Oct. 25: Ardell Fitzpatrick & LeeAnn Keple

The last time Ardell Fitzpatrick and LeeAnn Keple visited What's So Funny?, we were in a tiny studio. That tells me it's been at least four years since we've seen them. Lots has happened in the ensuing years. Ardell took a break from comedy but is now back with a vengeance – and an oxygen tube. We'll talk about that as well as the ongoing Laff Riot Girls competition at Lafflines, which started on Oct. 14 and crowns a winner on Nov. 4. There's lots to catch up on. Join us. That's an order.

Louis CK review

My official review of Louis CK's show at the Vogue on Saturday is now on-line at the Straight. It'll be out in the paper on Thursday if you have something against reading on a computer screen.

Spoiler alert: It was really, really good. I don't think it was quite as strong as his appearance here last year, but that's really nitpicking. It was a mostly new show, too, as is his custom. Only two bits from last year made it to this year's 90-minute performance (that I remember, anyway). I have no idea where he is in the development stages with this one. There were some chunks that didn't really go anywhere. And you know what? I didn't matter one bit. He told a story about being in a high-speed chase in L.A. that had no pay-off but the joy was in the details along the way.

He really can take even a premise done to death and make something of it. So we get material about airport security and deplaning protocol that's fresh and new, proving once again that there's no such thing as a hack premise, just hack comics. I think it's key that he really does (seem to) care about this stuff. He doesn't choose material because he thinks it'll get a laugh (although I'm sure that's part of it); he talks about stuff he finds funny and has the confidence to know he can make it work for us.

He also will go to any length to hit all the hot-button words. Usually a comic that tries so hard to squeeze in all the dirty words in his arsenal is tiresome. Add toilet humour to the mix, and on paper he's a comic that wouldn't interest me. But he does, inexplicably. I hate to list some of his topics and words out of context, but I'm going to anyway. Trust me when I say he utters these in the least offensive way possible:

• Mother rape (he's against it)
• "nigger baby" (he's aghast that his ex-wife told him he yelled it out in his sleep)
• "cunt hair" (used as a measurement to express an infinitesimal difference)
• "shit the dick of Christ" (he doesn't know where that came from)
• "shitting in people's mouths" (used as an example of what's okay, Biblically speaking)
• "retard in a stroller" (NYC parents coddle their teenagers so they end up like this)
• "some Dutch faggot in 1776" (not meant sexually)
• "kid fucking" (again, he's against it but uses it to illustrate it's the reason why some children are killed or go missing)
• "fuck her in the period hole" (surprisingly pro-woman)
  

His biggest targets are the selfish haves in the world who are constantly looking out for number one, and... himself. So he's able to walk that line. And he does so masterfully.

My favourite line of the night, possibly, was following his chunk on how good it feels to say "Jesus Christ!" What did they do B.C? Or even during the time of Christ? He ends with Jesus's friends watching him being crucified and not being able to saying anything other than, "... That is bananas... A real humdinger," before the brilliant "They were three days away from having the perfect thing to say!"

CK thinks it's ridiculous the way we overuse language to the point where everything is amazing, genius or hilarious. But those are three pretty good words to describe his work these days.

Oct. 18: Danny Mendlow

We've got a really interesting show tonight. Got a young tyke on by the name of Danny Mendlow. Danny does stand-up comedy, but even more than that he's got his dirty fingerprints all over the internet. One of his videos was banned by YouTube, pussies that they are. But it's found a life of its own so you may have already seen it. If not, here it is for you:

Religion - watch more funny videos

Mendlow also has an animated series on the life of Jesus in the modern world (watch the first season at jfcshow.com), has tons of slick videos on funnyordie.com, collegehumor.com and DIGG.com. Or check out his own site, toofar.tv, where you can see all manner of offensive comedy, be it stand-up, sketch or music. Here's another for your viewing pleasure:



Should be a fun show. Check it out. Oh, and since it's our annual membership drive, you might want to consider calling in and donating to the station. In return, I've got some goodies to give away.

Fine podcast

Remember back a couple of weeks ago when Academy Award (TM) winner David Fine was a guest on our program? And Ian Boothby guest hosted? Well, remember no more because that very episode is now available in the popular podcast format. Listen right here right now, or download it at iTunes.

Oct. 11: Pearce Visser

Happy Thanksgiving, good people. Hope you have a good turkey dinner. I'm still away, celebrating the harvest in New Brunswick, but the show will go on. I've lined up two guest hosts to take my place this evening: Shaun Stewart and Eric Fell, aka The Justice Pals. They will be serving up some justice with VTSL vet Pearce Visser. It'll be Pearce's first time on the program so hopefully they'll be gentle.

I'm back tomorrow so I'll be in the chair next Sunday night. Talk to you then.

Two new podcasts... and they really are new(ish)

We're really getting caught up to speed here with the podcasts. No, last week's isn't up yet, but the two before it are. They're good ones, too, with big-time(y) American guests. Check 'em out, either right here or go to iTunes. Either way is fine with me.










Tom Segura & Jon Reep, from Sept. 20, 2009:

Scott Aukerman, from Sept. 27, 2009:

Saint John, final day

Let's finish off this puppy, shall we? Saturday was my last day/night at the Canadian Comedy Awards. I do believe there was on afternoon show on the Sunday at the high school, but I skipped town.

Saturday started with a writer's symposium. Hey, I'm a writer, kind of, so why not attend? Plus, it was in my hotel. A no-brainer, really. Plus, I love these types of things. The panel was moderated by stand-up comic Cory Mack, while Dan Redican (Kids in the Hall, Puppets That Kill, the Frantics, Little Mosque on the Prairie, and The Jenny McCarthy Show), Tim Steeves (This Hour Has 22 Minutes, The Rick Mercer Report), George Westerholm (Al & George, The Rick Mercer Report) and Ron Sparks (Comedy Now) were on the panel.

Things I learned:

• Redican said it's touchy writing for Little Mosque because the show is based on a religion. "Those are people that blow up buildings," he said.
• Funny is in third place at the Mercer Report: 1. Canadian 2. Politics 3. Funny. (This didn't surprise me. Actually, I figured "funny" was a lot further down the list judging from the show.)
• In writing for a show, or doing a spec script, one always has to keep in mind what the show isn't.
• Rickland is the land inhabited by Mercer and his minions. So Britney Spears doesn't exist in Rickland. (See list above.)
• 22 Minutes producers are cowards (my interpretation). They once got 700 letters of complaint after making fun of Elvis Stojko so from that point forward, there were to be no more figure skating jabs.
• Inspiration is not a great friend to the writer. (I knew this already. Boy, did I know this.) A deadline is all the inspiration one needs. It's simple hard work and getting down and doing it.
• If you're sending in a pitch, repeated hits are the key. Anyone can fluke out one good pack, or get friends to help punch it up. But if you send in a pack three weeks in a row, the producer might sit up and take notice.
• You almost never get in the front door in show business; you've got to find the side door.
• Writing TV shows is hack work. You're making widgets. You're not James Joyce creating your masterpiece.
  

It was a fun and informative hour. I'd love for these types of things to take place at the Vancouver festival.

At 4 pm, former Vancouverite Harry Doupe gave his annual Statelessness of the Industry address, a direct rip-off, he will admit, to Andy Kindler's annual skewering at Just For Laughs. Harry, though, just concentrates on Canadians. It was fun hearing shots taken at people I know. And it was especially fun because I wasn't included. (I interviewed Harry later that day for the radio show and he told me I had been targetted in years past.)

