Podcast episode 526ish: Amy Shostak & Tom Hill

Improvisers Amy Shostak and Tom Hill made their What's So Funny? debut in this episode. They are also instructors at Blind Tiger Theatre and they tell us what's going on down at the East Van school. Along the way, we learn about them... including a big reveal at the end! Who knew?! As much fun as we have through the hour, we stumbled into a heavier discussion right at the end so we run a little longer than usual, but it's worth it. And a special shout-out to Sam in the booth.

The episode is right here for your listening pleasure. But you'll probably prefer to go find us on your favourite podcast app.

Mar. 17: Susan Thompson

Is Thompson an Irish name? It better be because our guest tonight on St. Patrick's Day is Susan Thompson. Susan is a professional middleman. What's that you say? I don't know. She does. We'll find out exactly tonight but I know she's been a standup comedian (and probably still is if I know standup comedians), I know she's also been a club manager (I don't think she still is), and also sees the stage from an industry point of view. Which is to say she's a booker/producer. Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of it all tonight.

We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM. If your old-timey radio is on the fritz, fire us up via livestream at coopradio.org or search for us on the TuneIn Radio app. They'll both do the job.

Podcast episode 525ish: Lady Rizo

What a perfect guest Lady Rizo was. She was raw and honest, funny, willing to go anywhere, and, as always, quick as a whip. Rizo (pronounced Reezo, but she's easy) was a Lady before the more famous Lady Blah-Blah. She took time away from the New York cabaret scene to spend almost half a year in Vancouver, where she starred in Bacio Rosso. We luckily got her in studio in her final week here. Growing up as Amelia Zirin-Brown in Oregon, she started her career in Seattle before heading to NYC. We talk about her experiences recording with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma, Moby, and Reggie Watts. She tells us about growing up among hippies. And she even sings us a little ditty. Great show.

You can listen right here, but maybe you want to savour it or take it with you on a walk. In that case, go download the show on iTunes or Stitcher or wherever you normally get your podcasts. We'll be there. Give us a rating, too, while you're at it.

Mar. 10: Amy Shostak & Tom Hill

I always love having improvisers on the show because there are no lines to memorize. As I'm sure you're all aware, there's a script for every other show. Tonight we've got a couple of Blind Tiger improvisers and instructors, Amy Shostak and Tom Hill. Amy is currently teaching a improv course for moms. We'll find out what that's all about and if moms improvise any differently than motherless ladies and men. Tom is also a member of the two-man group Hip.Bang! We've had his partner Devin MacKenzie on before so tonight he gets the attention.

This show is so old ("How old is it?!"), when we first started I had to remind listeners twice a year about the time change. You could go all day without remembering to put your clock forward or backward. These days you don't have to know. The robots do it for you. So when 11 pm hits tonight, you'll know to tune to CFRO 100.5 FM for What's So Funny? You can also livestream us at coopradio.org or find us on the TuneIn Radio app.

Podcast episode 524ish: Lisa Frischemeier

Our first German comedian graces our studio in this episode. Lisa Frischemeier hasn't been doing standup all that long, but she's making a name for herself in the English-speaking Berlin standup rooms. We learn about her hometown of Duisberg (the New Jersey of Germany), a bit about Muenster, and some about Berlin and a bit about Istanbul. But forget about all that learnin'; we had fun. We also talk about cookbooks and abortion!

Have a listen. Click below or download us on your favourite podcast dispensary. We'll be there.

Mar. 3: Lady Rizo

We've got a powerhouse on the show tonight. In our almost 15 years on the air, tonight's guest will be the first to have recorded with Yo-Yo Ma, Moby, and Reggie Watts. The first to have made an album at the famed Royal Studios in Memphis. The first who has had a solo residency at Joe's Pub in New York City. (But not the first to have performed at the Melbourne Comedy Festival.) The New York Times wrote: "Lady Rizo is a formidable belter who can sustain phrases and notes even when sprawled on her back on a piano and scissoring her legs". You might know Lady Rizo as the hostess extraordinaire at Bacio Rosso at Queen Elizabeth Park. I saw her there in November and was blown away not only by her voice, but also her extremely quick wit. She's hilarious. Tonight we'll get to know all about her.

