bizarre is better in Vancouver’s alt comedy scene

By Eleanor Tremeer

“But the best thing about tacos, right, is when the guac hits juuuuuust–”

The man on the stage abruptly stops. Comedian Colin Cowan has spent the last seven minutes extolling the virtues of various taquerias, blending his words into an almost incomprehensible slurry of surfer slang. Each review has been interspersed by his strange, robotic jerks and screeching feedback from the speakers. But hey, everyone has their bad nights.

Now, though, he stands stock still, eyes rolled back into his head, as from his mouth issues rasping, alien phrases that seem ripped from the pages of Dune. After delivering a lengthy tirade on the history of his war-torn people, he offers his true mission: to finally find the Guac’Dip (pronounced like “Maud’Dib”), the rarest of guacamoles that hits just right.

Welcome to the Hero Show, a collection of bizarre comedy monologues where anything can happen. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg that is Vancouver’s alternative comedy scene.

When it comes to entertainment, Lotusland is one of the richest cities in Canada. With multiple shows to be found around town on pretty much any night of the week, if you want to relax and have some laughs after work, you’re absolutely spoiled for choice.

But while the glittering stars of Vancouver’s comedy scene may be the standups, dig a little deeper into the city’s comedic offerings and you’ll discover the most bizarre shows you’ll ever see—and they’ll be some of the funniest, too.

“I started the Hero Show because I wanted a place where it was expected for comedians to do weird characters and try out bizarre ideas,” says Cameron Macleod, who began hosting the live comedy show 15 years ago, making it the longest-running of its kind in Vancouver.

Inspired by the surreal stylings of Portlandia and American comedy duo Tim & Eric, Macleod explains that he wanted to create a platform “where anything can happen.” And by inviting comedians to break their own molds and get weird with it, Macleod has curated an environment where the last thing you can expect is the expected.

In any other city, the Hero Show might be the only one of its kind—but if this town of barely reformed theater kids can do nothing else, it’s to produce a seemingly endless string of innovative performances. Where else but Vancouver could you go to an improv outing where the performers are stoned off their asses?

…Okay, plenty of cities—but where else would that be the premise of the show? Such is the case for Puff The Magic Improv Show, which actually began before weed was legalized in British Columbia—and this year it was featured in the Just For Laughs festival.

Just as Macleod’s show was born from Vancouver’s comedy scene, so too was Puff The Magic Improv Show, which had a truly grassroots beginning.

“It all started because we used to stand around in circles after other improv shows and smoke joints and talk about how funny we are now that we’re high,” says Sarah Dawn Pledge, one of the organizers.

“Weed wasn’t legal then so we started the show underground in the basement of a pizza joint in Gastown and smoked in the alley at intermission.”

Created by the Momentous Comedy team, that humble invite-only event has grown into a “high calibre” show, in which audience members are also invited to smoke with the performers at intermission for the full immersive experience.

And it’s that kind of innovation that makes Vancouver’s comedy scene so special, creating a space where genres, interests, and subcultures fuse to form new and exciting combinations. Such is also the case for No Tea No Shade, which combines the classic panel show structure with queer standup, drag, and even live musical performances.

Comedian and writer Jason Martin, who describes No Tea No Shade as “a comedy panel meets variety show celebrating all things campy, queeny, and queer,” explains that he created the show because he felt like he was missing a sense of LGBTQ2S+ community in Vancouver’s comedy scene. No Tea No Shade brings comedians together onstage for a good-natured competition, and no matter who wins, everyone gets fun goody-bag prizes—even audience members, who are also invited to participate. Because, why not?

And that really is the sentiment behind these, and so many more of Vancouver’s off-the-wall showcases: why not? Why not perform your weirdest possible characters for one night only? Why not compare your sober jokes to the bizarre stuff you come out with when you’re high? Why not animate the classic panel show format with drag acts?

No matter what niche interest you have, someone in Vancouver has probably done some comedic spin on it. From D&D improv (The Critical Hit Show is a monthly staple at the Rio) to lore-heavy wrestling (Boom! Wrestling is always worth checking out at Commercial Drive Legion), you never know what you might find onstage—if you know where to look. GS

The Hero Show will be back on April 7 at China Cloud; Puff The Magic Improv Show returns on April 21, also at China Cloud; No Tea No Shade will be back in May (new location TBD).

SOME

The Identity Bureau

A BOLD EXISTENTIAL THEATRE PRODUCTION NOT TO BE MISSED

APRIL 2023

DRAGONETTE April 4 , Hollywood Theatre

Martina Sorbara’s first outing since 2017.

AMAI KUDA ET LES BOIS April 5, Shadbolt Centre

Hailed as “earthy and rootsy and good for your ears” by CBC’s Errol Nazareth.

100 GECS April 7, PNE Forum

Dubbed “one of today’s most thrilling and logic-defying live bands.”

SLEEPY GONZALES April 7, Fox Cabaret

Genre-bending indie band from Surrey.

CHIIILD April 7, Hollywood Theatre

Canadian experimental soul artist.

COVET April 8, Biltmore Cabaret California guitarist/ composer/multi-instrumentalist Yvette Young.

LATRICE ROYAL April 8 Hollywood Theatre

Drag performer, recording artist, and reality television personality.

