Podcast episode 495ish: Graham Clark

We had a grand time with old pal Graham Clark last night on radio. In case you missed (and even if you caught it) we've got the podcast ready for you now. During the hour, Graham revealed a secret about himself he hasn't shared publicly before! How exciting! We also talk about the effort of doing a weekly podcast, i.e. his and Dave Shumka's Stop Podcasting Yourself, the blank stares of Jeopardy! contestants when faced with the category of podcasts, the value in nominating yourself for stuff, the anonymity of punching up scripts, crime and punishment on fairgrounds, and Graham's dream destination.

Have yourself a listen, won't you? Right here or search for What's So Funny? on iTunes (and then subscribe to the damn show) or in Stitcher or on Podbay.fm. You've got options, is what I'm trying to say.

June 3: Graham Clark

You've waited six long years for the return of Graham Clark. Tonight, your wait is over. Standup comic/beard painter Graham Clark has been on What's So Funny? eleven times over the years – possibly more than any other person (who has the time to check such things?) – but hasn't been with us since 2012. If you want to break down his appearances, he first joined us back in 2004. He's been a solo guest five times, shared the guesting with another comic three times, was part of a comedy round table once, and guest hosted for us twice. Graham, as you all know, is co-host of the wildly popular Stop Podcasting Yourself podcast, and is one of the most popular comedians in the country. That's a whole lot of popularity. We're looking forward to having him back with us. We've got a lot of catching up to do.

Tune in to Co-op Radio tonight at 11 pm in Vancouver. Or, if you're somewhere else in the world, livestream us at coopradio.org or simply find us on your TuneIn Radio app.

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.

Podcast shout-outs

Man, the comedy podcast world is thriving. The only downside is that there are so many great ones to choose from, life gets in the way of listening to most of them. If you're wondering where to begin (after going through the What's So Funny? archives first, of course!), here are some recommendations with a local angle:

WTF with Marc Maron

Episode 314 (released on Sept. 13): Vancouver's own Kliph Nesteroff is the guest. The former comic is a big deal now. His in-depth articles on WFMU's blog, and his own site classicshowbiz.com, are a portal into the early stand-up comedy, from the 1940s through to the 1970s, give or take. The depth of his research is impressive and the 32-year-old, who never watched these legends in real time, can teach even oldsters like me and Maron a thing or two about comics we grew up watching – guys like Jack Carter and Milton Berle. Kliph (who's been on What's So Funny? half a dozen times) killed it on the much more popular WTF. While he's hugely respected among certain old-timers and show business history buffs, his appearance with Maron will no doubt get his name and work out to many more. I understand he recently signed a big book deal with a major US publisher.

Who Charted? with Howard Kremer and Kulap Vilaysack

Episode 95 (released on Sept. 26): Vancouver gets a big shout-out from guest Zach Galifianakis. Zach has spent a good chunk of time in our fair city over the years. He's even got in-laws here. Hell, he got married here this past August. He used to be a regular in the local comedy rooms while filming whatever horrible TV show he was starring in at the time. He was such a regular – and still under the radar – that a big-wig like JP Buck, who's now the comedy booker on Conan, thought Zach was a local Vancouverite. But everyone knows the guy now, thanks to Hollywood. And he hasn't forgotten about us. Not only does he laud the local comedy scene in this episode of Who Charted?, he singles out Graham Clark as a comedian more people should know about. So listen for that. If you're unfamiliar with Who Charted?, give it a try. It's one of my favourites. Kremer is spaced out and hilarious while Vilaysack keeps things on track and supplies the most awesome laugh in podcasts. The show is centred around, you guessed it, charts. They play snippets of top 5 songs, movies, you name it. Anything with a list. They're jumping off points for discussion and laughs. Fun times.

Stop Podcasting Yourself with Graham Clark and Dave Shumka

Speaking of Graham Clark, he and Dave Shumka co-host the best podcast in Canada (according to the Canadian Comedy Awards last August). They get all manner of funny people as guests, from locals to international, and they have amassed a following all over the world. There isn't one particular episode to highlight here, although episode 55 is probably the best one they've ever done.



Doug Loves Movies with Doug Benson

The local angle here is that this hilariously silly live podcast, which is a film-based comedy game show, is recording here in Vancouver at the Comedy MIX on Saturday, November 17. Tickets on sale now for a mere $20 (+ HST). It won't be a surprise to you that the start time for this show hosted by the star of Super High Me is 4:20 pm. Doors open at 3:15. Last time he was here he sold out, so put down your bong and get on this.