We're on the air, as usual, at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM. If you're in, say, Oregon or Tennessee or New York, you can listen in via livestream at coopradio.org or find us on the TuneIn Radio (search for "CFRO"). If it's past your bedtime, give us a week and it'll be up in podcast format and you can listen whenever you damn well feel like it.

Update: Canada laughs again

What a difference a day makes.

And what a job Canadian comedians can do when they stick together.

I just received an update from Just For Laughs on the blowback from comics across Canada due to the change to the Canada Laughs SiriusXM channel. Since JFL's involvement with the station, they had veered it away from the 100% Canadian content it had been providing all these years. This got comedians up in arms because it would mean a decrease in their much-needed royalties.

Here's their statement in full:

February 27, 2018 [sic]

Statement by Bruce Hills, President of Just For Laughs and John Lewis, SVP of Programing and Operations, SiriusXM Canada

Today, we wish to announce our new strategy for Canadian Comedy on SiriusXM Canada.

• The new channel on SiriusXM 168 will be called Just For Laughs Canada and it will showcase 100 per cent Canadian content;
• All the content will be produced by Canadian artists independent of the Just For Laughs catalogue; and
• Canadian artists will be eligible for the same royalties as under the previous channel.

We spoke with Sandra Battaglini from the Canadian Association of Stand-ip Comedians (CASC) and informed her of our plans for the channel.

Quotes

“We’ve listened carefully to the concerns of Canadian artists and regret the stress we have caused the comedy community. We are invested in the growth of Canada’s comedy industry and are working to include even more Canadian talent in all our initiatives. To that end, we will continue to engage directly with the industry and work with CASC to strengthen and advance Canadian comedy.” – Bruce Hills, President of Just For Laughs

“Our partnership with Just For Laughs Canada provides an opportunity to bring Canada’s comedic talent to a larger audience in Canada and the United States. We understand the importance our platform has to comedians in Canada, and along with Just For Laughs, we will continue to work closely with that community to ensure its success.” – John Lewis, SVP of Programing and Operations, SiriusXM Canada

I contacted Dave Nystrom, a standup comic based in Calgary, and read him the press release. He was dumbfounded. And, needless to say, very pleased.

"Wow... Holy crap... Awesome... That's amazing," he said. "So we basically got it back to exactly what it was."

Well, except for now it's called Just For Laughs Canada, instead of Canada Laughs, but hey, what's in a name?

"I feel like Norma Rae right now," Nystrom joked.

Which is what we all wanted. Comedians can go back to being funny again. Yay!

Kumbaya, everyone.

UPDATE ON THE UPDATE (Feb. 28): The reversion back to the original format will take place at midnight tonight, February 28/March 1, 2019. As for the name change from Canada Laughs to Just For Laughs Radio, this will "take some time" according to JFL press relations, "due to the mechanics of Sirius USA." They have been told the rebranding will take place at the end of March but haven't been given an exact date yet.

Canada Cries

Fresh off the successful two-week JFL Northwest Comedy Festival, it was leaked, and then announced, that Just For Laughs has formed a partnership with Canada Laughs, the SiriusXM Canada station that, up until recently, played 100 percent Canadian independent comedy. The new Just For Laughs Radio will feature archival clips from their vault, reducing the number of hours – and residuals – from Canadian standup comedians, many of whom rely on the revenue to keep them afloat.

Talk about your brou-haha.

If nothing else, the move has galvanized the Canadian comedy community like never before. One of the most vocal on social media is former Vancouver comic Dave Nystrom, who recently moved to Calgary after a decade in Los Angeles.

“We were given no notice on this,” he said. “The main point for me and for a lot of the comics is they’re not adhering to CanCon. I mean, they are kind of adhering to CanCon rules but they’re circumventing it by airing American acts.”