PINK MOUNTAINTOPS April 8 The Cobalt Stephen McBean and old friends.

MOM JEANS April 8, Rickshaw Theatre Sweet Cali rock.

SABRINA CARPENTER April 8, PNE Forum

Actor and pop star on the road in support of latest album, emails I can’t send.

TARTA RELENA April 9, Chan Centre

Catalan duo reimagines song traditions across generations and geographies.

JOHN MAYER April 10 Rogers Arena

Mayer’s first ever acoustic tour.

SCREAMING FEMALES April 11, Rickshaw Theatre

Shredding in from New Jersey.

TWO ANOTHER April 11, Fox Cabaret Aussie dance pop duo.

DEL BARBER April 12, Biltmore Cabaret

Del Barber has shaped the folk music canon in Canada with five critically acclaimed studio albums under his belt.

GRAVEYARDS AND GARDENS April 12-15, SFU

Goldcorp Centre Sound and dance performed by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw and Vancouver-based choreographer Vanessa Goodman.

MIESHA AND THE SPANKS April 13, The Lido Calgary garage rock on tour in support of new effort, Unconditional Love In Hi-Fi.

HAYLEY BLAIS April 14 Wise Hall The coolest fucking bitch in town.

RUBY SINGH & THE FUTURE ANCESTORS April 14, Shadbolt Centre Sonic remedies to heal, guide and inspire the spirits of our kin, both known and unknown, seen and unseen.

FATOUMATA DIAWARA April 14, Chan Centre Hailed as a vital standard-bearer for modern African music.

VANCOUVER METROPOLITAN ORCHESTRA April 15, Queen Elizabeth Theatre Spring concert feature Beethoven program.

DEBBY FRIDAY April 15, The Cobalt Buzzy hyper-pop and R&B from Toronto by way of Vancouver.

JILL TOWNSEND JAZZ ORCHESTRA & SHARON

MINEMOTO TRIO April 15 Orpheum Annex Orchestra delights audiences with splendid arrangements and outstanding soloists.

HYPERSPACE METAL FEST April 15, Rickshaw Theatre Featuring Lords of the Trident, Judicator, and Exmortus.

JILL BARBER April 15, York Theatre Celebrating the release of new album, Homemaker.

BROADWAY RAVE “THE MUSICAL THEATRE

DANCE PARTY” April 27, Hollywood Theatre Party to Hamilton, Wicked, Rent, Hairspray Les Mis, and more!

BIG SUGAR April 15, Commodore Ballroom

Toronto rockers celebrating 25th anniversary of Heated.

TEI SHI April 18, Fox Cabaret Colombian-Canadian artist in support of new EP, Bad Premonition.

THE CREAM OF CLAPTON BAND April 18, Hollywood Theatre Four stellar musicians with family and musical ties to the Clapton legacy join forces to perform this inspirational new concert.

PUSSY RIOT April 19, Hollywood Theatre

Feminist performance art punks from Russia.

BUDDIE WITH DEVOURS April 20, The Lido

Buddie are celebrating their newest release “Agitator” with special guest Devours.

SLEAFORD MODS April 20, Commodore Ballroom English post-punk duo.

TENNIS April 20, Vogue Theatre Dreamy indie rock.

FEAR WITH D.O.A. April 21 Vogue Theatre

Two pioneering punk bands on one bill.

KIMMORTAL X NADUH April 21, Biltmore Cabaret

Two of the most exciting acts in Vancouver’s music scene right now.

DAWN PEMBERTON April 21, Fox Cabaret

Jazzy soul from Vancouver.

NIKKI LANE April 21, Hollywood Theatre

First lady of outlaw country.

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS April 22, Commodore Ballroom Brooklyn alt-rock.

THE INTERRUPTERS April 23, Commodore Ballroom L.A. ska-punk.

BRIDAL PARTY April 25 The Cobalt

Victoria dream pop on tour in support of new album, Cool Down.

NILS FRAHM April 25, Chan Centre

Berlin musican, composer, producer.

CARCASS April 25, Commodore Ballroom

Melodic death metal pioneers from Liverpool.

GIPSY KINGS April 26, Orpheum Theatre Iconic Gitano-French band known for hits like “Bamboléo”.

SILVERSTEIN April 26, Commodore Ballroom

Prolific Juno-nominated punks.

MEGADETH April 28, Abbotsford Centre

L.A. thrash metal stalwarts kicking off Canadian tour.

FKJ April 28, PNE Forum French multi-instrumentalist, singer, and musician from the city of Tours.

DOUGIE POOLE April 28 The Cobalt Singer-songwriter based in Brooklyn. THE HOME TEAM April 28, Rickshaw Theatre Pop punk from Seattle.

CHRIS WEBBY April 28, Vogue Theatre

Rapper best known for his versatile flow, creative punchlines, pop culture references, and love for cartoons.

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM April 29, Rickshaw Theatre Masters of atmospheric black metal.

TED PARK April 29, The Cobalt Korean-American rapper.

May 2023

SHANIA TWAIN May 2-3, Rogers Arena

Let’s go girls! The country-pop icon is back with a triumphant new album, Queen of Me.

AVEY TARE May 3, Biltmore Cabaret Animal Collective’s David Michael Portner.

ROSE CITY BAND May 4, The Cobalt Ripley Johnson’s psych-country project.

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