How would you describe your comedy style?

A blend of silliness, sarcasm, and passionate storytelling.

Who are some of your influences?

Mr. Bean, Daniel Tosh, Dave Chappelle, the genie from Aladdin, and Terry Crews in the Old Spice commercials.

Who was your favourite comedian growing up?

Robin Williams.

Who is your favourite comedian now?

It varies day to day, but as I’m writing this, I’m watching a YouTube video of Larry David getting mad at a parking lot gate because it won’t accept his credit card, causing him to hold up traffic. So Larry.

What is your pre-show ritual? Anonymously walking through the audience, covertly spraying a homemade aerosol potion to brainwash them into becoming an angry mob so they heckle the entire show and provide me with juicy crowd work clips. I also always drink a club soda with lime.

What is your favourite place you have performed? Why?

Toronto, because the late-night food in this city is incredible. It’s a deflating experience to finish a show only to find out the only food option is the Kit-Kat inside the Star Wars: The Phantom Menace-themed vending machine in the lobby of your motel.

What is your favourite bit you have written and why were you proud of it?

When I was in grade 3, my teacher, Ms. Strilchuk, was trying to teach us the word “synonym,” and to make her and the class laugh, I kept pronouncing it “cinnamon” with slight variations. Not the most creative joke, but I committed 100%. After a couple of minutes, I had her in tears, which I was very proud of because I had a massive crush on her. She was hesitant to consider a relationship because of the age gap (she was in her late 20s and I was 8), but I knew the way to her heart was making her laugh. Sadly, we never dated.

What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comics/comedians?

Live shows, by far. The live experience is so different from what you see on social media, and you get a much better sense of who a comedian really is by watching them in person.

Tell us a joke about your city.

Toronto is known for its state-of-the-art public transportation, and there are NEVER issues.

Do you have anything to promote right now?

I’m touring across Canada, and you can find a full list of dates on my website

Where can we follow you?

Instagram

PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about?

Jordan Policicchio

The post Tragedy Plus Time: Comedian Dustin Searcy appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

How would you describe your comedy style?

My comedy style works best when I use particular words in a preplanned order. Fun fact: I usually personally have constructed the words into what is called a sentence or rhetorical question. Some of the words I use are longer words as well. Some words consisting of like 5 or 6 characters, but then I’ve been known to throw in an Onomatopoeia like “BLAM!” or “KA-CHUNK!” or my favourite “GLOOSH!” We certainly have fun on stage. The words are used in order to magically manipulate a group of people to elicit laughter. It’s pretty cool.

Who are some of your influences?

My influences are the interesting people that often surround me, so anyone (Even you: the one reading this could be an influence). I’m also influenced by people who like to laugh and volley a riff. People who can create comedy jazz and who are able to play or paint the hypothetical banter of the absurd. I hope that answered this question.

Who was your favourite comedian growing up?

Growing up, I would gravitate to people who could tell a story or a street joke. People who were genuinely funny. My favourite comics would be anyone in the public eye being genuinely funny, but if you truly need an answer, I would say my uncles and aunts. Anyone whose goal it is to get a laugh.

Who is your favourite comedian now?

My favourite comedians now are many of the newer comics that I am fortunate to work with. Comics who have a drive and excitement for the art of stand-up comedy. I like watching comics that still have excitement in their eyes.

What is your pre-show ritual?

Other than the Tibetan Sky Burial Ritual?! I usually settle for a coffee and a walk. However, if I can’t get the coffee or walk, I’ll settle for a Wiccan seance ritual.

What is your favourite place you have performed? Why?

My favourite place was the Underground Clandestiny. It was a true 420-friendly speak-easy run by Puff Mama in the east end of Toronto. I recorded my album “Born Crying Die Laughing” there.

What is your favourite bit you have written and why were you proud of it?

It’s a meta bit about how I once got heckled for “making people think.” The bit speaks volumes about the way people don’t like to think anymore and would rather only feel. The bit then bleeds into a skit about how the average audience aren’t true fans of comedy but more fans of laughing. It then concludes with a hilarious act out of me unaliving myself because I chose to pander to the feeler fans of comedy rather than making people think. It’s not a crowd favourite, but it is my favourite.

What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comics/comedians?

Sirius XM Comedy Club channel is a great way to discover some of the greatest comedians you will hear. They run through many of Canada’s finest!

Tell us a joke about your city.

Toronto has the CN Tower: a very tall structure, if you didn’t know. Can you tell me why it’s called the CN Tower? It’s called that because everyone is CN it! I’m CN it. You’re CN it. The joke works best if you understand that “CN” sounds or reads like “seein.” Jokes are pretty cool and funny when you explain them.

Do you have anything to promote right now?

Check out my latest Album “Dark & Silly”; it was recorded on December 21, the Darkest Day of The Year.

Where can we follow you?

Instagram is the platform I’m mostly on.

PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about?

I would have to pay it forward to all the comedians affiliated with Comedy Records; that is a solid, funny crew, and you’d have many hours of listening if you check them out.

The post Tragedy Plus Time: Comedian Garrett Jamieson appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

How would you describe your comedy style?