On Monday, the public relations department of Just For Laughs passed on to me several prepared comments, saying representatives from both Just For Laughs and SiriusXM couldn’t speak with me due to the volume of requests they’ve been receiving. I have since submitted a list of 30 questions I had planned on asking the representatives. Until such time as they’re answered, we’ll go by the official comments. “SiriusXM has no CRTC obligation to keep a comedy channel,” one comment reads.

Another comment says, “We have asked [SiriusXM host, producer and standup comic] Ben Miner to curate new content for the channel that will feature Canadian releases from establishing and emerging Canadian comedians who produced content independently of JFL, as well as performances for Just For Laughs from the past to today.”

Miner, a beloved figure on the scene who also runs the yearly SiriusXM Top Comic competition, couldn’t be reached for comment so as of press time, we don’t know what percentage of airtime will feature the independent releases.

Before the official comments, Nystrom said of Miner, “He’s been the biggest champion for Canadian comedy. Everybody loves Ben. He’s been the one who’s fought for us all along to get our albums in there.”

Residuals from airplay has ranged from a couple thousand dollars to $60,000 US a year, says Nystrom.

“It was always our intention that the new channel would be majority Canadian and that comedians would receive royalties on both independently produced albums, as they always have, as well as Canadian performances from the JFL library,” another official comment reads. So while that's positive, it still is less than the 100 percent it was up until now.

One thing that galls many of the comedians is how this all came as a total surprise.

“If 50 percent of your income is about to disappear, that’s something anybody in any profession would want to know,” says Nystrom. “If we were informed, maybe we could have had conversations with them on how to find a better option. Or something. I’m sure we’d put our heads together and instead of having this fight, we would have had a discussion to try and figure out a better approach that works for everybody.”

On their end, JFL says, “Together, both companies regret not notifying comedians earlier of the decision.”

According to the official comments, and to a video new JFL owner Howie Mandel released on Sunday, SiriusXM was looking to attract a larger audience for the channel and approached JFL about partnering. JFL comments, “In preparation for the new channel, SiriusXM removed more than 25% of their original talk programming to open up 30 hours of additional airtime to program comedy clips.”

“If it wasn’t working before for them from their end of it,” says Nystrom, “I don’t know what that means exactly but I don’t imagine they’re just going to go back to how it was, but we would like to be part of the conversation, we would like there to be some sort of compromise. And something that is truly Canadian, not American acts recorded in Canada.”

While preparing this story, I streamed Canada Laughs. It's a small sample size, but out of 17 tracks, 11 were Canadian (or 65%): Debra DiGiovanni, Ana-Marija Stojic, Brent Butt, Jeff McEnery, Ron James, Winston Spear, Dave Merheje, Jeremy Hotz, Tim Nutt, DeAnne Smith, and Rebecca Kohler, while six were non-Canadian: Marc Maron, Jimmy Carr, Colin Quinn, Jim Jefferies, Ed Byrne, and Dylan Moran. And all appeared to be from JFL recordings rather than independent albums released by the comedians themselves.

The final comment from the JFL publicity department reads, “Our goal with the channel is to increase audience which will provide greater exposure for Canadian talent that should translate into more and more opportunities.”

It’s unclear now how playing less than 100 percent Canadian content will provide greater exposure for Canadian talent but maybe they feel drawing listeners in with famous international names will expose them to the Canadian names they might not otherwise be familiar with.

As hot under the collar as the comedians are today, maybe the situation will resolve itself. Maybe it won’t. Maybe the public perception of Just For Laughs will erode. Maybe this will just be a blip. For the sake of the country’s comedy industry, we can hope the two sides will soon look back at this ugly bit of business and, well, laugh.

“I want Just For Laughs and Canadian comedy to have a great relationship,” says Nystrom. “I would love it if this was the spark for some kind of change that lifted Canadian comedy up and Just For Laughs was a part of that. I’m not trying to paint them as an evil empire or anything like that. I think they’re not handling things the right way and I just want that to change.”

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Feb. 24: Lisa Frischemeier

We've got another international episode for you tonight. It's our first ever German standup comic. Lisa Frischemeier hails from Berlin and is town for the week, maybe a tad jet-lagged but we'll try to keep her awake. We'll find out all about the Teutonic standup scene and she'll dispel the notion that German's have no sense of humour.