Podcast episode 288ish: Graham Clark

They say regularity is one of the most important factors in a successful podcast. Well, we make no claims to being successful. We just hope the product is a fun and interesting listen whenever we get it uploaded to you. We aim for once a week but sometimes life gets in the way.

All this to say that the following episode is late. Quite late. But it's Graham Clark so I know you'll listen. Geez, it's been so long since this aired on the radio I forget what we talked about. Let me wrack my brain... I believe he told us about his gig in London, England... I vaguely recall talking about how handy he is with an axe... And, yes, he foresaw his upcoming (and now complete) Canadian Comedy Award for Best Podcast. You know why? Because he puts his out on time and with regularity!

Listen here or download at iTunes.

Aug. 12: Graham Clark

On this last day of the Olympics, we have a What's So Funny? record-setter in studio. Graham Clark will be making his record 11th appearance on the show tonight. Let's crunch the numbers. He's been here four times as a solo guest, three times with one other guest, twice as a guest host, and once with a comedy roundtable. Tonight he'll be solo once again.

Graham and his beard (and I don't mean his fake girlfriend) just got back from London, England, so maybe we will have some Olympics talk. But we'll also talk about his show there, as well as his globetrotting with podcast partner Dave Shumka as they take their Stop Podcasting Yourself juggernaut on the road to various outposts. And lots more, I'm sure.

Tune in tonight at 11 pm PST at 102.7 FM or livestream it from anywhere in the world at coopradio.org. After all, the sun doesn't set on the Graham Empire.

Podcast episode 240ish: Graham Clark & Dave Shumka

Together again for the first time. On What's So Funny?, anyway. Graham Clark and Dave Shumka made their first appearance together on the show last week after numerous times individually over the years. And what a show it was. I had prepared lots of questions for the hosts of the internet sensation Stop Podcasting Yourself but we got derailed in an attempt to break the WSF? call-in record. At the very least, it gave Dave and Graham the chance to interact with their "bumpers", as they call fans of SPY, in a way they're unable to on their pre-recorded program.

Did they break the record? You'll have to listen to find out. Click below or download somewhere else, like, frinstance, iTunes, as but one example.

July 3: Graham Clark & Dave Shumka

Oh, we're going to have maximum fun on tonight's episode of What's So Funny? Graham Clark and Dave Shumka are together again for the first time. They've each been guests on the show multiple times but tonight they're on with each other. That's right, the co-hosts of the internet's most lovable comedy podcast, Stop Podcasting Yourself, will be in studio to tell us all about their most recent trip to the City of Angels, where they recorded shows with the industry's biggest and brightest stars. We'll also, no doubt, discuss Graham's filthy beard paintings, Dave's upcoming nuptuals, Graham's behind-the-scenes work on The Debaters, Dave's behind-the-mic work on CBC Radio 3, and generally get to know them. So tune in, bumpers, for a side of Clark & Shumka you don't get to hear on SPY.

ADDENDUM: I just thought of something. All the SPY bumpers out there don't usually get the chance to interact live with Graham and Dave so I thought I'd give them that opportunity tonight*. Should anyone want to call in and ask a question or give a comment between 11 pm and midnight PST, the studio number is 604-684-7561.
*Providing the phone system is operational.

May 1: James Danderfer & Joe Poole

Jazz musicians on a show about comedy? Say what? It's not as strange a notion as you might think. Especially if you've ever seen James Danderfer in action. Not only is he one of the best jazz musicians in the country (and, I daresay, the best clarinetist), he's also a very funny dude in his own understated way. Half the fun of going to one of his shows is listening to him talk between tunes. But James is also a huge comedy fan. And, as such, has decided to marry the two art forms. Again. There's a bit of a tradition going back years and years. I remember Jimmie Walker told me that he used to open for Miles Davis at the Cellar Door in Washington, DC. And that's just one example. But it's a rarity these days.

Now we've got two of Danderfer's favourite local comics, Graham Clark and Ivan Decker, supplying the professional jokes while Danderfer's trio (featuring Joe Poole on drums) will supply the swinging tunes at the Jazz Cellar on Broadway, near Alma, on May 6 & 7. I can't wait. Comedy and jazz? What's not to love about that?! (By the way, if you think you don't like jazz, I bet you really do. You just need to experience it live.)