I consider myself to be a storyteller. I’ve been through and seen a lot of things in my life. Being able to share my experiences through a story is what I believe makes my comedy special.

Who are some of your influences?

I’ve always looked up to Kevin Hart. Everything about his career inspires me. From comedy specials to his Hollywood films. His comedy style is also a big influence on mine. He talks about all his experiences and puts them into a story for the viewers.

Who was your favourite comedian growing up?

Kevin Hart inspired me. Russel Peters connected to me. Especially the immigrant jokes. That was my whole life.

Who is your favourite comedian now?

As I’ve grown up and started getting a more mature sense of humour, I’ve really enjoyed Dave Chappelle’s and Bill Burr’s comedy. They address things that everyone’s thinking about, and they don’t care who enjoys it or not. As a comedian, that’s a tough thing to perfect.

What is your pre-show ritual?

I make sure I have a good workout in the morning. I pray before going to the venue, then hit the road. Once I’m at the venue, I review my joke book – then hit the stage.

What is your favourite place you have performed? Why?

I’ve loved every city I’ve been to, but there is no place like my home city, Toronto. When I’m on stage in my own city, it feels like I’m performing in my living room. There’s always a different type of comfort when I’m on stage here. Last year, I did big shows in Ottawa and Calgary. Those were pretty fun too.

What is your favourite bit you have written and why were you proud of it?

My favourite bits are the ones that include my dad. My father passed away 5 years ago. He was very close to me and inspired everyone around him. When I perform a joke about my dad, people in the audience feel like they knew him. It shows me that my father might be gone but his spirit is still with us.

What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comics/comedians?

I love watching comics live. We live in the social media era, and although it is amazing to see all the content posted online, you get the real experience in person. You see their emotions and their live reactions. That’s what true comedy is about.

Tell us a joke about your city.

My city is like a TV show with no plot. Different parts of the city are like different episodes, and you don’t know what you’re gonna get. You could go to Scarborough and get a shawarma or go to Brampton and get an increase in your insurance premium. You never know what’s coming.

Do you have anything to promote right now?

I’m travelling across Ontario right now, performing in London, Guelph, Collingwood, Sudbury, and Peterborough. I’m also doing frequent shows in Toronto.

Where can we follow you?

Instagram and TikTok are my most consistent platforms. Website is coming soon.

PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about? (Links)

Mo Sitta. He is a young, talented kid with a bright future.

The post Tragedy Plus Time: Comedian Hamoodi appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

How would you describe your comedy style?

Like a playful little spank on the bum… Ok, maybe not so playful.

Who are some of your influences?

I used to love me some Tough Crowd back in the day, Greg Giraldo, Nick Di Paolo, Patrice O’Neal, good stuff. Sarah Silverman always made me laugh. Of course, some of the OG classics like Rodney Dangerfield and Joan Rivers. Locally? Derek Edwards was one of the first comics I ever saw live. I was a teenager when I saw him at Yuk Yuks. He had a joke about going to the Dentist and asking for strawberry fluoride, and he says, “Strawberry? This doesn’t taste like strawberry. Maybe if they were soaking in a bucket of goat piss…” Or something like that. Ha, I can still hear his voice.

Who was your favourite comedian growing up?

Favorite? I can’t pick one. But the first time I watched stand-up comedy, I was 12 years old at a friend’s house, shout out to Jeff Gilbert. He popped in Eddie Murphy’s Delirious, and I was blown away. It was the first time I had ever heard anybody talk like that. I remember thinking, “Wow, there is a whole world out there I know nothing about.” Which is how I currently feel about AI.

Who is your favourite comedian now?

Again, so hard to narrow the field, but here we go. Dan Soder, Doug Stanhope, Eddie Pepitone, there are easily ten more. As a comedian, you can watch another comic and think they’re really funny and not laugh because you’re appreciating the mechanics of the joke or something specifically about the performance, but those guys make me laugh out loud like an audience member.

What is your pre-show ritual?

Well, I don’t eat anything heavy before the show, did that a few times, big mistake. Then I’m up on stage feeling bloated like I’m gonna have a heart attack. I still got another 20 years left in me before I go out like that. Depending on the show, I like to get there early, sit in the back and take an inventory of the crowd, spot the drunks come up with a little plan to head them off at the pass.

What is your favourite place you have performed? Why?

I used to host/roast an amateur strip contest in the Bronx. It was wild, the place was always jammed packed and smelled like blunts. I was the only white person there other than cops outside, and the only reason they were there was to collect their payoffs. I worked at that club for 6 years. Cardi B is also an alumni.

What is your favourite bit you have written and why were you proud of it?

Well, this segues nicely. I got a stripper to come to my dad’s bedside while he was dying of cancer. Guess which Toronto hospital?

What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comics/comedians?

Instagram reels, at the airport, on the John, on the John at the airport…

Tell us a joke about your city.

I came back to Toronto for my high school dropout reunion, nobody is doing well. We had to have it in Oshawa.

Do you have anything to promote right now?

My special, ‘Best Son‘, and my podcast Fight Stories that I co-host with my buddy Tyler Morrison. Got a Fight Story? Give me a buzz.