Tune in to CFRO 100.5 FM tonight from 11 to midnight. If you're in Deutschland, don't fret. You can still hear this episode live, but nine hours in the future, from 8 to 9 am. Livestream us at coopradio.org or find us on the TuneIn Radio app over your morning Kaffee.

Podcast episode 523ish: Ed Hill

In this episode, standup comic Ed Hill marks his third appearance with us. He came by to talk about the upcoming recording of his third comedy album, but of course we talk about so much more. He's a Vancouver comedian who plays all over the US but has no ambition to live there. He's happy here. And who can blame him? He also shares with us his favourite street joke. It also happens to be the only street joke he knows. But it's a good one!

Have a listen. Go download us wherever you get your podcasts. Or you can always click below to get started.

Feb. 3: Ed Hill

Ed Hill has been with us twice before. Today he writes to confirm his appearance tonight and say, "Still 9 pm?" No! We're still on at 11 pm, as we have been for the past 14 years! To paraphrase Rodney, we get no respect. If you tune in to CFRO 100.5 FM at 11 tonight, you'll hear us talking to Ed for the first time since 2016. He's recording a new album at the Havana on Commercial Drive in Vancouver on Feb. 22nd & 23rd. We'll find out who Smiley is, and catch up on what he's been up to the past three years (besides not tuning in to What's So Funny?!).

If you don't have an old-fashioned radio, you can always livestream us at coopradio.org or listen in via the TuneIn Radio app.

Podcast episode 522ish: Colin Heath

In this episode we go on a journey throughout Colin Heath's career, from junior high school productions to Vancouver theatre to international stops with Cirque du Soleil. Colin is a clown in the best sense of the word. He joined us freshly scrubbed of his painted-on moustache he sports at Bacio Rosso and we discussed why people are afraid of clowns, reminisced about the good old days at Oak Bay high, he told us how he ended up residing in Magog, Quebec, and how audiences react to comedy differently all over the world. We also learned that we have another connection with Heath: his daughter, actress Lili Beaudoin, is the sweetheart of friend to What's So Funny? Ryan Beil. Small world.

Listen to the episode right here and now. Or you can download it at iTunes, Stitcher, Podbean, or wherever you find fine quality podcasts.

Jan. 27: Colin Heath

Our first clown! Tonight on the show our very special guest is the esteemed Colin Heath, an actor/musician/artist/clown. I mean, sidekick Sam Tonning is a clown in his own lovable way, but Colin is a professional. Perhaps you've seen him acting in Axis Theatre's "The Number 14" (which he also co-wrote), TV's Stargate as Alien, or in Cirque du Soleil somewhere in the world. The Victoria native, who now resides in Montreal, is in Vancouver performing in Bacio Rosso at Queen Elizabeth Park. We'll talk about all that, plus a special connection he and I have.

We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM here in sunny Vancouver. Tune in on your radio box or livestream us at coopradio.org or find us on the TuneIn Radio app.

Podcast episode 521ish: Brittany Lyseng

We had a great talk with our first guest of 2019, Calgary's own Brittany Lyseng. We discussed the perils of elevator and escalator travel, weird insects in fruit boxes, girls rugby, nice teachers, and putting together a Canadian Blue Collar Comedy show, among other topics. Brittany is at Yuk Yuk's Vancouver this weekend recording her first album. I do believe she's the first non-604 area code resident on the 604 record label.

Check it out below or on iTunes or Stitcher or Podbean or wherever you can find it.

Jan. 13: Brittany Lyseng

Our first guest of 2019 is an out-of-towner. Brittany Lyseng joins us in studio all the way from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It's her first time on the show so we'll find out all about her, from her humble beginnings in heavy duty construction to her finals in the Sirius-XM Top Comic competition. Brittany was in the area headlining the Yuk Yuk's in Abbotsford this week and will be at the downtown club next weekend recording an album.

We're on the air at 100.5 FM tonight at 11 pm. Friends and family and fans of Lyseng's can listen all the way from Alberta by livestreaming us on coopradio.org or finding us on the TuneIn Radio app.