Both Danderfer and Poole have played cruise ships and have some stories about that experience. One of them involved Bill Burr's brief stint as a cruise ship comic. So we'll share some stories and also play some music-related comedy, from Paul F. Tompkins' hilarious take on jazz to Martin Mull talking about the blues to the 2000-Year-Old Man explaining music. And a whole lot more. So tune in tonight at 11 PST on CFRO, 102.7 FM or livestream it at coopradio.org. If you want to hear/read more of James' thoughts on music and life, read his most excellent blog. And for even more, read an in-depth interview I did with him in 2009 for vancouverjazz.com. We even talk a bit about comedy.

June 27: Irwin Barker

The late, great stand-up comic/writer Irwin Barker passed away last Monday and the country is still in mourning. I have no idea why flags are at half-mast around the city the last little while but I choose to believe they're for Irwin.

Barker was a guest twice on our little program, once in 2005 when we were six months in, and again in 2008, when he was one year into his diagnosis of terminal cancer. Tonight on What's So Funny? we're going to play clips from those two interviews with the man as well as some clips of his comedy.

The photo, courtesy of Kevin Statham, shows Irwin second from the right, at a benefit for cancer at the River Rock Show Theatre. From left to right, there's Brent Butt, Mark Critch, Tim Steeves, Tim Rykert, Barker, and Graham Clark.

Episode 193ish - Graham Clark

Greetings, SPY-heads. Words from your leader, Graham Clark, appear here in podcast form. You're used to hearing him on his top-rated comedy podcast, Stop Podcasting Yourself, which has taken the internets by storm. But do you really know him? Sure, you get to know him each week on his show, but here you really get to know him. One hour of almost uninterrupted conversation. And one thing we learn is that Graham is nothing if not loyal. Try as I might, I couldn't get him to say a bad word about his co-host, Dave Shumka. Listen here or over at iTunes. Wherever. Just listen.

June 20: Dave Shumka

On this Father's Day and last day of spring, we welcome non-father and man of all seasons, Dave Shumka. A couple weeks ago, we had Dave's Stop Podcasting Yourself partner Graham Clark on and I tried to get Clark to admit he was the real star of SPY. Clark wouldn't bite. But it was all a joke. Clearly. Because it's obvious that Shumka is the one driving the amazingly popular podcast. He's wearing the neatly-trimmed beard in that relationship. And he's the one who wowed the crowd in Los Angeles through eight hours of an on-line fund drive. His big name American cohorts called him The Sniper because of his perfectly-timed zingers.

I don't remember much about the first time Shumka guested on What's So Funny? but I do remember having a great time. I didn't know him then as well as I do now, but he was a funny and engaging guest. And with his new-found fame and popularity, no doubt he's got way more stories to regale us with.

All the info on the show is over in the right-hand panel, but I'll save you the trouble: 11 pm to midnight PST, CFRO 102.7 FM in Vancouver, live-streamed at coopradio.org and in a week (or so) it'll be available as a podcast on iTunes. There you go.

June 6: Graham Clark

It's been a while since Graham Clark has graced our studio. Even though he's been with us more than anyone other than Kevin or myself (guested three times by himself, twice with Sean Proudlove, once as part of a comedy roundtable, and twice as guest host), it's been two years since we saw him last. The bearded wonder was busy with his daily TV gig, The CityNews List, for about a year, and he's still churning out one of the most popular podcasts in the history of popular podcasts: Stop Podcasting Yourself. So we're thankful he still has times for the little guys.

Ah, who are we kidding? We're just hoping for the Graham Clark SPY bump. So do your part and tune in tonight from 11 to midnight on 102.7 FM here in Vancouver or listen on-line at coopradio.org. And give us a call if you'd like to talk with him. That's something you can't do on his rinky-dink podcast! You can only talk at him, not with him. Our number is 604-684-7561. And if you can't listen tonight, we'll drop ours in a week or two and you can listen then. Either way, we've got you covered.

Dec. 20: Marc Maron

When this show started, way back in 2004, there weren't any comedy podcasts. Or at least I didn't know about them. And what I don't know doesn't exist in my world. These days, cyberspace is littered with them. What's So Funny? isn't technically a comedy show. It's a show about comedy, is how I describe it.

Since I discovered podcasts, I've listened to my share of them. Some I like, some I don't. And of those I like, I find I often tire of them in relatively short order. The schtick gets old with everyone trying to one-up each other. Sometimes I sit there and wonder why I'm listening, and then they'll stumble onto something interesting/fascinating/hilarious.

