Every spring since 2002, some of the best stand-up comics from across Canada -- and a few from the U.S. and Europe -- have converged on the Canadian prairies for the Winnipeg Comedy Festival.
Confession time! I have never listened to any of Myq Kaplan's previous albums. I have heard of him, but had never sat down and listened to an album or watched any of his specials.
Whether you've heard his stand-up, read his articles for The Onion and The A.V.
The title of Matthew Broussard's debut album, Pedantic, suggests a sense of self-awareness, but that doesn't make Broussard any less insufferable. While the majority of his jokes are just fine and even a bit clever, he spends more time talking about his personal circumstances than delivering punchlines.
Don't feel too bad if you confuse Ahmed Bharoocha's name with the title of his debut album, Almond Badoody – it's probably not going to hurt his feelings. The twenty-five track album recorded in Madison, Wisconsin and put out by Comedy Central Records starts with some jokes about name pronunciation, and Bharoocha's laid back style is immediately apparent.
We have no doubt heard of many great stand-up comics over the years. Names like Jim Gaffigan, the late John Pinnette, Russell Peters, and of course Jerry Seinfeld are all hosehold names.
Pete Johansson has spanned the globe with his comedy. After performing in Vancouver for several years, Pete turned a successful visit to the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal into a move to Los Angeles, performing around the U.S. and appearing on American and Canadian television. Then he moved again.
The Winnipeg Comedy Festival celebrates its 15th year in 2016, and is once again bringing many of Canada's top comedians – along with a few favourites from the U.S. – out to the middle of nowhere (ie. ShowbizMonkeys.com's headquarters of Winnipeg) to make a whole bunch of people laugh.
Vancouver comic Erica Sigurdson has been a mainstay in the Canadian comedy scene for well over a decade now.
After decades in the business, Jeremy Hotz is a tried-and-true name in Canadian comedy. While he's lived south of the border for close to 20 years, he always manages to spend time in Canada, both personally and professionally.
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