Podcast episode 520ish: Dave Nystrom

Our latest podcast episode sees old friend Dave Nystrom back in studio after a 14-year absense. What? Fourteen years? How is that possible? Well, he did guest five years ago, but we recorded that off-site. Dave was back in town on a Sunday ahead of his New Year's Eve gig at Lafflines so it was a no-brainer to bring him in. The Thunder Bay native Nystrom started his standup career right here in Vancouver. He then lived for a decade in Hollywood, before moving to Calgary a few years ago to raise his thirty children... Okay, maybe I exaggerate but anything over two kids may as well be thirty. In this episode, he tells us about the perils of parenthood, living amongst the stars in LA, and reminisces about the Urban Well days in Vancouver.

Have a listen. Right here or go download the episode at iTunes, Stitcher or Podbean. Ask for "What's So Funny?" with a question mark. Free while supplies last.

Podcast episode 519ish: Harry Doupe

Relive the glory of 2018 with our regular year-end (or thereabouts) guest Harry Doupe. Come for the recap; stay for the stories. Harry's always got lots of stories and reminiscences from his many years in Canadian show business. And for the second year in a row, he's come bearing gifts. Such a thoughtful guy. It's always a treat when he joins us. I don't have to prepare much. I just throw out a name or topic and he's off to the races. That's his real gift.

And our gift to you is this episode. Enjoy it, and pass it on to your loved ones. You can listen on the link below or go download us at iTunes or Stitcher or Podbean.

Dec. 30: Dave Nystrom

Look who we've got in studio tonight? It's old pal Dave Nystrom! Dave's in town from Cowtown so he'll be joining us live for the first time since... November 21, 2004! Holy time warp! Five years ago we recorded an episode, too, so this marks his third appearance on the show. He likes to space them out to keep the demand high. Tonight we'll talk about his years living in Vancouver, Hollywood, and now Calgary. And who knows what else will pop up?

We're on the air at 11pm here in Vancouver on CFRO 100.5 FM. If you're in California or Alberta, for example, try our livestream at coopradio.org or find us on the TuneIn Radio app.

Podcast episode 518ish: Steve Bays

Bays is back! It's been two years since musician extraordinaire Steve Bays has been with us. Like always, we go long. Steve showed off his acting chops with some amazing accent work, told stories of nearly meeting a Beatle, watching an SNL rehearsal, and more. The episode runs almost 90 minutes but this is the holiday season so treat yourself.

You can listen here or download (and subscribe) at iTunes, Stitcher or Podbean.

Dec. 23: Harry Doupe

It's a semi-tradition around these parts to bring back Harry Doupe at this time of year every year. And so tonight, we present... Harry Doupe! He's like Santa, bringing his gifts of laughs and stories every winter. He'll talk about the year in comedy and regale us with tales of bygone days in Canadian show business. And he comes all the way from the North Pole, or Chilliwack (I forget which). Last year, he rung in Christmas. This time out, he'll ring in Christmas Eve. This is his 9th time with us, but he'll never run out of stories.

We're on the air, as always, at CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver. Or you can possibly stream us at coopradio.org or on the TuneIn Radio app.

Podcast episode 517ish: Melanie Rose

Melanie Rose is back with us in this episode. A hundred pounds lighter than the last time she was with us, to boot! We all knew about her ex-husband the bank robber, but I had never heard about her felonious fathers (both step- and biological) and her gansta granny. Hard to believe, but true. We also talked about the perils of being an older standup in the youthful community, mental health, Christmas karaoke, and lots more.

Listen here and now. Or download the show at iTunes or Stitcher or PodBay.

Podcast episode 516ish: He Fangzhou

Before Canada and China got into a tiff, we had Chinese national He Fangzhou on our program. He travels the Great White North performing standup comedy with his unique perspective. But he's not just about pointing out differences, as he tells us in this episode. He is also our first guest in 14 years who changed into better clothes for our audio interview. Gotta respect that! We're looking for huge numbers in China for this episode. Don't disappoint! We struggle with the correct pronunciation of his name but our hearts are in the right places.