He started by mentioning the Funniest Person in New Brunswick contest he closed on Wednesday, and which I briefly mentioned here. I saw the last performer and wrote that if they're all of his quality, New Brunswick comedy is in good shape. Uh, apparently they're not all of that quality. As Doupe put it, "I weep for New Brunswick's comedy future." That gave you an idea of how the speech would go. Doupe didn't take any prisoners. And there were lots of barbs at Vancouver comics.

First off, though, he hit one of the biggest names in comedy, Russell Peters: "If Russell Peters had a dollar for every time he told somebody how much money he makes, he'd have exactly the amount of money he has now." Asking if anyone saw Peters host the Junos for the second year in a row, he said, "I laughed out loud about eight times. But then Nickelback finished their song." To which a chorus of comics would mumble, "Burn, burn, burn."

Doupe mentioned that comedy forums appeared to be dead. I'll vouch for that. And that's why I was spared this year. He couldn't get on me for all my wonderfully insightful Comedy Couch posts. Ditto Ian Boothby.

Another Guy got it, though. Comedian Guy Earle, who was taken to the human rights tribunal for insulting a couple of lesbians, got the Doupe treatment. Back when the brouhaha started, Earle had said that it would be good publicity. Harry said, "Guy Earle was able to spin about fifty pieces of international media into absolutely fucking zero."

Gerry Dee's cross-country theatre tours also came into Doupe's sights: "There's no sense playing a 2000-seat hall if you're gonna have 400 people there... And there's no sense going to a Gerry Dee show."

Then the rest of the speech was Doupe railing about hyperbolic press releases and personal websites. As happy as he is for Brent Butt's success, he can't stand the CTV hype machine. "CTV puts out press releases like Corner Gas cured cancer."

Next a trio of Vancouverites got ridiculed for their excessive self-praise. Dan Quinn's website apparently says Dan is "poised to be the spokesperson for his generation," to which Doupe adds, "based on the Yuk Yuk's in Calgary." Damonde Tschritter's site says the Globe & Mail hails him as "comedy's new superhero". Turns out the G&M said no such thing. I know that full well, because I was the one who wrote that Globe & Mail story on Damonde. A Prince George paper did the hailing, apparently. And Richard Lett's site calls him a "pioneer of stand-up". Doupe pointed out that Lett started four years after him.

Carla Collins' website says she was Yuk Yuk's Best New Stand-up. Doupe: "Anyone remember her being good or at Yuks?"

He showed a sultry pose from Sugar Sammy and correctly pointed out that in all the photos of Sam, he never looks like a comic. More like a male model.

When he asked the folks how the new Second City show was, and several people clapped, he said, "Now we know where the Second City people are sitting." ("Burn, burn, burn.")

Oh, there was more, particularly at the expense of Richard Lett and Dez Reed, but I couldn't jot it all down. You'll just have to make it to the next Canadian Comedy Awards to hear it next year.

After talking to Doupe for the radio, I walked back to the festival hotel and put in a call to Mark Breslin's room, asking if he wanted to do an interview. He was game and said he'd be right down. The gala was less than an hour away, but he knew I'd need an hour for the show. I told him I could work with any amount of time. But the guy was very accommodating. We spoke for a full hour and you can hear it in a few weeks.

After the interview, we walked up the hill to the Last Laugh Gala at the Imperial Theatre, which, I had heard, was sold out. Breslin had a ticket; I just had a media pass, which wasn't cutting it with the ticket taker. Breslin joked that they should let me in because I'm a reviewer. "Oh, what's your name?" I told her, and it turned out a ticket was left for me afterall. Had Breslin not spoken up, I might have just slunked back to the hotel. As it was, I got a box seat next to the stage. And a drink ticket. Score.

I arrived in the middle of Best Newcomer Nathan MacIntosh's set. It took a while for me to warm up to him, but liked his dadless in the Maritimes bit.

The lovely Jessica Holmes hosted and I was reminded again at how show biz works. For someone to gain a measure of success on television, they have to be pretty good (most of the time). So even if you're not a fan of their TV work, they just might be decent in person. And she was. I can totally see how she got to where she is. The girl's got talent and charisma.

Roger Abbott and Don Ferguson of the Royal Canadian Air Farce were another example of that phenomenon. They read the fake news and there was some solid material there. I liked their lampooning of the Conservative attack ads on Ignatieff: "Michael Ignatieff - he's been outside of Canada. He speaks French with a French accent. He's written books..." all read in an ominous voice. Then Ferguson (or was it Abbott? I honestly don't know which is which, but it was the taller one) did a pretty good Ignatieff impression: "I am a bilingual academic. Think of me as Pierre Trudeau only without the annoying charisma."

Mary Walsh then came out to present an award she would have presented the night before but her flight didn't arrive in time. She wore the tightest dress I've ever seen. I think it was painted on. Her job was to announce the winner of the Dave Broadfoot award. As she was listing the criteria (longevity, creativity, popularity, etc.), she joked about how it could be her. To her great surprise, when Abbott and Ferguson came out to read about the winner, it was, indeed, her. She fell down laughing as soon as she realized it.

Over the years I've heard of Tim Steeves, but having never been to Toronto I'd never seen his stand-up. But the Sussex, New Brunswick, native tore the house down with a solid set. Really good with an attitude to match. "Dad called me a dreamer. But you had a lot of time to think when you're waiting in the car outside the legion" and "Living with women is like living with weather. All the variables of nature brought indoors." Good enough lines on their own, but his delivery was perfect. He even ventured into Greyhound bus beheadings.

After an intermission, Holmes came out as Liza Minelli. Apparently she opened the night as Céline Dion.

A bilingual duo called Les Smouthes was next and they were everything you expect from a French comedy troupe.

Thankfully, the rest was solid. Deb DiGiovanni and Jeremy Hotz closed out the evening. Man, that Hotz persona always works. Especially as he gets older. His weariness at life and aging suits him even more. He started out by harping on Saint John: "Who put the fucking hills in? It's not quaint! It's annoying. You need a fucking rope lift to get up the street." And of course his crowd work is exceptional. Everything came together, and when he accidentally stumbled onto the mayor of Saint John, he went to town. "Get rid of the hills, asshole."

The after party was fun and we were entertained by the Ween of bar bands. Man, these guys – who certainly didn't look anything like rockers – played everything from Eminem to AC/DC to Beyoncé. They were good. On my way home, I dropped in to another bar to catch the last two minutes of an extremely loud indie band. It took me back twenty years. But hey, that's not comedy. And I've gone on long enough. As a great writer once said (he may have said it twice for all I know), I would have made it shorter but I didn't have time.

Sorry about that.

Oct. 4: David Fine

I've got more on the Canadian Comedy Awards, but bear with me. Today was a travel day. That one-hour drive from Saint John to Fredericton was gruelling so it'll have to wait until the morrow.

Meanwhile, I wanted to mention that even without me, the show must go on. And so What's So Funny? airs a brand new episode tonight in my absence. Canadian Comedy Award nominee Ian Boothby will take over the hosting duties. His guest will be Oscar winner David Fine. And yes, by Oscar, we're talking Academy Awards. I'm sure Fine will lord it over Boothby and his measly Canadian Comedy Award nomination. Fine won for his work creating Bob & Margaret. It should be a fun and fascinating hour of scintillating conversation. So tune in.

