwear he wears.

Click on the link below to start listening. Or better yet, go search for What's So Funny? in iTunes or Stitcher or any other podcast emporium.

Nov. 5: Ron Vaudry

In late October, Norm Macdonald, as is his wont, tweeted a long series on Twitter. The subject this time (not golf or football or baseball, thankfully) was comedy. Specifically the Toronto comedy scene he grew up in. It was a generous series of tweets given Norm's stature in the world of comedy, giving greater exposure to a group of Canadian comics many Americans might not otherwise have heard of. Many of the names he mentioned have been guests of What's So Funny? (Mike MacDonald, Mark Breslin, Kenny Robinson, Derek Edwards, John Wing, Ron Vaudry) but I'll talk to those guys any time they want. Then it occurred to me: the last time I saw Ron Vaudry, he mentioned that he'd like to do the show again. So thanks to Norm's tweets, my memory was jogged and I immediately booked Ron back on the show. Tonight's the night. Here's what Norm said about him:

There was Ron Vaudry, a great and generous guy, funny as hell.

We'll see what Ron thinks of that, and maybe get his opinion on all those other tweets. He's usually good for an opinion or two. And we'll see what else he's been up to since his first visit back in 2015. So tune in to CFRO 100.5 FM at 11 pm in Vancouver tonight. If you don't own a radio, try the TuneIn Radio app or livestream us at coopradio.org.

Podcast episode 468ish: Alex Sparling

I do believe Alex Sparling has left our fair city now for the bright lights of Prince George, but a few weeks ago he was still a resident of Vancouver. We had the standup comic on the show, which is available now in podcast format. Alex talked about being a fantastic actor, reminisced about his hometown of Yellowknife, bragged about his smart dad, and details as best he could how his acting career was derailed by a brutal attack.

Go check it out. Or stay right where you are and check it out. Click below or search for What's So Funny? in iTunes or Stitcher. Hell, if you subscribe, it'll be even easier to see who we have on regularly.