Listen to this episode here on this page or go to iTunes, Stitcher, PodBay, et. al. and download us. Subscribe. Review. Comment.

Dec. 16: Steve Bays

Christmas comes early to What's So Funny? as Steve Bays makes his seventh appearance with us, but first since 2016. Steve just got off the plane from New York City so will be bringing us stories from La Grande Pomme. Maybe he saw some live comedy there? According to his Twitter account, he got to watch an SNL rehearsal. Can't wait to hear about it. Steve, as everyone knows, is one of the all-time great tambourine players. I believe he has a new Mounties album coming out, too, on February 8. It's always a bit of a marathon session when Bays drops by so buckle up. He may or may not be bringing a special surprise guest with him. Who could it be?!

Tune in to CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver at 11 pm for all the rock talk (and comedy). If you're a fan of Mounties or Hot Hot Heat or Fur Trade (all bands of his) and you're outside our listening area, you're not really because we can be heard worldwide. Livestream us at coopradio.org or find us on the TuneIn Radio app.

Dec. 9: Melanie Rose

Comedian Melanie Rose makes her return visit tonight after a three-year absence. Melanie started out eleven years ago taking a class called Stand Up For Mental Health. Today she puts on a show called Heavy Mental, among other things. I believe she runs the only comedy room in Richmond, too. And performs regularly at Yuk Yuk's. We'll get the lowdown tonight about her past, present, and future. Very Dickens-like, I'd say, for the season.

We're on the air on CFRO 100.5 FM at 11 pm in Vancouver. You can livestream us at coopradio.org or find us on the TuneIn Radio app. Join us, won't you?

Podcast episode 515ish: Kevin Kent

International improviser and drag queen Kevin Kent joins us in this very fun episode. Kent comes to us all the way from the 1800s – or so you'd think given his description of his living quarters in his home in New Mexico. He's in town performing with Bacio Rosso in a spiegeltent at Queen Elizabeth Park for a few months. He arrived at the studio fresh off a Sunday night show with only a bit of glitter stuck to his face. We talked about his journey from Albuquerque to Chicago to Seattle and now Vancouver (for a short while, anyway). He also talks about working with Dan Savage. It was Grey Cup Sunday when we recorded this and he had no idea, nor any idea what that even meant. Gotta love that!


You can listen to the episode right here, if you like. Or if you want to be mobile, go subscribe to download What's So Funny? on iTunes or Stitcher. Give us a rating while you're there. And a comment. Is that asking too much? If so, you can skip all the rest and just listen. I think you'll enjoy it. If it's your first time listening, check out the title of this post – this is episode 515! So you've got some catching up to do! Get on it.

Dec. 2: He Fangzhou

Last week we had an American guest. Two weeks before that we had an Estonian guest. Tonight? We're going east to China. We've got He Fangzhou on, a very funny standup who started his West Tour last night here in Vancouver. We'll find out how he got started in standup, what the perils of performing in another language are, ask if he knows Joe Wong or Dashan, and whatever else we think up in the moment. Probably the first question will be how to pronounce his name. That's always a good starting point. Maybe I'll just call him Alex (check out his YouTube video to get that reference).

Tune in to CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver at 11 pm. If you're in Asia or somewhere else outside our listening area, you can livestream us at coopradio.org or find us on the TuneIn Radio app on your fancy computing devices.

Podcast episode 514ish: Kevvy

We've got another fine podcast episode for you here. The singularly named Kevvy makes a return visit. Not only does his band, Fake Shark, have a new release just out (Walking Through a Fantasy), Kevvy has produced yet another in a long line of comedy albums. This one is his first compilation album and first comedy Christmas album: Get Stuffed, featuring the likes of Charlie Demers, Shirley Gnome, Kyle Bottom, Kevin Banner, Harris Anderson and more. Plus we talk about the mighty Vancouver Grizzlies, Adam Sandler, and tattoos!

You can, as always, listen to us on this page below. Or you can, as always, download us at iTunes or Stitcher or any other reputable podcast provider. So what are you waiting for?

