The Sunday Morning “Nobody-Asked-Me-To, But-Here-I-Go-Anyway” Evening Out Review – “FunnyFest” Calgary Comedy Festival.

(Or, Why I Will Never Be A Professional Evening Out Reviewer…)

Last night, Mrs. That Dan Guy and I took in the second-last evening of “FunnyFest”, Calgary’s annual (9th this year) comedy festival – incidentally second in size only to Montreal’s world-famous “Just For Laughs” chuckle-wagon. So, it’s rather a big deal.

You can browse their website for more info:

http://www.funnyfest.com/ or, stay here and submit yourself to more of my own personal reflections. The choice is yours.

And thanks for staying - you’ve clearly made the right decision (but you should still visit their website after you’ve read today’s posting).

“FunnyFest” features comics from all across Canada, the United States, and even a former Canuck now living in England. There are a number of local folks as well, such as the gentleman pictured above. Paul Kuster is a local aboriginal comic, whose last name happens to be Kuster. Spelling aside, that nugget is not lost for potential comic opportunities, which Kuster mines delightfully. MTDG and I had a preview of his performance at an appreciation dinner for Canadian Diabetes Association volunteers here in Calgary. His routine last night was identical, but it illustrates exactly how strong his stuff is – we laughed just as hard, even knowing what the punch-lines were going to be. Only at the stand-up game a few years so far, Kuster is already smooth as the areas of my head that hair has long since vacated from.

There were a load of great performances, both from the U.S. pros, and the Canucks. The headliner that closed out the performances last night, Tommy Savitt had a great routine somewhat presenting himself as a potential catch for the ladies in the audience, but continually seeming to come up with comic deal-breakers. Another highlight.

One surprise – no mention of swine flu at all until almost the very end of the show. Go figure – an easy target, forsaken by most of the performers.

We’ll be sure to check this out again next year – and visit a few of the other venues. We chose this one last night because, uh…well, I won’t lie to you. It was the Stampede Casino, and we know how to get there.

Chow for now!!