Chris Moose shines as a comedic force to be reckoned with. With a style uniquely his own, Moose blends personal anecdotes with a sharp wit to craft humour that resonates with audiences far and wide. Drawing inspiration from his upbringing, influences, and the quirks of everyday life, he brings laughter to the forefront, captivating audiences with his infectious energy and undeniable charm.
How would you describe your comedy style?
Haha, well I guess I would say that I’m funny, no real easy way to describe it. I try to model my jokes after my lived experiences so that they are more relatable to people. I like to acknowledge the weirdness of my life and experiences, and then embellish on that. I think by finding faults or weirdness in my own life and telling stories and jokes about that makes it easier for the audience to connect and kind of laugh at me. I do also tend to add in some darker elements to my jokes, but I’ll usually make it light-hearted in the end. I wouldn’t quite say I’m a long-form comic, as I tend to tell stories that are 1-2 minutes and have a bunch of them tied into the same set, rather than one long story. I am working towards developing into a longer-form comedian as I think I found my voice, in the sense that I know how I write my material, but I am still looking to hone in on some topics that I would turn into a longer set.
Who are some of your influences?
My main influence is definitely my family, my dad would always tell us such detailed and intriguing stories about his childhood, which pretty much just streamlined me into being a good storyteller. Also, my Uncle is probably just the biggest sh*t disturber on the planet. So I think growing up with that I had the tools to be funny. But it was only until I was in university that I really figured out the easiest way to make people laugh was just talking about lived experiences and embellishing them, which I probably picked up from watching Kevin Hart and John Mulaney comedy specials on Netflix. Currently, my biggest influences are my friends, just going out and getting into situations or lack of situations is really what I have been basing a lot of my jokes after.
Who was your favourite comedian growing up?
I think my first experience with stand-up was watching the JFL network on TV and I came across Danny Bhoy being the first comedian I had ever seen, I was instantly hooked watching him. But many years later I found that my largest inspiration to pursue comedy was watching John Mulaney specials on Netflix, so I would have to say growing up he was definitely my favourite.
Who is your favourite comedian now?
This is a really tough question because at this point I am obsessed with comedy, and I’m always watching and rewatching specials. I have taken a lot of inspiration from Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Sebastian Maniscalco, John Mulaney and I have been watching Angelo Tsarouchas, Trevor Wallace, and Jeff Arcuri. If I had to pick a favourite I would have to say Dave Chappelle.
What is your pre-show ritual?
My pre-show ritual is to get really nervous and question everything before I go on stage, and then I get up there and just hit the autopilot button. I feel like a different person while I’m onstage. It’s one of the best feelings I have ever experienced, but I still get nervous every time before I get up. I also drink a Coke sometimes. Don’t really have a ritual.
What is your favourite place you have performed? Why?
I started out in a room in Oshawa, a comedian by the name of Matt Henry gave me the opportunity to perform at his show on June 9th, 2022, after watching him perform at Yukyuks my mom approached him and said “my son wants to do this” and he gave me a shot. So that Oshawa room that he used to have before it underwent renovations would’ve easily been my favourite. But now you can find me at Keys Comedy Club off Bloor St, almost every week. It kind of reminds me of that first room I performed at just because of the rustic and close and personal feel that it gives off, it truly is a hole-in-the-wall kind of place, and it’s my favourite room in Toronto.
What is your favourite bit you have written and why were you proud of it?
I would say that my favourite bit that I have written is this one I just call “Worms”. When I was starting out I used to ask my Instagram followers to send me topics and I would write jokes on them and then post them as reels of myself just reading them out. “Worms” was one of these topics and the original joke wasn’t nearly as funny as it is now, but I was able to relate the idea to a breakup and it is one of the very few if not the only joke that I haven’t scraped along my comedy journey. So for that reason, I would say I am the most proud of it.
What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comics/comedians?
Mainly Instagram, just scrolling through reels I will usually stumble upon some standup clips. I do the same on YouTube shorts. I would have to say the best way to find new comedians is in person. If you are looking to find some laughs in your city just search for open mics in your area. I can’t always promise the quality is there but you should definitely get out there and discover some locals in your area.
Tell us a joke about your city.
Olivia Chow is the mayor of Toronto and she is the first mayor of Toronto that is an immigrant.
So it’s official… they’re stealing our jobs.
With a Last Name like Chow. It’s no surprise that she’s the top munch in Canada, Like even Robert can’t compete, he hasn’t published a book in years.
I got problems with Master Chow though. Once she was elected she said that her top priority was fixing the Toronto Transit System.
And then one week later the Scarborough LRT crashed. In her mind. Does fixing the trains, mean driving them.
Little fun fact for you, when Olivia Chow was elected in office she was 66 years old, and the 66th mayor of Toronto. But if she was half her age. 33… John Tory would have shown her that office way sooner.
Do you have anything to promote right now?
Yes, I recently started producing shows with a comedian friend of mine Quintin Kizik, under the name of “Whenever Wherever Comedy” Our first show is scheduled for May 12th, 2024, at SoCap Comedy Theatre in Toronto. We hope to showcase up-and-coming talent in the Canadian comedy scene and pay comedians the rates they deserve. We’re planning to produce more shows under this name and not be limited to hosting it at the same location every time.
Where can we follow you?
PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about?
Miguel Jose De La Barrera is a comedian whom I have known for over a year now and one of my closest friends. He is absolutely hilarious, catch him performing around Ontario and Other provinces this summer.