Next week, my travels will keep me away again, but I've lined up two people to replace me. Shaun Stewart and Eric Fell will grill improviser Pearce Visser. Then I'll be back the following week with interviews with Jon Dore and Harry Doupe. And the week after that we'll have Mark Breslin for a full hour.

Canadian Comedy Awards awards, day three

Well, here we are at day three of the Canadian Comedy Awards festival. Actually, I'm on day four, but I'll get to that tomorrow.

Day three was the awards part of the Awards festival. But I'll get to that in a second. Earlier in the day I ran into Mark Breslin in the mall. He was on his way to the Jewish Museum in Saint John and we were both amazed that there was one. He told me about the Vancouver club, which is going to cease being a Yuk Yuk's in May. The club itself will continue being a comedy club, but the Yuk Yuk's franchise will look for a new location in town. So we'll have two clubs again in a little while. It's never worked before, but I have high hopes. I told him that I realize that he, as a businessman, wouldn't like the competition but that I, as a comedy consumer, love it. To have two clubs going head to head, trying to win over customers with great acts and ambiance is nothing but positive for consumers. And why I think this new set-up might work is because the new guys will be positioned in the very club that Yuk Yuk's set up. The people are conditioned to go to that spot for comedy. And the new Yuk Yuk's has the name and marketing behind it.

If I see Mark again today, I hope to get an interview with him for the radio show. We've been trying for a couple of years to get together on the show, but he's never been in town on a Sunday night and I've never wanted it to be a phone interview.

I did, though, talk to television's Jon Dore for a half-hour and we'll run that interview probably on Oct. 25. That's the next open spot.

Now on to the awards. It was the 10th annual ceremony, if you can believe it. It seems like they just started a few years ago. Held at the swanky Imperial Theatre, the event was hosted by Sean Cullen, who turned out to be a really good host. He started out by sucking up to the Saint John audience: "It's a beautiful place. I love places that are all on a slant." (There's a big hill here up from the water, y'see.) And he compared it with Newfoundland's St. John's, starting by showering Saint John with compliments and ending with, "St. John's, of course, is a filthy shithole."

The show moved quickly, which is always important in an awards show. Twenty-three awards were handed out by 14 presenters. And here they are, with as much information as I was able to scribble down. For the fine details, I'm sure all the info is on the Comedy Awards website.

1. Best One-Person Show. Presenter: The woman who played Leslie the Low-Talker in the puffy shirt episode of Seinfeld. Winner: One Woman Show. Three guys accepted. I hadn't heard of a single of the nominees (a common theme throughout the evening, fyi).

2. Best Male Improviser. Presenter: Dan Redican of the Frantics. Winner: Kerry Griffin, beating out both Ian Boothby (who was not in attendance) and Taz Van Rassel (who was).

3. Best Female Improviser. Winner: Jan Caruana, beating out nobody I've ever heard of.

4. Best Improv Troupe. Winner: Impromptu Splendor, beating out Urban Improv.

5. Best Stand-Up Newcomer. Presenter: 3-time winner Nikki Payne. Winner: Nathan MacIntosh.

6. Best Radio Clip. Presenter: Some schleps from K100, a radio station in town. The male half, with a deep, booming voice, tried to get a laugh off the top and was met with silence. I love it when radio dudes get out in the real world and see that their humour doesn't translate. Winner: "Zen Hokey Pokey" by Joe Bird, beating out "Spelling Bee" by Canadian Content. Bird died earlier this year at the age of 41.

And that was it for any Vancouver representation.

7. Best Web Clip. Presenter: Tim Steeves and some guy in the balcony. Winner: Violator, by The Imponderables, who came out and goofed around. One guy grabbed the mic from another and did a take-off on Kanye West (it had to happen at some point). After they walked off the stage, Cullen entered saying they should be called The Incorrigibles instead.

8. Best Comedic Play/Revue. Presenter: Tony award winner Lisa Lambert, of The Drowsy Chaperone fame. Winner: "Barack to the Future" by Second City. Don't you love a punny title?

9. Best Direction - Film. Presenter: Pat Thornton, of The Owl and the Man. Winner: Martin Gero for "Young People Fucking".

10. Best Direction, TV Program or Series. Winner: Adam Brodie and Dave Derewlany for "The Jon Dore Television Show" (Jon Gets Haunted). Those two guys were young. But they weren't fucking.

Next Gordon Pinsent was brought to the stage where Cullen proceeded to quiz him on his imdb credits. It's amazing how little he remembered. Then again, his career goes back to the 1960s. Did you know he was in an episode of Cannon? Better yet, he was in Blacula. He said he took the part because of one line. He played the "white token" cop. The line: "Who the hell would want two black faggot draculas?"

11. Best Writing - Film. Presenter: The aforementioned Mr. Pinsent, who, as shown in his anecdote about choosing scripts based on the lines, knows a thing or two about writing. Winner: Martin Gero and Aaron Abrams for "Young People Fucking". You'll be relieved to note that Pinsent never uttered the last word when announcing the winner.

12. Best Writing, TV Program or Series. Winner: Ron Sparks for his Comedy Now special. Now, I didn't see all the nominees (or any of them, now that I think about it) but I'm not sure a stand-up special should be included with all the others. He was up against the writers from "Bravo! Fact Presents: The Second City Facebook of Revelations", "The Rick Mercer Report", and "This Hour Has 22 Minutes". I'm not a fan of two of those three, but when you think of writing, that's what you think of, not a stand-up comic who may or may not have done much of the writing for his special on small stages leading up to the special.

13. The Chairman's Award. Presenter: Tim Progrosh. Winner: I have no idea. Progrosh mumbled the name. Could it have been Lorne somebody? I don't even know what it is the guy did.

To cleanse the palette, we were treated to a sketch by Skippy's Rangers, featuring Paul O'Sullivan, Lisa Lambert and Harry Doupe about a guy with a thick brogue trying to order a beer.

14. Best Sketch Troupe. Presenter: Paul O'Sullivan. Winner: The Second City, beating out Halifax's Picnicface, the only other troupe I'd seen.

15. Best Performance by a Female - Film. Presenter: Roger Abbott and Don Ferguson of Air Farce fame. Winner: Samantha Bee for "Coopers Camera" (there was no apostrophe in the program; not sure if there is one in the actual film), beating out three young people fucking. Sam wasn't in attendance.

16. Best Performance by a Male - Film. Winner: Peter Oldring for "Young People Fucking". And yes, Abbott and Ferguson said it. Oldring beat out Samantha Bee's husband Jason Jones, and two other young people fucking.

Next Derek Edwards did about five minutes of stand-up. Turns out those signs he read on the BC highway are also the signs he read on the New Brunswick highway! I'm shattered.

17. Best Female Stand-Up. Presenter: Derek Edwards. Winner: Debra DiGiovanni, beating out Kristeen Von Hagen, who I saw earlier in the day sporting her Oak Bay High hoodie, and Allyson Smith, who still gets a mention because she lived in Vancouver for a while.

18. Best Male Stand-Up. Winner: Jeremy Hotz, beating out a solid lineup of Scott Faulconbridge, Glen Foster, David Pryde and Sugar Sammy. Hotz accepted in character, saying, "Thanks for this charred piece of glass. I don't think they're going to let me get back on the plane with it."