With so many comedy podcasts, how do you even choose what to pick? I start by looking at the hosts and whether I'm a fan of theirs to begin with. That's a good start. Next I look at the guests, and whether I'm a fan of the guests. Then I commit. You've got to listen to the whole episode and give it your full attention. Doing something mind-numbing like a menial chore works.

Some of my favourites are Never Not Funny (with Jimmy Pardo), Comedy and Everything Else (with Jimmy Dore and Todd Glass, although I think he quit recently), Comedy Death-Ray (with Scott Aukerman), and Stop Podcasting Yourself (with Graham Clark and Dave Shumka).

I keep going back, on and off, to all of these, depending on who's on. But one keeps me coming back every single episode: WTF with Marc Maron. Despite what you probably think, WTF doesn't stand for Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Maron is a bit of an acquired taste and he's clearly not for everyone. But for my money, this is the best show on the internet. Why? Maybe because Maron doesn't try so hard. He's a confident conversationalist, albeit a self-centred one. He's funny when he needs to be but doesn't feel the need to always go for the laugh. He's intelligent. He's forceful. He's full of neuroses and anxieties. He's got a great voice. He's raw and honest and intense. He's curious, both intellectually and psychologically. And the show gets better each time out.

It also doesn't matter who his guest is. It's usually a comic (some of my favourite episodes have been with Zach Galifianakis, Doug Stanhope, Janeane Garofalo, Eddie Brill, Jen Kirkman, and Andy Kindler) but not always. It's just as fascinating to hear him talk to a former junior high school friend who is now an astronomer, a music journalist or a musician. Each show starts off with a solo rant or rumination by Maron and usually ends with either a prepared bit. Not coincidentally, his show is one of the most popular requests on iTunes.

Maron was in town a couple weeks ago to tape an episode of The Debaters on CBC radio. I couldn't have him in the same town without trying to get him back on our little show. So I asked. No problem. He even let me use his fancy equipment instead of my rinky-dink iPod. So we sat up in his hotel room and rolled tape, the results of which will air tonight at 11 pm PST on 102.7 FM in Vancouver or via livestream here. And we'll let you know here when the episode gets posted to iTunes. Probably sometime next week.

If you heard WTF's episode 29 with Andy Kindler, you'll hear Maron talk about food waste. When you hear him on our show talking about the same thing, though, know that he said it there first. We just aired ours later. But if you stick around, we do get a scoop. Maron starts talking about his old pal Sam Kinison and tells us something he's never said in public before. I won't spoil it for you.

So tune in. And when you're done that, if you haven't already, go download some WTF episodes.

NOTE: The video bar there on the right should be clips of Maron's comedy. If you see rapsters doing their raps, try hitting the refresh button.

The future

Two items of interest:

1. Just heard that Dave Attell ("with guests") is playing the Commodore on January 15. I notice that tickets went on sale on November 6th so chances are I'm just slow to notice things. I last saw him years ago at Giggles in Seattle. Since then he's gone on to put out CDs and host a couple of TV series (Insomniac and The Gong Show). On the one hand, I'm excited because he's a great comic and I don't know if he's ever played Vancouver before. On the other hand, I see he's playing the Comic Strip in Edmonton. A club! i.e. the perfect place to see a comedian. Oh, how I wish we could have the equivalent of a Comic Strip in Vancouver, a place that would bring in touring headliners from the States. Yuk Yuk's does a fantastic job of spotlighting Canadian comics (who are often just as good or better than their equivalents Stateside), but the more variety the better, in my book. I'm as nationalistic as the next fella, but who wouldn't want to see some of the best from down south in a club setting?

2. Speaking of Yuk Yuk's, I dropped by the office yesterday and found Mark Breslin's audio book (Yuk Yuk's Guide to Canadian Stand-Up) waiting for me. It's an early Christmas. I started listening in the car to the five-CD set and I love it. Breslin starts each "chapter" talking about a particular comic and their place in history. And the bonus disc is the classic live album "The Funniest 50 Minutes Ever!", which I wore out on vinyl back in the day and haven't heard since. I look forward to playing tracks from it on future shows.

But here's the great part: It's not Toronto-centric. I mean, sure, the vast majority of acts featured are from there, but that's just history. Breslin also didn't ignore those who chose not to work his clubs. There's a chapter on Brent Butt. But here's the cool part: Discs 3 & 4 are called The Future. He includes Vancouverites Craig Campbell, Richard Lett, Graham Clark, Damonde Tschritter, and Jeffery Yu. Not bad. Can't wait to hear them. Being a compulsive sort, I can't go out of order. The discs also come with a nice booklet.

