Podcast episode 410ish: Erica Sigurdson

In this episode we welcome the Duchess of Canadian comedy, Erica Sigurdson. During her regal visit, we brainstorm the rest of the Canadian royal comedy lineage. What else did we talk about? Hitting people, corporate gigs, staying homegrown instead of moving to the States, eternal engagement, and bombing... in Afghanistan. She also explains how giving is better than receiving. This episode brought to you by Omnipod, your number one choice in diabetic pumps*.

Enjoy this magisterial episode with your ears by clicking below or downloading us on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever else you can find us.

* Omnipod is not really our sponsor, but we're always open to offers!

Christmas Drive

Erica Sigurdson joined us on What's So Funny? last night and talked about the Christmas cheer she and the rest of the Vancouver comedy community are bringing to three families. She's a good soul, that Sigurdson. Any help is appreciated. The info is available on the Lady Show Facebook page. If hyperlinks scare you, here's what it says:

We are collecting for three families in need this Christmas and would love your contribution.
If you're coming to The Lady Show on Friday, please bring an item or two (labeled so we know which person they are for) or donate cash which we will use to buy gifts. Even if you're not coming to the show, you can still help us out by donating via e-transfer.
If you want to do an e-transfer, please use ericacomic@gmail.com

If you have a Vancity account, you can transfer money directly to Erica's account: Branch 47, Account 44370, Chequing / Savings. (If you use this method, please email Erica and let her know you've done so)

Here is the info about the kids and what they need:

Kaydon (boy)
Warm Clothes - 18-24 months (and growing fast)
Diapers - size 5
Wipes
Any toys - Kaydon loves cars!
Books
Kaydon's nickname is Moose - so toys or clothing with Moose on it would be an added bonus!

Tyrese (boy)
Warm Clothes - size 2T/3T (but growing fast!)
Diapers - size 6
Wipes
Toys - Tyrese also loves cars!
Tyrese also really like Sesame Street and Thomas the Tank Engine

Brooklyn (girl)
Clothing size 5T
Shoe size 11, needs daycare shoes and boots
Likes girly things, princesses, and my little pony
Needs Socks, underwear and toothbrush

The parents haven't asked for gifts but we know what a hard job being a parent is! We'd like to provide them with stockings full of toiletries, goodies, gift cards, etc.

Thank you for helping us help these families and thanks to Erica and Katie-Ellen for organizing this!
If you have a Vancity account, you can transfer money directly to Erica's account: Branch 47, Account 44370, Chequing / Savings. (If you use this method, please email Erica and let her know you've done so)
Here is the info about the kids and what they need: 

Kaydon (boy)Warm Clothes - 18-24 months (and growing fast)Diapers - size 5WipesAny toys - Kaydon loves cars!BooksKaydon's nickname is Moose - so toys or clothing with Moose on it would be an added bonus! 

Tyrese (boy) Warm Clothes - size 2T/3T (but growing fast!)Diapers - size 6WipesToys - Tyrese also loves cars!Tyrese also really like Sesame Street and Thomas the Tank Engine 

Brooklyn (girl)Clothing size 5TShoe size 11, needs daycare shoes and bootsLikes girly things, princesses, and my little pony Needs Socks, underwear and toothbrush
The parents haven't asked for gifts but we know what a hard job being a parent is! We'd like to provide them with stockings full of toiletries, goodies, gift cards, etc.
Thank you for helping us help these families and thanks to Erica and Katie-Ellen for organizing this!

Dec. 13: Erica Sigurdson

Our records indicate tonight's guest will be marking her third appearance on What's So Funny? Our records also indicate it's been seven years since her last appearance! Good Lord! Erica Sigurdson first joined us along with her good pal Jen Grant back in 2005. Then she visited solo in 2008. Erica has performed all over the world, from war zones to the North Pole (or close to it), and headlines all over Canada. She's a regular on Out TV's Morgan Brayton & Other People. This season, she's gathered the comedy community together to raise money to sponsor three families in need for Christmas. Yes, she's a good-hearted soul. Looking forward to talking with her again.

We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM. Livestream us at coopradio.org or whatever apps you use to listen to the radio (I use TuneIn Radio).

Comedy extravaganza at Pat's Pub, Nov. 22

You're here so I assume you love comedy. Well, have I got a deal for you! Mark November 22 in your calendars. Not only is it the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination, but it's also the night of a thousand stars. Or six, anyway. CFRO, Vancouver co-op radio, is holding a fundraiser at Pat's Pub and Brewhouse (home of cheap and delicious beer and eats) and you're invited! For the low, low cost of $10 (plus $1.59 for Eventbrite's troubles), you can get yourself a ticket to the extravaganza featuring six of Canada's top headlining standup comedians, plus the music of James Danderfer and the What's So Funny? Orchestra, and Eric Cottrell of She Was The Law.