19. Canadian Comedy Person of the Year. Presenter: Sean Cullen. Winner: Seth Rogan, who accepted on video from Hawaii. He beat out the Air Farce (if you can believe it!), Brent Butt, Rick Mercer and Russell Peters.

20. Best Performance by a Female - TV. Presenters: Leah Pinsent (daughter of Gordon) and Peter Keleghan (aka Canada's Alec Baldwin). Keleghan was quite funny. He told us the difference between him and Baldwin: Baldwin is richer, a better actor, and puffier. Winner: Wendel Meldrum for "Less Than Kind", who gushed, saying how important the award was because maybe now the show will get picked up for a third season.

21. Best Performance by a Male - TV. Winner: Jon Dore for "The Jon Dore Television Show". Jon gave the funniest acceptance speech, which isn't all that surprising. As he walked up there, he looked back and said, "I'm supposed to be up here, right? I was listening to my iPod." Then when he got to his speech, he used his classic misdirection to great effect: "This was totally expected." Then he thanked a bunch of people, including many in the audience who had guested on the show or written for it. "And for those who haven't: Work harder." Earlier in the day, Jon told me (and it's on tape, so you'll hear it on the 25th) that if he won, he'd dedicate it to me. Or even give the trophy to me. He didn't. Bastard.

22. Best Performance by an Ensemble - TV. Winner: Less Than Kind, beating out, again, no show I've ever seen.

23. Best TV Taped Live Performance. Winner: Ron Sparks for his Comedy Now. Man, I've got to watch that special. It must be good. He beat out Deb DiGiovanni's Halifax Comedy Festival, Jeremy Hotz's Just For Laughs Gala, Hotz's What a Miserable Show This Is, and Laurie Elliott's Just For Laughs Gala. Sparks thanked Hotz for splitting his vote.

And that was it. I've got some opinions on the awards that I'll share in the next day or two.

After the show, I walked several blocks to the Phoenix Dinner Theatre for the sketch/improv showcase hosted by Redican, who is anything but frantic in his delivery. The show was packed. I finally got to see Picnicface do sketch live. I'd seen them on-line and have seen each perform stand-up. One skit involved a man on a ledge being talked down - literally - by a cad on the street who just wanted the guy's shirt. When he finally gave it, the dude proceeded to make fun of his chest hair: "Gilles Duceppe called. He wants his fleur de lis back."

The Sketchersons were next. I either didn't hear, or didn't understand, or didn't get, their first sketch about the Vargas Brothers, two weird divorce lawyers. They followed it with some lip synching to Let It Be, that was moderately funny with a moderately funny pay-off at the end. I won't give it away.

I didn't catch the name of the third troupe. Sounded like Chewus to me. [Editor's note: It was Shoeless. I was close.] I liked their take on an old-age home in the future, where the geezers were all techies who tweeted and texted and played X-box while the young orderly didn't do any of that stuff.

Second City followed. They had the best sketch of the night. Two moms at a playground. Everything starts out fine and mom-like and quickly descends. It was Louis CK-like in female sketch form.

The Imponderables closed the first half with aliens landing on earth, with a fun twist. Then a meeting of Douchebags Anonymous was silly fun.

The 11 o'clock stand-up show hosted by Dore was sold-out so even a VIP like me couldn't get in. Can you imagine? Don't they know who I am?! So back upstairs I went for the second half of the sketch/improv show. It would be the improv portion of the evening.

The 10-person Monkey Toast took to the stage first. They interviewed the mayor of Saint John (the real mayor), then performed scenes based on the talk. It didn't quite work for me.

PROJECTproject was next, who performed a series of scenes based on the one-word suggest, fork. Meh.

The National Theatre of the World did their Impromptu Splendor show, where they do a play in the style of a playwright. This night it would be Eve Ensler, who wrote The Vagina Monologues. Based on the suggestion of someone, tonight it would be The Nipple Monologues.

Next up, Vancouver's own Urban Improv, ladies and gentlemen! Four of the members made the trip: Diana Frances, Drew MacCreadie, Taz Van Rassal, and Chris Cassillan. They realized the evening was dragging and it was late so they were quick. So instead of doing numerous scenes and trying to impress, they impressed by doing one quick one. Coming out, they played on the improv form of asking for questions. The first couple were normal, then they kept going in that manic way impovisers do when they ask for suggestions. In all, they probably got ten suggestions, including "What colour am I thinking of?" (green, it was suggested), "What was Hitler's justification for the holocaust?" (a bad hair day), and "Okay, what's, like, a funny scene we could do for you?" (that's your job). Then they went to the scene where all the words were used in two sentences and just like that it was over. Redican made his first comment of the evening: "That was surprisingly satisfying." And it was.

Lastly was About An Hour, who had many of the same members as another troupe. They did a five-minute scene on About A (blank), filled in by someone in the crowd who unimaginatively yelled "Boy".

That's it. There's more to come tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Night two in Saint John

Turns out I was wrong in yesterday's post. Go figure. It happens sometimes.

Saint John has a thing about abbreviations, it seems. So one must never, under penalty of death, write St. John. It must always be fully Saint'ed. Don't know why; that's just the way it is. Deal with it.

I learned that from John Mazerolle's one-man show called Faster, Higher, Stronger, Foggier at the Oland Theatre in the New Brunswick Museum. The show featured John, a one-time city hall reporter in Saint John now living in Toronto, and his brother, who now resides in Halifax. Yes, a two-person one-man show.

The show was basically a history lesson of the city. It started with a rather painful karaoke version of Billy Joel's We Didn't Star the Fire, but made less painful by the quick photos accompanying the original lyrics. For those who didn't pay attention in their Canadian history class, there was a big fire here in 1877, otherwise known as (according to Mazerolle) "The great urban renewal of 1877."

Not gut-bustingly funny for an outsider, but humorous enough. For locals, though, look out. There were lots of inside jokes and jabs at every single member of city council. Apparently an Elton John concert figured prominently in the city's history, too. His show sold out "quicker than Norm MacFarlane sold out Saint John." Zing! Cue the groans!

But there were jokes I could get, too. Samuel de Champlain (or "Sam de Cham", as Mazerolle calls him) discovered Saint John Harbour "because the natives weren't looking hard enough."

Next, I took a cab to a club three miles away. It was called the Three Mile Club, if you can believe it. A little story about the cab ride first. They don't have meters in taxis here. Your fare is calculated based on zones. And they don't accept credit cards. The cabbie had to then take me to a bank machine nearby without any fare increase because we were in the same zone. Looks like I won that round.

Also this cab had four (count 'em) TV screens, each playing Smokie & The Bandit, starring Burt Reynolds and Jackie Gleason. There was an awesome sound system so much so that I kept looking around for cops. Those siren wales sounded so real. The driver had dozens of DVDs between his seat and the passenger seat. I'm hoping they were for the customer's benefit, even though one of the screens was right on the dashboard. I watched him carefully and he didn't seem to sneak any peaks, so I could ride in comfort.

I met television's Jon Dore outside the club. He must think I'm stalking him because I saw him less than a week ago in Vancouver outside Yuk Yuk's. Dore was hosting last night. He's a great choice. Talk about never not funny, it's this guy. His straight-faced delivery gets me every single time. He came out and immediately ingratiated himself to the crowd, as any good host will do. He said how happy he was to be there: "I love coming to Newfoundland." And that was a running gag throughout the night.