Podcast episode 513ish: Ari Matti

We've got an international episode of What's So Funny? for you. In this one, our guest is Ari Matti from Tallinn, Estonia. Ari's been in Vancouver working on his English standup. You can hear his English is pretty good. And he knows all the swear words! He also throws in some Finnish and Estonian here, so we expect our European numbers to skyrocket. Matti talks about the burgeoning standup scene in Estonia, and his own evolution as a performer.

Listen to the episode below or go download it on iTunes or Stitcher or some other podcast place. If you're in Estonia (or Finland or Poland...) give us a rating and leave a comment! And spread the word. We could become the most popular Vancouver-based podcast in all of Eastern Europe!

Nov. 25: Kevin Kent

Have you had a chance to check out Bacio Rosso yet at Queen Elizabeth Park? It's pretty great. It's like Cirque du Soleil but with food. The performers (some of them Cirque alumni) hail from all over the world. One of them is with us tonight. We've got Kevin Kent with us all the way from New Mexico. He was one of the original performers at Seattle's Teatro ZinZanni and was with them for 20 years. You won't see him hanging upside down from a trapeze, juggling or doing magic. But what he does is magical in its own right. He's an improviser and really ups the comedic element. Tonight we'll meet him and find out all about his personal history. Should be lots of fun.

We're on the air on CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver at 11 pm. If you're in, say, New Mexico or Seattle, you can always livestream us at coopradio.org or find us on the TuneIn Radio app. We'll be there waiting for you. Alternatively, in a week (maybe sooner, maybe later) this episode will hit your favourite podcast dispensary.

Nov. 18: Kevvy

Tonight we welcome back Kevvy. That's it. Kevvy. Just one name does it. Kevvy is not only a singer-songwriter-rock star with his band Fake Shark, he's also a comedy album producer. He has recorded and produced the albums on 604 Records for the likes of past What's So Funny? guests Kevin Banner, Shirley Gnome, Charlie Demers, Kyle Bottom, Fatima Dhowre, Gavin Matts, and Harris Anderson. We'll find out who else he has/will be recording and talk about all sorts of other stuff, too. I know he's just released a new Christmas comedy album so maybe we'll listen to a track or two. And no doubt we'll mention our beloved Vancouver Grizzlies, too.

We're on the air on CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver at 11 pm. If you're out of range, try livestreaming us at coopradio.org or find us on the TuneIn Radio app. We'll be there.

Podcast episode 512ish: Brent Butt

It's always a treat when Brent Butt graces our studio. Not only is he a legit Canadian superstar, he's always one of the most naturally and effortlessly funny people in everyday life. The star (and creator and producer and writer and heart and soul) of Corner Gas talks about little green apples in Saskatchewan, working as a terrible wedding singer in his youth, practicing standup using a screwdriver, his love of language, how he learned to be present in his act, the etymology of 'gangbusters' and 'trivia', how he's a proponent of kindness, and falling asleep to the images of David Cassidy and Bobby Sherman. Oh, and hey, go check out his vlog on YouTube (linked in his name above). It started out as a promotional component to his ButtPod podcast but now it's an entity unto itself.

Listen to our conversation here and now, or go download us on iTunes or Stitcher or anywhere fine podcasts are dispensed. Subscribe! Leave a comment! It'd help.

Podcast episode 511ish: Barry Greenfeld

He's back! Even if he doesn't remember ever being with us the first time, back in 2006. But if you listen to the episode, Barry Greenfeld doesn't remember lots of things so we're in good company. Play a drinking game: Every time Barry forgets a name or detail, take a sip, and at the end of the hour you'll be as drunk as he was! ... Nah, just kidding. Greenfeld wasn't drunk. That's just the way he is. All. The. Time. In this episode, he plays us a new theme song, reminisces (as best he can) about the old days at the Urban Well and being the band for the Brent Butt Talk Show. And occasionally he makes sense.