Arj Barker at the Vogue Theatre, September 17

Man, it's the first day of the comedy festival and I'm already exhausted. But I'm here for you.

I went to the Arj Barker show at the Vogue tonight. Last time I saw Arj was back when the comedy fest was just a little teensy festival on Granville Island and he was the only big name. And he wasn't even a big name then. But he was American so what did we know?

I don't remember specifics of that show, but I recall loving it. The guy was flat-out funny and just oozed charm. Not much has changed in that respect. He's just better known now, thanks to his work on Flight of the Conchords.

As much as I love Flight of the Conchords (the duo, as opposed to the TV series), I kind of resent that established acts who have been around a lot longer than a few years, like Barker and Todd Barry, are their sidekicks. Barker and Barry should have their own respective shows.

Tonight, Barker took a while to really click. He kept second-guessing himself on whether we, as Canadians, would understand his set-ups. In a way, it's kind of refreshing that so many American comics assume the rest of the world doesn't pay attention to them, but even if it were true, we can follow along without knowing specifics. Just do the joke and move on. As a preamble to a bit about Obama and the congressman yelling out "You lie!", Barker said, "I don't know how prevalent the news is up here." Then later interrupted himself with, "Do you guys know about this?" Later, he asked, "Is gas expensive up here?"

But once he realized that we got all his references, it was smooth sailing. He practiced some bits for his upcoming Australian tour, talking about his fear of snakes and being told that snakes are just afraid of us as we are of them. "Really? Are snakes up all night Googling Arj Barker?... 'How can I tell the good Arj Barker from the bad Arj Barker?'... 'Will his ankles hurt my fangs?'"

His humour is decidedly silly. He loves to play the over-confidant pseudo-intellectual by constantly mispronouncing words, like putting the hard 'g' in 'paradigm'. I appreciate his backward approach in making a point, too. In portraying someone who sees conspiracies around every corner, he shows how ridiculous they are. Or maybe he's not making any point at all. That's probably more like it. He just likes being absurdly goofy. And it works.

Too bad Barker won't be around for more nights. One of the treats of the festival is seeing comics playing all the venues, big and small. And it's too bad I won't get a chance to interview him. I read in the Province today where he said when he was starting out, he relied more on jokes about his Indian heritage. He does none of that now. Not even a passing reference to his race. These days, it seems that's all anyone talks about so it's refreshing he just gets up there and talks about whatever. It would be great to get his take on that. Maybe one day.

I wish I could say something about Graham Clark and Alicia Tobin, who went on before Barker, but I was distracted by a late-arriving friend and was jumping in and out looking for him. But the crowd was into both of them. That much I could tell, even if the specifics escaped me.

Podcasts

We've got three more podcasts for you today. You can listen to them here or at the Comedy Couch, or download them at iTunes. And if you're at iTunes, why not subscribe to us and give us a rating and a review? Be the first!

The Baby Jessicas sketch troupe's Ryan Murphy and Stephen Morton. I can't even remember when this one was recorded. Maybe Ryan or Stephen can help out here.


Paul Breau, from just a few weeks ago, July 19, 2009:


And Darryl Lenox with Richard Lett, from July 26, 2009:


Oh, and while you're at it, this is me guesting (or trying to guest) on The Exploding Sandwich podcast with Devon Lougheed and Devin Mackenzie, recorded last Saturday. The ES is available on iTunes and at their website. Google 'em:


What the hell, let's get all my Vancouver podcast appearances out of the way. Here I am trying to keep up with Graham Clark and Dave Shumka on Stop Podcasting Yourself (available on iTunes and at their site):


It's your one-stop shopping for podcasts.

Podcasts, we've got podcasts...

We're slowly but surely catching up on the old shows and turning them into podcasts. It won't be too long before the podcast will be uploaded the week of the show. But for now, enjoy eight new/old podcast/shows:

Todd Allen from April 27, 2008:


Torben Rolfsen from August 17, 2008:


Graham Clark from September 21, 2008:


Seth Perry from January 11, 2009:


Maz Jobrani from February 1, 2009:


Sugar Sammy from February 8, 2009:


Damonde Tschritter from February 22, 2009:


David C. Jones from March 1, 2009:


And as always, you can listen to these over at the Comedy Couch and at iTunes. Your call.