The bar was just off to the stage's right. With his cordless mic, Dore walked down the steps, over to the bar, and ordered two Jaggermeisters, which he then downed. Didn't seem to affect him. Nor did the numerous beers or the smoking up between comics. He said it did, but it always seemed to me he had his wits about him throughout the night. At one point, he did an impression of an invisible comic by walking up the stairs to the balcony and hiding behind the wall, followed by about five minutes of crowd work and visuals... You see, nobody could see him. It might lose something in the telling, but it was very funny. Dore is the master of the sincere set-up and killer punchline. He gets all serious, saying how good it is to laugh, using the old bromide that laughter is the best medicine. It's true, he says. "People that laugh a lot actually live longer than people with terminal cancer." Ah, yes, it's funny because it's true.

All the comics were Canadian Comedy Award nominees. First up was Kate Davis, who I'd never seen before. She has the dirty pervy mom schtick down pat. Lots of talk of her kids and her sex life, which is funny enough just because we don't expect it from moms, but I always find a bit unsettling, old stick-in-the-mud that I am. Best line: "We were so poor, last year somebody stole my identity and it ruined her life."

Shane Ogden was next and he's the answer to yesterday's question about who won the Funniest Person in New Brunswick competition. He's a Mr. Leahy lookalike. Like me, he finally succumbed to the evils of Facebook. He compared it to junior high, where we excitedly ask, "Did you get my note?!" and amass friends for no apparent reason.

Former Vancouverite, and What's So Funny? guest, Allyson Smith was next. She's changed a lot since moving from the 604 area code. Instead of Rikki Lake, she now looks like Sarah Palin. Or so she said. She still single (fellas). She likes shy guys, but her last boyfriend, she found out through friends, was dumb, not shy. "He listens because he doesn't understand you," is what they told her.

Just For Laughs fave Scott Faulconbridge talked of his three-year-old son: "He's for sale. If you act now, I'll throw in the grandparents." He's a cautionary tale to future parents. Even though it seems like a good idea at the time, do not, under any circumstances, teach your young child a knock-knock joke because you'll regret it almost immediately.

Victoria native (and Oak Bay high grad), and former What's So Funny? guest, Kristeen Von Hagen just flew in from Amsterdam that day, not having performed in a few weeks, which can be disastrous for some comics, did well with an assortment of fat jokes. She has become obsessed with the morbidly obese. Whenever she sees one in bed and shirtless on TV, she hears a voice inside her head saying, "Go for it. This is something you can totally do."

Montreal's David Pryde was next. He's one of the best joke writers in the business. I'd always seen him as a one-liner comic, but he did longer chunks last night. Still some great lines, though. His bit on Braille was good. It's the only language you can't understand wearing oven mitts. "You're a cold snap away from illiteracy."

Shelley Marshall was someone I'd never seen, or heard of, before. A zaftig cartoon character dressed in bright red. She was another horny bad mom who talked about her sex life a lot. A pap smear for her is "a discreet sexual encounter covered by health care."

Glen Foster, who, like Dore, was in Vancouver last week, has been a mainstay on Canadian television for 20 years now, which explains, he says, why nobody knows him. He had a really good chunk on how Canada has been relatively terrorist-free. "This is where they send their relatives for safety." Yes, people might consider some of his material racist, but I don't think it is. Uncomfortable, sure, but not racist. He described how if a terrorist bomb was going to go off in Canada, we'd be tipped off by noticing all the dollar stores closed. The way he acts it out is spot-on. Then when he realizes what's going down, he yells, "Taxi!" And he leaves it at that. We know what he's getting at. Do the Saint Johners, though? All the cab drivers here are white.

Closing the evening was Debra "I'm not gonna lie" DiGiovanni. I, too, am not gonna lie: I've not been a fan from what I've seen on TV and heard on radio, but she's way more compelling in person. Sure, most of the jokes are fat jokes and sad single jokes, but she sells them. I just feel a bit squeamish watching because I keep wondering if she really is that sad and lonely in real life. My gut reaction is to want to hug her, which isn't her intended response, I'm guessing. Oh, and I had the "I'm not gonna lie" count at eight, but I think I missed a few. That can get a bit annoying. Still, she killed and I'd gladly see her do an extended set somewhere else.

A really good night was had by all, even poor moustachioed Charlie, who was the butt of everyone's jokes.

Tonight the awards are handed out. Who will win? Find out tomorrow right here.

Canadian Comedy Awards, night 1

Dateline St. John

Or is it Saint John? My sources tell me both are correct. Either way, it's not Newfoundland. Here's the way to remember: Each place has only one S. Since New Brunswick already has an S in it, the city is St. John without the S. There's no S in Newfoundland, so the city gets the S, i.e. St. John's.

Or else you could just have paid attention in Geography 11.

Anyway, here I am, four hours ahead of myself. The flights here were great. I'm not the best of fliers, but maybe I'm getting better. We (the family and I) were surprised by seeing comedian Harry Doupe in the St. John airport. He was there to pick up his nephew but kindly offered us a ride into town.

After getting settled in, I wandered out into the night. Actually, I was headed to the Hilton, the official hotel of the festival, when I heard someone doing standup. They were piping the audio from inside out onto the street. Gotta like that. It was my only clue there was a show there. Well, that and Harry told me about it on our ride.

Cougar's Lounge was the name of the dive. I arrived while the last of the four comics in the Funniest Person in New Brunswick contest was on. His name was Neal. Or Neil. Didn't catch his last name, but if he's any indication of the quality of comedy in this province, it's pretty good. His timing was excellent and he had some great lines. He talked about his 14-year-old daughter being diagnosed with being a bitch. But it was the set-up and the pause that sold the joke. Similarly when he talked of his cat's explosive diarrhea on Christmas Day and the huge mess it made in the house. "Oh, man, those were the worst four hours... of my wife's life." Ah, the pause that refreshes.

After his set, the three judges, who had a microphone at their table, each gave a comment on his performance. I love that idea. I wish we had that at competitions in Vancouver. I should also say that if we did, I'd never judge again, but still, I love the idea.

Following Neal/Neil were two guest spots. The first was by multiple Canadian Comedy Award winner Ron Sparks, whose voice reminded me of a combination of A.J. McKenzie and Sean Proudlove. And he had Sean's habit of holding the mic too far from his mouth so it was kind of hard to hear him. One of his lines I either heard from him or someone in Vancouver before. When you see so much comedy, it sometimes all bleeds together and you can't remember who said what. It was the bit about stealing a bunch of prescription forms from his doctor, then making scribbles on it, taking it to the pharmacist and seeing what he gets back.

The second guest spot went to my chauffeur, Doupe. I hadn't seen Harry perform since the late 1980s in Saskatoon. Prior to that, I saw him all the time in the early 1980s at Punchlines, where he was a fixture. I still remember his John McEnroe routine to this day. No McEnroe jokes this time around, but he was really good.

Then it was time for the announcement of the winner. And it was... not Neal/Neil. Not knowing I'd be at a show, I didn't have a pen or paper on me and my memory is atrocious. So I can't remember. But I'll find out and let you know. He's doing another show. Interestingly, the judges gave him pointers, suggesting he end his routine at a certain spot. I'm looking forward to seeing him tonight, I think it is.

That's it. Two shows tonight. I'll try to get to both of them. Thankfully at this festival, there are no overlapping shows.