Where can we follow you? 

Instagram | YouTube

PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about?

Well, I gotta plug my co-host for Fight Stories, Tyler Morrison. He’s an assassin.

And Dan Guiry is a silly goose who makes me laugh.

The post Tragedy Plus Time: Comedian John Moses appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

How would you describe your comedy style?

Slice of life, health & romance… I’m just trying to find a way to laugh as my body changes, my parents grow older! I’m generally a family-friendly comedian, but I can add a little sass to things, too.

Who are some of your influences?

Rita Rudner, Wendy Liebman, Jerry Seinfeld & Norm MacDonald are some of my absolute favourite stand-ups. I appreciate the dry wit, the honesty, strong writing and word play. But I’m also equally influenced by humorists like Calvin Trillin and Erma Bombeck, too.

Who was your favourite comedian growing up?

Humorist Erma Bombeck was my favourite comedian growing up. I was introduced to her writing by my parents. She wrote a successful newspaper column (& a number of books) about being a housewife in middle America, which is kinda of funny that I gravitated to her when I was like 10 years old. But I just thought what she wrote was so funny! I have a distinct memory of bringing in her book The Ties That Bind… And Gag! into my Grade 5 homeroom class and laughing my ass off. I was TEN!! It’s ridiculous, but even then, I knew it was good stuff.

Who is your favourite comedian now?

Wendy Liebman is still atop my list, and I feel very lucky that life has connected us and that she’s done online shows of mine. She’s one of the funniest, smartest and nicest comedians you’ll meet. But gosh, I also adore SO many comedians out there: Jason Salmon, Tracy Hamilton, Adam Gabel, Desiree Walsh, Charles McBee, Erin McGuire, Arthur Simeon, Mary Kennedy, Brian Kiley, Josh Johnson… seriously, we could be here for HOURS.

What is your pre-show ritual?

Three things: I eat, light stuff, but I have to eat on account of my being “very very anemic” (an actual quote from my doctor). I also write keywords on my set on a piece of paper, and hold it for a few minutes before putting it in a pocket or (if need be) my shoe. I’m bemused by the fact that I have to hold the paper for a minute or two… do I think it will be absorbed into my bloodstream? And finally… I work on calming my breathing. I’d rather be grounded than amped up before a set.

What is your favourite place you have performed? Why?

Oh, that’s a good question… There could be various answers to this one, like any fully accessible venue because comedy shouldn’t be only for those who can walk up & down stairs… but I think the (and this will be ironic given what I just said) but the 3rd floor stage at the Social Capital Theatre in Toronto. It’s my fave because it’s where I did my very first set in January of 2016. So it just has a special spot in my heart. I’ve been in the Toronto comedy community since the early 1990s, when I did tech for shows & clubs as a teen… but it took a personal loss to push me to try things I’d long dreamed of, like doing stand-up to actually give it a go.

What is your favourite bit you have written and why were you proud of it?

One of the earliest jokes I ever wrote, about handing off my nephew to my brother after a visit… giving him a squeeze and saying I love you, is easily a favourite of mine. I don’t dive too deep into the dynamics with my siblings, but I’m a proud aunt, and that joke just has a punch that just makes it funnier as they get older. Because I cap it with “Aunty Kelly, put me down, I’m 32!” And as he gets older, the age just is more ridiculous. And that joke is on my first album, Sugar n’ Spice & Smirnoff Ice, which just makes me beam. It was literally one of the first jokes I ever wrote.

What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comics/comedians?

Life! The medium of life. That’s a very general answer, but Instagram/YouTube, or in-person at a mic or a show online, I’m just keeping my eyes open. I produce shows, too, so I want to make sure I’m using whatever platform I have to give a good show and give stage time to those you don’t see enough. And Toronto has a bounty of amazing voices, some of whom use wheelchairs or walkers, so that’s why I need to put in the work to make sure I produce shows in spaces where they can be heard. John Mandrow is an incredible comic, who uses a wheelchair, isn’t seen nearly enough, and Rosani Christy and Desiree Walsh should be headlining across the country because they’re very very funny folks. But wheelchairs and stairs… well… yeah. That’s why I love the virtual medium… it really opened my eyes to who else is in the community with me. And I gotta do better so more people know they’re there.

Tell us a joke about your city.

“Living in Toronto is like living in a live-action game of Tetris… we’re gonna stuff a building there, and, there… is that a tiny empty square of land? Let’s put a condo there…”

Do you have anything to promote right now?

My latest album, Lady Comic! And I’ll produce shows in Toronto that any BODY can come to, walk or wheel on it. You can find it all on my website.

Where can we follow you? 

Instagram | YouTube

PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about?

Rob Ito is one of my favourites, a nice guy and just so funny!!

Rosani Christy is an absolute killer who doesn’t let MS slow down her brilliant mind. I love her.

And really, what can you say about Desiree Walsh? She’s incredible, and I’m grateful to call her a friend and share the stage with her.

The post Tragedy Plus Time: Comedian Kelly Zemnickis appeared first on Toronto Guardian.