Mayce Galoni remembered his date with What's So Funny? this time around. Maybe he just wanted to wait so he was the first guest of 2018. The young standup talks about his even younger self starting out as a barroom magician, relates some words of wisdom he was told by his comedy hero Doug Stanhope, and I tell him about sleeping in a convent in his hometown of Hamilton.
Relive 2017 with part two of our highlights from last year. Clips from our conversations with Chuck Byrn, Barry Crimmins, John Cullen, Ivan Decker, Harry Doupe, Shawn Farquhar, Diana Frances, Lori Gibbs, Ryan Gunther, James Kennedy, Colin Lamb, Darryl Lenox, Gavin Matts, Joel Plaskett, Brad Upton, Ron Vaudry, and Garry Yuill.
Clips from guests we had in 2017: Harris Anderson, Paul Anthony, Wes Barker, David Beckingham, Camilo the Magician, Andy Cañete, Randy Charach, Garrett Clark, Charlie Demers, Fred Ewanuick, Katharine Ferns, Shirley Gnome, Kevvy, Leland Klassen, Johnny Perrotta, Jon Reep, Christina Sicoli, Alex Sparling, and Oh Susanna.
Jon Reep's second visit to Vancouver resulted in his second appearance on What's So Funny? Coincidence? Yes. He's not really a hick, and not really from Hickory, but both claims are close enough to truth that he goes with it. He tells us about his terrible high school football team in North Carolina, his entry into standup, and how he got to play Opie in Mayberry.
Harry Doupe makes his annual year-end visit, this time on Christmas Eve! After opening presents, we talk about the year in comedy, from the deaths to the return of comedy to the Juno Awards to Netflix specials to the end of the Rick Mercer Report. And more!
Ivan Decker makes his triumphant return to the show three weeks after doing Conan, his first ever late night American talk show. Ivan takes us through the stages it took to get there, how he felt in the process, and reveals what O'Brien said to him immediately after. We play the set, too. All this plus the usual tangents.
Darryl Lenox and Garry Yuill have big plans for comedy, not only in this country but everywhere. It starts here, though, with their hoped-for acquisition of the Yuk Yuk's chain. The American standup veteran (Lenox) and Vancouver Yuk's franchise holder (Yuill) have teamed together to bring this pipe-dream into reality. It hasn't happened yet, but they explain what their plan is and how you can get involved. Plus we play a clip from Lenox's set on Conan a few years ago and Yuill relates what a top...
Charlie Demers was last with us in 2010. Now he's authored even more books, released a brand new comedy album ('Fatherland' on 604 Records), and is the voice of Walter the Slug on Beat Bugs on Netflix. We talk about all of the above, plus anxiety, Humphrey Bogart, Herr Jordan, and steam & sauna rooms.
Gavin Matts was the big winner in the 2017 SiriusXM Top Comic competition. In this episode, we teach the youngster about Raymond Burr and Yvonne De Carlo, he explains how he got the nickname 'Subway,' he confesses his love of One Tree Hill and his dream of dying on Riverdale, he explains the therapeutic benefits of jigsaw puzzles, and puzzles over the ephemeral nature of standup. On top of all this, we play two tracks from his new album 'Premature' on 604 Records.
Paul Anthony returns! Every couple of years, it seems, Paul is our guest. In this episode, we start off by discussing the latest news, then we gossiped about Hugh Phukovsky and his urine gun, talked about the struggles of Talent Time, and re-enacted a Facebook Messenger conversation we had last year. And we ended things with a resurrected Funny or Not Funny? segment.
Ron Vaudry has been entertaining comedy audiences for 38 years. He was recently tweeted about by Norm Macdonald in a series of tweets about the early days of Toronto comedy so we talk about that, and what Norm was like in the early days. We also discuss Ron's net worth, his creation of the Crash 'n' Burn show at Yuk Yuk's, and squelching disabled hecklers.
Shirley Gnome has a new album out on 604 Records and came back to play some songs off it on her guitar. The album is called Taking It Up the Notch and we play a track off it, too. And we talk, as always. She tells us about going to high school with her album's producer, we count penises on her album cover, we teach her a classy new word for genitals, and she discusses playing the kazoo with her clam. This episode exudes class.
Shawn Farquhar is one of the greatest magicians in the world. And one of the greatest guys, period. He's fooled Penn & Teller twice, he's a two-time world champion of magic, and the past president of IBM! No, not that IBM – the International Brotherhood of Magicians. He tells us of his early days touring bars and comedy rooms around British Columbia, and how he shaved off his pencil-thin moustache and left his suave, debonair magician persona behind to become himself on stage. (Hint: it invo...
Wes Barker's career took off soon after his first appearance on What's So Funny? three years ago. He wowed 'em on America's Got Talent and he fooled Penn & Teller. The comic/magician tells us what that was like. We hope this latest guest spot bumps him up to even greater heights.
Randy Charach puts audiences to sleep. But that's what they come for. He's a stage hypnotist, who has also been a mentalist, magician and comedian. He talks about all these in this episode and gives a very special gift to What's So Funny? listeners. You're getting sleepy...