All the news that wasn't fit to print

How do you review a festival? That's always been a challenge, given how much space miserly editors are willing to give out. There are so many shows, so many comics, and I can only get to a handful of them in the paper. So let's see what else I can remember about the week. I'll walk you through my itinerary:

Wednesday, Yuk Yuk's: An evening of sketch comics doing stand-up. Andy Dick was scheduled to appear, but we all know now he couldn't get across the border. Or out of the airport, actually. Just as well, the night was long enough. The San Francisco sketch troupe Comedy Noir did the first portion, while Halifax's Picnicface did the second.

Howard Stone emceed the American half. According to his bio, I see he played a junkie on an episode of Cagney & Lacey. Nuff said. Only two of the nine performers were any good: Kevin Avery and Drennon Davis. Some of the others were okay; some were amateur hour.

Hey, look at that. A search of Drennon Davis shows he was on Last Comic Standing, making it through a round. No embedding permitted on the video, but here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGsQ7ypQ0ms

Here's a clip of Avery:


Next up was Picnicface's turn, who fared much better overall. My two favourites were Evany Rosen, who had a naturally funny charm, and Cheryl Hann, who, with her tattoos and Casio 100 Sound Tone Bank, had the most star power of the whole night.

Here's a sketch clip featuring Rosen:


Friday, The Cultch: I wrote about the Hitler roast in the Straight. I loved it. It was sick and dark without being offensive (although I'm sure it is to some po-faced stick-in-the-muds). So many good lines. Here's a clip of Caitlin Gill as Anne Frank:


The late show on Friday at Yuks was a typical late Friday show. At least the crowd was. Loud oblivious idiots and rude jerks almost ruined the night. Hosts BJ Porter and Scott Aukerman were greeted with a kindly, "You suck!" But when you could hear the show, it was pretty damn good. I liked Ben Kronberg, who I hadn't seen before. Really low-key, which seems to be in vogue these days. He read from his notebook and had some great stupid jokes, like "Knock-knock... (Who's there?)... Chain letter... (Chain letter who?)... Tell this joke to 10 people or your mom will die." Here's a clip of Ben on Jimmy Kimmel:


Maria Bamford did the same-old same-old. Rory Scovel got big laughs from the comics at the back of the room, while the drunken dolts didn't get his effeminate southern character. With the crowd getting louder, I thought there's no way the soft-spoken Todd Barry set would go well, but it did. The guy knows how to handle a crowd. I know it happens with every set, but why must the wait staff be so loud when handing out the bills? Couldn't they wait until the show was over?

Paul F. Tompkins closed the set and was his usual hilarious self, only this time he did twelve minutes of off-the-cuff material. He wasn't going to waste his gold on this crowd. But the thing with Tompkins, anything he touches (verbally) is gold. He seemed to be enjoying himself, if perversely given that he hated the crowd: "I can't wait to see what I'm going to say next." One loud group was thrown out during his set. Unfortunately for them, they happened to be huge fans of Tompkins. When they informed Paul F. they were in the process of getting turfed, Tompkins said, "What for? Is it for never stopping talking ever?"

Porter closed the evening with, "You are exactly the kind of audience I expect from a basement club in a place called Yuk Yuk's."

I loved the conference room shows at the Westin Grand, even though the venue wasn't ideal. I had a look at the smaller new room attached to the Cultch, and they would have been perfect there. What a great space. I didn't catch any shows there, but I can tell.

Andy Kindler's Talk Show was hilarious. Even more so because he tries so hard for the 14 people in attendance (or whatever the number was). Guests on Friday included Tom Arnold, Todd Barry and a bitter character most likely modelled on Andrew Dice Clay played by James Adomian. Andy's sidekick, Josh Fadem, was mostly annoying but occasionally funny.

On Saturday, Kindler welcomed Tig Notaro, Brent Weinbach and Garfunkel & Oates. Weinbach, whose standup I'm not a fan of, was himself and not bad. I'd love to see that guy (i.e. himself) on stage rather than the stiff, ultra-serious persona. Loved Garfunkel & Oates every time I saw them, by the way. Here's an irresistable clip:


I don't listen to Jimmy Pardo's podcast because, well, who wants to pay for such things? But he's a favourite of mine and when I found out he was recording an episode in the conference room, I was stoked even if he wasn't. He was as great as ever, and made great hay at the fact he flew all this way to perform in front of 48 people in a conference room. His good friend Pat Francis was the "third chair" and I loved their antagonistic relationship. Francis was annoying in a good way (Fadem being annoying in a bad way). Here's a short clip of him being the guest on a previous episode:


Janet Varney came on as the second guest – or fourth chair, I guess – and was whip smart funny. She could definitely keep up with those guys.

Francis was back for the Pardo game show, You Fascinate Me, and the two of them were great again. The show is a variation on the old Groucho Marx game show, You Bet Your Life. Sure, there's a game element, but the real fun is Pardo's interaction with the guests.

The Jesus roast was nowhere near as good as the Hitler one, although there were some funny lines. The roasters were the Virgin Mary, Bachus, Mary Magdalene, O.J. Simpson, Mother Theresa, L. Ron Hubbard, Tom Cruise, Stephon the Choirboy, Sgt. Bilko, Pontius Pilate, and Satan. Hosted by the worst Jackie Mason impression I've ever heard. He's got to be the easiest guy in the world to do, and Howard Stone (who played Hitler the night before) couldn't sustain it beyond a sentence. L. Ron Hubbard was probably the best. He opposes gay marriage: "I believe a marriage should be a union between a woman and a closeted gay movie star." Then this: "Your disciples got book deals. Who reads? Mine are box office gold! In your face, faggot!" And: "You wrote only one book. I wrote 3000 and they were all best sellers. I didn't have to leave mine lying aronud a fucking Motel 6."

I particularly didn't like the recontextualizations. The Virgin Mary was an modern-day old Jewish lady, Bachus, the god of wine, was a recovering alcoholic, and Pilate was a modern-day Hollywood a-hole. Although, again, some funny lines. Near the end of her segment, the Virgin Mary looked up and said, "I just saw a light. That either means I should get off the stage or you're gonna get that sister you always wanted."

When Jesus finally got to speak, he said, "I came back for this?" My thoughts exactly.

I booted it over to Yuk Yuk's for the late show and it was the most packed I'd ever seen it. Standing room only. Garfunkel and Oates were on stage with Reggie Watts beating (if that's what it's called) behind them on their rap, This Party Took a Turn for the Douche, and they were bringing the house down. Here's the song, sans Watts:


(As an aside, I took a look at Regina Spektor's song, Dance Anthem of the 80s, because Watts told me he was on it. I watched the video and couldn't see or hear him. So I checked another video, from a performance of them together in Cologne, doing the same song. It sounded exactly the same. All the music I heard that I thought was, you know, instruments, was actually Watts. Impressive.)

Oh, what the hell, since I'm adding so many clips, I may as well as include the Spektor video. What you hear that isn't her or a piano is Reggie Watts:


Todd Barry then came out and fake-trashed Watts for not being able to do a cymbal crash. He's such a confident comedian I never get tired of seeing him. Plus even if he's doing the same material, he riffs so much it's different every time, as opposed to a Weinbach or Bamford, for example, who are exactly the same night-in and night-out.