Let's run down the line-up for you if you're not sold on it already. What do these comics have in common, besides being hilarious? You guessed it, they've each guested on What's So Funny? on co-op radio over the years. Here, in alphabetical order, is who you'll see:

Dino Archie. This Fresno, California, native is practically a local given the amount of time he spends up here at his home-away-from-home. Vancouver fans have come to love his infectious enthusiasm and "simply dope" comedy. In June, Dino brought in a couple of his comedy brethren from Los Angeles and Toronto, added in Ivan Decker, and packed the Vogue Theatre on the strength of his brand.

Graham Clark. The bearded wonder spent the summer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where his show garnered great reviews like this and this. A four-time nominee at the Canadian Comedy Awards and co-winner twice for his podcast Stop Podcasting Yourself. In 2008, Graham pocketed $25,000 as the winner of the Great Canadian Laugh-Off in Toronto. He's appeared on HBO's Funny as Hell series. Zach Galifianakis (of Hangover fame) calls him, "A really great comic... I wish more people knew of him." And that's not a made-up quote!

Ivan Decker. The Georgia Straight called the boyish(-looking) Decker "a real star in the making." Yes, I wrote that. And I stand by it. He never ceases to amaze and amuse with his smart(-aleck) observations. Decker has played the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal and this past summer performed at JFL42 in Toronto. Maybe you saw him opening for Brent Butt at the River Rock Show Theatre. In 2011, Ivan won the Vancouver Comedy Showdown.

Charlie Demers. CBC radio listeners are familiar with Demers through his numerous appearances on The Debaters. But that's just one aspect of this multi-faceted performer. He's the author of the novel Prescription Errors and the book of essays Vancouver Special. Charlie's latest gig is as adjunct new media studies professor in the creative writing depart of UBC, but don't let that scare you off. The 32-year-old doesn't lecture when he's on stage telling jokes.

Shirley Gnome. The voice of an angel, but her lyrics are anything but angelic. The naughty songstress sings hilariously filthy c*untry songs. Shirley won the 2012 People's Champ of Comedy award, which was accompanied by a cheque for a cool $20,000. This past summer Shirley took her act on the high road, all the way sunny Scotland where her performances drew raves (and more raves, and still more) at the Edinburgh Fringe Fest.

Erica Sigurdson. One of the most prolific comics in the country. Sigurdson never ceases to impress me with her constantly changing act. No wonder she holds the record for most appearances on CBC's The Debaters. The woman knows how to write. Erica has performed all over the world, from Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan (during a rocket attack, yet!) to Alert, Nunavut, the northernmost permanently people place on the planet. She's played in every province and comedy festival in this country. Plus, she won a Leo Award for Best Comedy Screenwriting.

What a winner of a show! If you get your tickets online at eventbrite.ca, not only will you be saving yourself money (tickets are 12 bucks at the door), but you'll be entered into a draw for prizes, such as passes to the two premier comedy clubs in town, the Comedy MIX and Yuk Yuk's. And you'll be helping co-op radio, which relies on memberships and donations from its listeners to keep on keeping on.

Three new podcasts

Are you jonesing for some new What's So Funny? podcasts? No? Tough, we got three new ones for you anyway. As always, you can listen to them right here, over at the Comedy Couch, on your favourite podcast server, or on iTunes. (Thanks to Raegan Birch for getting these up the night before her big trip to Europe.)

The first, and to date only, appearance of Paul Myrehaug, from October 5, 2008:


The third appearance of Darren Frost, from October 26, 2008:


The second appearance, but first solo appearance, of Erica Sigurdson, from November 2, 2008:

Nov. 2: Erica Sigurdson

Contrary to popular belief, booking a show on Sundays at 11 p.m. isn't always the easiest thing to do. Most out-of-town comics leave the 'Couve on Sunday afternoons. And, as we found out this week when Kevin Foxx had to cancel due to a corporate gig, even the locals aren't always readily available. But we've been at this for four years and thankfully we usually get ourselves a top-notch guest some way or another. This week is no exception. It's last-minute, but we couldn't be happier. Erica Sigurdson will be making a return appearance to What's So Funny? on Sunday. It's her first solo affair, though. Back in February of '05, Erica guested along with Jen Grant. We've got lots of catching up to do. She is one of the top comics in the whole country and never fails to impress me with her writing. It seems every time I see her she's got new material. And she's a Gemini award winner. Or Leo award. Or both. I don't know. But it's impressive. Or so she tells me. So tune in, woncha?

Hey, I spoke to Louis CK the other day. He's playing the Vogue Theatre on Nov. 14. I'll try to jot something down for you here n the next couple of days about what we talked about. Check out his copious videos on YouTube or his own site if you're not familiar with him. He's one of the top comics working anywhere. But you knew that.

THIS JUST IN: A regular reader informs me that Ms. Sigurdson launched a new website yesterday. Have a look: http://www.ericasigurdson.com/