Irwin update

Half the fun of this blog is watching my Site Meter to see how people arrive here. Here are some recent Google searches that directed unsuspecting readers our way:

• "funny job interview mistakes blogspot" (from Manila)
• "johnny carson luckiest person in the world love" (from an unknown American city)
• "brent butt not funny" (from some lost soul in Toronto)
• "jon dore homosexual" (from Brampton)

But one of the most common searches is for Irwin Barker, the former local comic who's been battling terminal cancer for a couple of years now. Someone from Winnipeg Googled "how is irwin barker" yesterday. When I corresponded with him last month, he said he was still hanging in there. Well, today I got a press release from the River Rock, which can only be good news for Barker fans. In an effort to pander to more potential readers, here it is:

RIVER ROCK CASINO RESORT

PRESENTS

IRWIN BARKER & FRIENDS:

FIGHTING CANCER WITH COMEDY

SATURDAY, JUNE 13

Richmond, BC – For the second year, River Rock Casino Resort will be presenting “Irwin Barker & Friends: Fighting Cancer With Comedy” … a hilarious evening of stand-up with all proceeds going to the Richmond Hospital Foundation. Irwin Barker is a Gemini nominated comedy writer and performer who is well known in the Vancouver comedy scene. He is currently a staff writer on CBC’s award-winning Rick Mercer Report. Prior to that, he spent several years as a writer for CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

In June 2007, Irwin was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma, a rare type of terminal cancer. Since then, he has been actively involved as an inspirational speaker on how he has used humour as a vital coping mechanism in his personal fight against cancer. He has been a headline performer at numerous cancer fundraisers as well as a keynote speaker for conferences dealing with cancer and palliative care. His first year of cancer treatment was the subject of a nationally televised CTV documentary, That’s My Time. The documentary debuted at the Halifax Film Festival in September 2008 where it was selected as Best Canadian Film. The reaction to Irwin’s presentations on comedy and cancer has been overwhelmingly positive seeing it as a “perfect combination of humour and reflection.” In Irwin’s own words, “Cancer has my body but not my spirit and I’ll continue to make jokes ... not so much about cancer but in spite of it.”

Proceeds from the event will go towards the Richmond Hospital Foundation’s $4 million MRI Campaign. “We are so close, over 90% raised,” says Lisa Westermark, Executive Director. “We just need a little more to reach our goal and provide MRI service in Richmond Hospital. Together we can reduce wait times, improve access and allow for consultation between radiologists and specialists. In short, we can transform care for our community.” The show will also feature comedians from across Canada including local comic Graham Clark who can currently be seen on Citytv’s The CityNews List, triple Gemini winner Tim Steeves and Toronto's own Tim Rykert who recently toured throughout North America as the opening act for Michael Bublé along with a few surprise guests.

TICKETS ON SALE THURSDAY, APRIL 16 @ 10:00 AM

DOORS: 7:00 PM SHOW: 8:00 PM

Tickets: $24.50 (+ Service Charge & Facility Fee) – Cabaret Seating

Tickets available at all Ticketmaster Outlets or charge-by-phone (604) 280-4444

or order on-line at www.ticketmaster.ca

Ages 19 years and over

Don't Podcast Yourself

I do believe not too long ago I mentioned the podcast that's taking the internet by storm, Stop Podcasting Yourself, hosted by Vancouver's own Dave Shumka and Graham Clark. Maybe that one mention got me booked on the program. Either that, or after 54 episodes they'd finally run out of decent guests. Be that as it may (and I think you'll all agree that it may), there I was on Saturday afternoon drinking brewskies* and eating Hershey's Kisses at Shumka's place, recording episode #55. Billed as "Vancouver's top comedy podcast", it's an hour-plus of shooting the shit. I was out of my element not asking questions and trying to keep up with two top comedic minds, but I hung in there.

Dave harangued me about not laughing, but here's the thing: I just listened to the show, and I gotta say I laughed (in my own inimitable way) at least as much as Shumka. Clark is in a league of his own, though.

Check out the show. If you haven't heard any of the previous 54, you should listen to some when they have actual funny guests.

Meanwhile, they have this posted on their latest blog entry, but it's deserves even more exposure. A little film by the name of "Fudge Cops", starring both Clark and Shumka, hit the YouTube station over a year ago and to date has 473 views. Let's get that number up, people. It's 1:12 of action-packed hilarity:



* I'm pretty sure Shumka would find that expression "douchey".