James Adomian was next. Never seen him do stand-up before. He's a sketch guy, most famous for his Bush impression, which he did everywhere. His stand-up set wasn't so great, but he does good, and rare, voices: Gary Busey, Paul Giamatti and Lewis Black.

Tig Notaro is the female Todd Barry. Same energy. Same false bravado. And lots of winging it in between prepared bits, which stands up to repeat viewings.

Then Reggie Watts closed the evening, blowing everyone away, even the established old-timers in the back of the room, Glen Foster, Derek Edwards and Barry Kennedy.

And that's about it. I wrote about the David Cross and Steve Martin Q&As in the Straight, so I won't rehash.

Sometime soon, I'll write about my late-night exchange with Cross.

Five new podcasts

Have you run out of podcasts to listen to? I know there aren't many out there to choose from. If so, we've got five new ones you may want to take an aural gander at. There are posted here in all their glory, but you may prefer to download them at iTunes. You know what? I'll leave that up to you. Here's what we've got for you:

Chris Molineux, from October 12, 2008:


Cameron MacLeod, from August 2, 2009:


Devon Lougheed & Devin MacKenzie, from August 9, 2009:


Gerald Varga & Bill MacDonald, from September 6, 2009:


Will Davis & Tim Rykert, from September 13, 2009:

Sept. 27: Scott Aukerman

Tonight, live in studio, our guest will be one half of the Fun Bunch, the creator of Comedy Death-Ray, Emmy-award winning nominated writer for Mr. Show, host of the hugely popular (I'm guessing) CDR Podcast, and moderator extraordinaire Scott Aukerman. This will be a good one. I know I say that a lot, but this time I really mean it.

Other than those credits I just threw at you, I don't know a lot about Aukerman's history in show business. I'm sure he's got some great stories to tell. I saw him this afternoon moderating the David Cross Q&A and he was unobtrusively hilarious. And we'll find out what, exactly, he thinks of Vancouver audiences. I'm looking forward to it.

If you've got a question or comment for Scott, give us a call. Make him believe people actually listen to the show. I told him it was the highest-rated radio show/podcast in Canadian history, so don't let me down, people. Tune in to What's So Funny? here in Vancouver from 11 pm to midnight at 102.7 FM. Listen on-line from any part of the planet by following this link (internet connection not included). The phone number to the studio is 604-684-7561. And if you're getting to this posting late, you can always listen via podcast at iTunes. We'll post it here, too, to remind you.

Comedy Death-Ray at the Vogue

The L.A.-based Comedy Death-Ray show has been a staple of the Vancouver festival, making the trek north four years in a row. Scott Aukerman and BJ Porter bring together the best of the indie crowd for a marathon comedy showcase. Last night was no exception as they entertained most of the audience for a full three hours. I say "most" because some people are just jerks, yelling out, interrupting, yawning audibly at the first sign of something they don't like. Attention future comedy audience members: You're never going to like everything at a comedy show. Just sit tight and something or somebody you do like will be on soon. Don't spoil it for everyone else. Porter said at the end of the show that this would be their last trip to Vancouver. I'm hoping he's kidding, but Donny Osmond was right when he said one bad apple can spoil the whole lot, girl.

Apart from that, the show was almost perfect. I'm a sucker for the comedy team and have been asking for more for years. Aukerman & Porter, aka The Fun Bunch, really are fun guys and good hosts. They're loose, not as scripted as traditional comedy teams and that's to be expected for such an event. One of their skits saw Aukerman as a magician and Porter as his helper. Porter grabbed an unsuspecting guy from the second row (Rory Scovel, who played his part with understated perfection to the point where everyone around me figured he really was a guy named Scott who worked in a bookstore). The bit went on and on and I loved it. I think most of the crowd did, too, but some got impatient as the magician and his helper got fed up with each other.

I think such a bit helps weed out those who don't get it. The performer should relish the fact that not everyone gets it, so long as most of us do. But I can also see how the few impatient jerks might act like a gut-punch to your ego. So here's what you do, impatient jerks: If you don't like something, quickly and quietly get up and leave. Get a drink. Go to the bathroom. Just leave. Come back when whatever you don't like is over. You're not speaking for the rest of us.

That's exactly what I did when Brent Weinbach came on in the second half. I saw Brent a few years ago and liked him. Then when he came back last year, I couldn't stand his act. You've always got to give someone a fair chance, so I sat and watched his comedic performance art this time. I didn't like his almost verbatum recitation of a YouTube clip of a hispanic guy telling women to shave their hoo-haws, but at least it was new. Then he started in with some of the same bits he did last year. Unlike some comics who, when doing old bits, always tell it in a refreshing manner, Weinbach has got his act down pat. Nothing changes. So when he got into his excruciating Russian alphabet bit, I got up and left. I knew it was a long bit, so I went and got a slice of pizza... Okay, two slices. By the time I got back, Todd Barry – one of my all-time favourites – was on stage. Damn you Weinbach for making miss the first four minutes of Todd Barry! The point is, I didn't shout out or heckle or yawn. I didn't like the act, so I removed myself.

I was thinking about my harsh thoughts about Weinbach and felt bad should he ever come across them. Maybe they'd sting, like a heckler's taunts. I hope not. I have nothing against Weinbach at all and would love to talk to him. Nobody's act is for everybody. As long as some people like you, that's all that matters. I'm just one guy with an opinion, like anyone else. Yeah, occasionally I write about them in the paper, but I try to be fair and try to convey that it's just my opinion.

Not to harp on the negative, but Maria Bamford, as much as I like her personally, is kind of hit and miss with me, too. For me, she's the kind of act that if you've seen her once, you've seen her enough. Because once is fantastic. She does great voices, great characterizations, is naturally funny and weird in a wonderful way. But for me it doesn't translate to repeated viewings. For others, they think she's the best thing since... something else that's really great.

Okay, enough with the digs. Everyone else was great. Phil Hanley represented the 604 (and 778, I guess) well... Andy Kindler was on fire with his unique brand of meta-comedy ("Is there a chance I won't comment on what I just said?" The answer, of course, is no). Loved his chops on Jay Leno, too, a favourite target of his: "I was worried. Would he be as edgy at 10 o'clock? Would they let Jay be Jay?"... Reggie Watts closed the first half with flair, as usual. The guy really is amazing. (See my profile on him here.)... Todd Barry was killing when one yahoo gave him a big yawn. Todd asked, "Are you bored?" Maybe he shouldn't have asked because the boor replied in the affirmative and things went south in a hurry... And another all-time favourite Paul F. Tompkins closed out the evening with two stories both about being fired from video stores. That guy could, as they say, read the phone book and it would be funny. There's not a funnier comic working today.

All in all a great show. I headed down to the Media Club and caught the quirky and cute Garfunkel & Oates sing some really funny original songs accompanying themselves on ukulele, guitar and kazoos. They even did a rap. Then Reggie Watts brought the house down with some explosive and explosively funny... uh, whatever it is he does. I mentioned to someone on my way down that I envy those that will see him for the first time without knowing anything about him, because he will blow their minds. Sure enough, after the show I overheard many who were simply in awe. If you haven't seen him yet, there are still a few more chances.

Tonight I don't know what I'll see. I hate the schedule. Shows are layered over one another so you have to pick and choose. It gets really crazy tomorrow with two galas (Edge of the Fest at the Vogue and Best of the Fest at the Centre) both at 8 pm.