You can listen to the episode right here, or you can go find us on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Nov. 11: Ari Matti

Tonight on the old program we've got our very first guest from Estonia. No need for a translator, though, because Ari Matti has been doing standup comedy in English here in Vancouver for... well, we'll find out for how long. And how long he plans on staying. But it should be no surprise he speaks English well enough to be funny in it. There are – get this – 109 languages spoken in Estonia. So I guess we'll also find out how many more languages he speaks. And we'll talk about the challenges of performing in another culture, and discuss the comedy scene in Tallin.

Tune in to CFRO 100.5 FM tonight at 11 pm for the scintillating conversation. If you're not in the Vancouver area and are in, say Estonia, you can livestream us at coopradio.org or find us on the TuneIn Radio app. But make sure you do the math on the time difference.

Podcast episode 510ish: Travis Bernhardt

This is Travis Bernhardt's first appearance on What's So Funny? but it won't be his last (unless of course he refuses to come back). He's a great talker, as you might expect from an improviser and magician. He took up the craft of magic the same year we started this show, 14 years ago. Now he's an incredible performer. And funny, too! We talk about his start on the streets, how magic helped him with his depression, and his reputation as a darling of the Fringe circuit.

Listen to the whole episode below. Or you can go find us at iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe! Leave a review! Do what you have to do!

Nov. 4: Brent Butt

The great Brent Butt made his first visit to us in 2005. It took him seven years to return, back in 2012. He's back again tonight, only six years after his last visit, so the gap is narrowing. We expect him to return in five years so mark your calendars for a fall/winter Sunday in 2023. Brent is one of the best comedians to come out of this country, a country that has produced some real superstars. There's no one funnier than him. Most famous for his work on Corner Gas, which has since morphed into Corner Gas Animated, many young'uns don't know what a fantastic standup comedian he was before the series started, and continues to be. Plus he's always a perfect guest. So tune in!

We're on the air from 11pm to midnight on CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver, but if you're in, say, Saskatchewan, you can always catch us on the old livestream at coopradio.org or on the TuneIn Radio app.

Oct. 28: Barry Greenfeld

I ran into Barry Greenfeld a few weeks ago. Hadn't seen him in a while. He said he'd been in Calgary for eight years. Go figure! I didn't know it had been that long. So I asked him to be on the show. He said he'd never done it before. I had to remind him that he was, indeed, a guest on the program back in 2006. It must have been a really memorable time for him. They don't call him Crazy Barry for nothing. (I'm not really sure if they call him Crazy Barry at all, but if they don't, they should.) He'll bring his laugh and maybe his guitar and we'll find out why Calgary and why back to Vancouver and everything else that's been happening in his life.

Tune in to CFRO 100.5 FM at 11 pm tonight for all the action.

Podcast episode 509ish: Ivan Decker

Ivan Decker's back for his sixth go-around on What's So Funny? You'd think we'd run out of things to talk about but we managed to go almost 90 minutes with this episode. Decker opens up about the frustrations of living in Los Angeles, dissects the ins and outs of getting in and out of a performance, talks about comedy critics, and, of course, dinosaurs. Oh, and his upcoming half-hour Netflix special. The Jerry Seinfeld of Canada also talks about opening up for the Jerry Seinfeld of France, aka Gad Elmaleh, as well as a ton of other celebrity comedians.

So have a listen. You can do so by clicking the link below. Or even better you can head on over to iTunes and subscribe to What's So Funny? and pick it up gratis there. We're also at Stitcher and wherever else fine podcasts are doled out.

Oct. 21: Travis Bernhardt

We've got a newbie guest on the program tonight! Always exciting when that happens. I've been a fan of Travis Bernhardt ever since VTSL's Brian Anderson tipped me to him. But I just met the guy a few weeks ago when we both guested on the Brett Martin Show at Yuk Yuk's. So I invited him on. And here we are. Travis is an actor/improviser/magician. Not sure which order. We'll find out. I know he just finished a one-man improv show at the Fringe called UnScriptured. In fact, I've read that he's a bit of a "Fringe darling." We'll talk about that plus his work with !nstant Theatre and, obviously, magic.

Tune in tonight at 11 pm on Co-op Radio 100.5 FM. You can always livestream us at coopradio.org or the TuneIn Radio app, if you prefer.

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!