show

ArtsStage

The Comedyworks was a Montreal institution. Not only did it launch the careers of so many standup comics, but it was my go-to place for a night out in my CEGEP and university days.

I therefore had very high standards when I set out to cover The Unknown Comedy Club’s virtual Comedyworks tribute show. The lineup consisted of Comedyworks veterans, including The Unknown Comedy Club’s founder and host, Rodney Ramsey, Eman El-Husseini, DeAnne Smith, Kwasi Thomas, and headliner, David Pryde.

I am happy to report that I had a blast!

The show was set up as a giant Zoom call, with audiences invited to ask the moderator of the event to unmute their mics since “laughter is crack for comedians”. Since I spoke to Rodney Ramsey a few days before the show, I knew to expect him in avatar form when hosting.

His avatar, I must say, was extremely creepy. Ramsey had told me it looked him in a suit, and while that was technically correct, it had some traits that were rather unnerving: the eyes are larger than the rest of the face, but the irises don’t move with him, giving a wide-eyed look, the hands were also disproportionately larger, and the jaw only moved up and down. The overall effect was similar to a ventriloquist dummy planning to kill you.

Handling the music before and during the show was DJ ‘Black Nick’, whose tunes had me bouncing in my seat on the couch. All the while the group chat was active, allowing for a more intimate experience where audience members can communicate with the performers. My big honor was when DeAnne Smith herself gave Forget The Box a shoutout in the chat.

When showtime arrived, I braced myself for the mixed bag that comes with every group standup comedy show, and I was pleasantly surprised. Every comedian killed, including headliner David Pryde, a Montreal comedian whom I’d seen fall flat a few times at the Comedyworks in my youth.

Host Rodney Ramsey in his intro invited all the performers to tell a joke from their days at the Comedyworks and they did not disappoint. Kwasi Thomas, whose standup is clearly quite physical, managed to deliver the physical aspects of his jokes while seated at his computer. Thomas also gets credit for having the best laugh, howling so much that David Pryde had to pause during his set to give him a chance to calm down.

Eman El-Husseini’s jokes were superbly topical. El-Huseini is Palestinian and made a lot of jokes about her life with her Jewish wife, all of which are sadly relevant given the ongoing fight between Israel and Hamas.

DeAnne Smith deserves credit for the best COVID joke, ranting about people wearing masks incorrectly and comparing mask wearing to making love to a woman:

“If you’re doing it right, it will fog up your glasses.”

Headliner David Pryde was the only performer who was standing and holding a microphone for his set. Dressed in the classic old-guy-trying-to-look-cool outfit of a T-shirt and blazer, he opened with a great line comparing his basement to the Comedyworks:

“I’m in a filthy room that’s a fire hazard.”

Pryde’s jokes were his classic mix of wordplay, snarky comments, and tongue-in-cheek remarks about his own life during the pandemic, not a single joke fell flat. This was a perfect performance by a seasoned standup veteran and very much worth the wait.

If you’re stuck at home due to COVID rules, you need to check out more of The Unknown Comedy Club’s shows. They feature standout lineups of supremely funny people, delivering standup comedy from the comfort of your own home.

Featured Image of Rodney Ramsey (without his avatar) courtesy of The Unknown Comedy Club

ArtsMusic

Toronto band The Real recently played a show at Tranzac as part of Montreal band Alligator Baby’s album launch tour.  Lead singer Justin Idems commented that the name The Real was chosen because if they were going to get up and play, they wanted to keep it real, to be the real deal and deliver.  And deliver they do!  The five piece band features guitar, keyboards, bass and drums; a strong support system for Justin’s killer vocals.  Quiet and calm in “real life,” Justin’s whole persona shifts onstage and he becomes an animated character who moves around the stage and belts out intense and powerful vocal melodies.

The-RealThe whole band is made up of excellent musicians.  Bass player CK Armstrong particularly stood out, commanding a seven string bass and making it look easy (it’s not).   The keyboards add a nice dimension to the sound, at times adding a synth layer that is also prevalent on their album Another First Step.  The Real sound a little like Incubus in terms of the instrumentation and the way Justin sings.  In addition to their repertoire of original tunes, they played some awesome covers including a polished version of “Superstition” and “All Along the Watchtower.”  It was groovy.

The band is tight.  The songs are interesting and powerful.  Their stage presence rocked.  The Real play regularly in the Toronto area so check them out if you can!   the-real.ca

Songs off Another First Step are loaded on their You Tube channel.  Check out “Caught Up”

Music

Christian Bridges is a young songwriter and performer in Toronto who played a show at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern on July 20th.  Included on a bill with many talented groups, Bridges and his band played an energetic set of songs mainly off his recently released debut EP album From Within.  His song “Caribbean Girl” was recently selected as CBC’s song of the week.  Bridges’s music is uplifting and socially aware.  It’s also fun to watch him play live; he’s a strong performer and very emotive.  His band is made up of great players as well, many of whom were students of Humber College’s illustrious music program.

In addition to playing under his own name, Bridges is part of Toronto band Down By Riverside.  The band has connected with charities, women’s shelters and the Occupy Toronto movement because of their vibrant songs about rising above challenges and being strong.

Bridges also co-wrote a song with Justin Nozuka, titled “Heartless,” which won them a Number 1 SOCAN award and was a chart-topping hit in France.

Bridges’s album From Within was produced live off the floor, a rare occurrence these days, by Thomas McKay (of Joydrop).  Watch “Caribbean Girl” performed live at the Supermarket in Toronto here, with special guest performers in tow to enhance the Caribbean flavour and check out the steel drum dude’s hat (wouldn’t want to mess with those dreads)!