Sept. 20: Jon Reep & Tom Segura

We've got a star-studded line-up on tonight's What's So Funny? Last night I recorded a 25-minute chat with Jon Reep between sets at Laffline's. Reep won NBC's Last Comic Standing a few years ago. We talked about that, he told a funny story about meeting Ron White, and lots more.

Tom Segura is not as well known, but he headlines all over the U.S. We spoke for 35 minutes sitting outside Yuk Yuk's on Friday night between shows. Besides buses and sirens and traffic, you'll hear us talking about his start in comedy, living in downtown Los Angeles, tattoos, hats, and cyclists, among other things.

Which one should I play first? I haven't decided yet. If you have a preference, leave it in the comments section and majority rules.

That's a pretty good hour, right? Come on, admit it. With the festival continuing next week, I hope to have more such interviews on next week's show.

Even though all the info is elsewhere on the blog, I'll remind you that the show goes from 11 to midnight on co-op radio, 102.7 FM. You can listen on-line here.

Jon Reep at Lafflines

I took the Canada Line and then the SkyTrain all the way out to New West tonight to see Last Comic Standing winner Jon Reep. An hour and five minutes later, I was there. So I missed Kevin Foxx's set, unfortunately. Foxx is one of my favourite Vancouver comics of all time and I haven't seen him in a while. When I walked in, Toby Hargrave was on stage, killing before a large and appreciative crowd. I've figured out one positive to not seeing as much local comedy as I used to, and it's this: Now when I see a local, I don't know their routines by heart and I wasn't there when they were working out new material so I get to see new stuff that's got a bit of polish to it.

Hargrave was doing some relatively edgy race material that walked the line but definitely was on the progressive side of said line. One joke that jumped out was when he was describing that white people have lots to be proud about: "We freed the slaves." That's a smart bit and would be potentially troublesome in a lesser comic's hands.

After Toby came the headliner, Jon Reep, best known for winning the penultimate season of NBC's Last Comic Standing, for which he took home 250 grand. Reep is a good ol' boy from North Carolina and lets us know it at every opportunity. Fair enough. But I had the same feeling I had when watching Trevor Boris talk about nothing but being gay. They say write what you know. I guess I just can't believe that they're both so inward looking that they don't know anything else.

But that's not fair. Neither of these acts is for me. They play to certain demographics. And they both do well. They're entertainers giving their fans what they want to hear rather than artists exploring subjects. And they both can be appreciated for what they are. Certainly there are lines in their acts that are clever and funny, even if the subject matter is uninteresting. In one chunk, Reep dissected down-home sayings like 'there's more than one way to skin a cat' ("How do you know? And stop it!") and 'shit-eating grin' ("I don't ever want to be that happy").

Between shows, I sat down with Jon for a 25-minute interview and we'll air that one tomorrow night, too (technically tonight but I haven't gone to bed yet). Sunday in either case. So that's a helluva show: Jon Reep and Tom Segura. More on that sometime tomorrow (Sunday).

I stuck around a bit for the second show. As hot as the first crowd was, the late show audience was dead. I noticed it when some great Foxx jokes got mild laughs, but it really hit home when Colleen Brow hit the stage. It was as if she was giving a speech. Rapt attention but silence. And it wasn't golden. I actually kind of enjoyed it in the way that seasoned comics love it when someone tanks. But only because I've seen Colleen get great responses with essentially the same material. And God bless her for plowing through her set without commenting on the crowd. More comics should do that.

All these years of watching comedy and I still can't figure out crowd dynamics, and why the same material that kills one night dies a miserable death the next. But it's fun to watch either way.

Tom Segura at Yuk Yuk's and a bit of Trevor Boris

Day two of the comedy fest. I caught the early show at Yuk Yuk's and it was a good one. The crowd was hot, as it usually is at Yuks, and Tim Rykert did a great job of hosting, coming out with energy, doing some solid material (even if I'd heard most of it for years) and keeping the show moving. The first guest was a newbie, who must be extremely thankful she got into the festival when others more experienced can't. Theresa Travatto was her name (at least phonetically). She did fine. Maybe even great if you factor in she's only been at it for three months.

Next up was Dave Shumka, who I featured in the Straight this week. Funny as always, but it's time to move on to some new jokes, methinks. He's perfected his 15 minutes, or however long he did tonight. I was talking to Rykert after the show, who admits he, himself, needs to write more. He quoted a Toronto comic (whose name escapes me) who said that if comics wrote one new minute per week, they'd have a new 60 minutes per year. When you put it like that, it doesn't seem so hard. Surely they all have fleeting funny thoughts in a given day, so the idea of shaping that into a funny minute in a week seems doable.

Kelly Dixon followed. He's one of my favourites. He's a real pro who appeals to all crowds, I'm guessing. Why I haven't seen him opening for big names at the River Rock or taking apart a topic on The Debaters, like virtually every other comic in the country, is beyond me. The guy is good.

Then it was time for the headliner, Tom Segura. I last saw Segura opening for Jay Mohr at the River Rock earlier this year so it was nice to see him in an expanded set. I'm not one who believes you have to agree with a comedian to find them funny, but it so happens I agreed with lots Tom said. His takes on judging people, tattoos, headware and cyclists were dead-on. I won't go so far as to agree with him on owning midgets, but that's just me.

After the show, he and I sat out on Burrard St. and recorded a 35-minute interview, which I'll air on Sunday's show. More on that on Sunday.

I booted it over to the Cultch to catch the last 15 minutes of Trevor Boris's set. Boris somehow scored his own show, a filming for a DVD. How long has he been at it? A couple years? And he already has his own show and DVD? I haven't been a fan of the gay farmer from what I saw on TV, but felt I owed him a fair chance because live is so often way better. Okay, sneaking in for the last 15 minutes of a show isn't exactly a fair chance. I can't say I came away a fan, but he was better than on TV, I'll give him that. Still, his act centres around one theme: he's gay. Got it.

I mentioned yesterday that Arj Barker said in an interview in the Province that he started out doing stereotypical material on his ancestry, but quickly changed. I hope Boris moves beyond the gay theme. It's not original or all that interesting. At least to me. But hey, it's working for him, so what do I know? He's got his own show at a semi-major comedy festival and a three-camera shoot for a DVD.

One of my pet peeves is comics who laugh at their own jokes, and he does it incessantly. Kelly Dixon laughs on stage, too, but he's not laughing at his own material so much as laughing at the absurd situation he's describing. At least, that's the way it comes across. With Boris, it's a kind of aren't-I-an-incorrigible-rapscallion? kind of thing, which is just off-putting. But the guy was better than I expected. And I could see liking him down the road once he settles into his craft and doesn't find everything he says so damned amusing.

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.

Sept. 13: Will Davis & Tim Rykert

As we embark on our fifth season, we welcome back regular guest Will Davis, the something-or-other of the Global (or whatever it's called) Comedy Fest. He's the guy that puts it all together. In case you didn't realize, the fest(ival) is just around the corner, running from Sept. 17 - 27. There are some great (and not so great) names coming this year and Will will be telling us all about them. He's bringing along semi-regular guest Tim Rykert who not only helps out at fest HQ, but will be performing at said fest. Should be a fun night, made all the more newsworthy because we're debuting a new theme song. Our first two theme songs were rather lazy, and I loved them. This one, though, is way more peppy and way more show-bizzy. We'll see how it goes.