Alex Sparling is the greatest actor in the world (or so he'll tell you). Unfortunately, his acting career was derailed during a brutal attack. The Vancouver standup and proud Yellowknife son tells us all about it. And by the time you hear this, he'll be a Prince George comic. He also tells us why he's moving.
Leland Klassen is a standup comedian who happens to work clean and sometimes perform in churches. He's also a big-time thespian now that he's the star of a dramatic motion picture. He tells us what it's like working with Kirk Cameron, about the perils of running and running, and getting mistakenly handcuffed by the authorities.
Katharine Ferns has had her fair share of troubles in this lifetime. So what does she do? She laughs. Because you can't just cry all the time. Her Fringe show, Katharine Ferns Is In Stitches, ran in Edinburgh for a month before she brought it "home" to Vancouver. By the time you hear this, she's back in England, where she's lived the past few years doing standup and ignoring her painting.
Andy Cañete is back talking Fringe Fest. His show, in particular: The Cañete Chroñicles. He also tells us of the dangers of soccer in Chile, the secrets of Gloria Makarenko, how Chris Farley ages him, discusses some bad jobs, and tells tales of Mariel Hemingway.
Oh Susanna has another name when she's not performing her unique blend of alternative/country/folk/roots music. Suzie Ungerleider is how I knew her when we played softball together in the mid-late nineties, just as she was starting in on her music career. She moved from Vancouver to Toronto, where she's made quite the name for herself these last twenty years. We catch up in this episode and she tells us all about growing up in the 604 and how it inspired her latest album, A Girl in Teen City. We...
Johnny Perrotta has been on the Vancouver comedy scene for ages but this is his first time on our little program. But he did have the honour of being the first guest in our new/old studio. Johnny talks about making the big move from Old Italy to Prince George, tells us how he worshipped Tony Manero, and discusses his embarrassing acting roles.
Chuck Byrn is a real Vancouverite, going back generations. But he's been living in Toronto since forever. Byrn has got stories and opinions and he's willing to share them. He talks about the early days in standup, being the Pillsbury Toaster Strudel boy, hanging up on Jim Carrey, and vacationing in Hawaii with Kerry Talmage and Irwin Barker.
Christina Sicoli loves her sleep but she managed to stay up late and talk with us. The actress and improviser's earliest credit was Detroit Rock City, where she played "Foxy girl" sitting on a toilet. She's also tap danced with Gregory Hines. She's a woman of many talents and we talk about them all.
Bob Robertson was a good friend to What's So Funny?, having visited us three times with his wife and comedy partner Linda Cullen. Together they formed Double Exposure, Canada's beloved political satire duo. Bob's career extended at both ends of his Double Exposure fame and we talked about it all over the course of their three appearances with us. Robertson passed away in March 2017 and in this extendo-episode pay tribute to the man by relistening to his story, as told to us over the years....
David Beckingham drops by the doorless studio to talk about his band's reunion. Hey Ocean! (with exclamation mark) is coming back with a tour and a new album. This after each of the three main players released their own solo work. David tells us why the band needed to take a break, does an impression of his 8-year-old British self, and reminisces about life in Kenya. He's too young to remember the movie or song Born Free, though.
Diana Frances is a Vancouver gal at heart but she lives in Toronto now, where she mostly makes her living writing for TV, awards shows, and radio. But she still finds time to do the odd bit of performing. It's mostly improv these days but we talk about her early standup days, why she's such a good podcast guest/lousy softball player, a bit about her crazy childhood/life, traffic and linguistic complaints, and vagina jokes.
Kevvy, from the bands Fake Shark and Die Mannequin, has real comedy credentials. As a producer, he's recorded, by the latest tally, twenty-four standup comedians. He talks about his brand-spanking new Fake Shark album, Faux Real, getting kicked out of the Langley School of the Arts, his pink hair, his famed tattoo artist, working with Carly Rae, and opening for Marilyn Manson. And we put his jazz knowledge to the test.
John Cullen was voted Most Likely to be a Comedian in his Grade 7 gifted class. So what better name for a comedy album? We play a couple tracks, and we put John to the gifted challenge. He also tells us about his many podcasts (two) and his experience drumming in bands, teaching high school, and sponsoring a Little League baseball team.
Ryan Gunther is a button-down comic with a wild past. He's worked in Fortune 500 companies and grew up in the wild. Basically, anyway. He talks about overcoming massive stage fright to take to the standup stage in his mid-30s. Now he performs his one-man PowerPoint presentation at Fringe festivals all over the world, skewering office workers everywhere.
Garrett Clark isn't just a boner comedian anymore. No, he's got a new album out (Night Danger) making him... dangerous at night? He tells us about his adventures in Los Angeles and how many degrees of separation between him and Kevin Bacon (it's closer than you think). He also talks about creepy-crawlies in Australia, we over-analyze his commercials, and he does a few impressions. A full show!
