Kinda Sorta Maybe Like A Podcast

Pete Johansson has spanned the globe with his comedy, spending the bulk of his career living in Vancouver, Los Angeles, and London. Just a few weeks ago, Pete made the move back to Canada, this time calling Toronto home. Paul Little speaks with Pete before this year's Winnipeg Comedy Festival. Among many things, they discuss his various moves, his experiences with the Edinburgh Fringe, and what he's got planned for this year's Winnipeg Comedy Festival (including his one-man solo show, "Good People", a preview of what he'll be bringing to Edinburgh this summer).

Paul Little chats with longtime stand-up comic and deliverer of Just for Laugh's annual "State of the Industry" address, Andy Kindler, in advance of his multiple appearances at this week's Winnipeg Comedy Festival. Topics include Andy's past visits to Winnipeg, Donald Trump and the state of journalism, how far comedy has come since the 80s, what David Letterman meant to television, and his other work in TV. He even tries out -- and quickly abandons -- some new hockey material. (Also, if Jay Baruchel is listening, get in touch with Andy. He wants to be on your radar, Jay!)

On his day off between Just for Laughs tour stops in Thunder Bay and Winnipeg, a slightly under-the-weather Jeremy Hotz joins us for the second time to talk with Paul Little about Just for Laughs, working with Ken Finkleman, the state of Canadian television, the improvised nature of his sets, and how despite never really going the political comedy route, even his current shows spend a couple minutes touching on the craziness that's going on in the never-ending American election cycle.

Shazia Mirza doesn't tend to stay in one place for very long. The award-winning stand-up comic, originally from Birmingham, England, has toured Britain, the United States, Canada, Pakistan, the United Arab Emerits, India, and all over Europe. Coming from a Muslim immigrant family in Britain, Shazia wasn't expected to end up in a career in comedy -- and in fact, she was a science teacher before she got behind the mic for the first time. However, over the last decade and a half, she's shown that comedy is definitely her true calling. Paul Little got the chance to speak to Shazia over the phone from her home in London just before she jetted off for some shows in India, one night back in the UK, and then her dates in Canada at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival. They chatted about her unlikely start in comedy, her growth as a comedian and writer, her past experiences in Winnipeg, and the peculiarity of good comedy writing not always equating to the most laughter.

Veteran stand-up comic, writer, and actor Demetri Martin headlines this year's Just for Laughs comedy tour as it careens through Western Canada, and a couple weeks ago Paul Little had the opportunity to chat with Martin ahead of his Canadian dates. They talk about his expectations for the tour, his experiences on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, his two seasons of Comedy Central's Important Things with Demetri Martin, and his growth as a stand-up over the years.

Canada was first introduced to the comedic mind of Daryn Jones on his early 2000s Comedy Network show Buzz, which featured he and Mista Mo in various sketches and random bits and interviews on the streets of Toronto. In the many years since, Jones has become a household name -- and even for those that might not instantly recognize the name, they've almost certainly seen his work on CBC's The Mercer Report, doing pieces for Hockey Night in Canada and George Stroumboulopoulos, and as the longtime host of MTV's flagship show, MTV Live. Since leaving his regular gigs on television, Jones has spent a lot more time working on stand-up comedy, a return to what first brought him into the spotlight doing Yuk Yuk's amateur nights at 17 years old. A couple weeks ago I got the chance to speak with Daryn about his upcoming visit to the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, a look back at his career thus far, and what's on the horizon for this extremely talented host and comedian.

K. Trevor Wilson -- the self-proclaimed Mountain Man of Comedy -- has a natural knack for brilliant and hilariously engaging storytelling, and held his own this past fall at Toronto's JFL42 alongside an impressive line-up of international comedy heavyweights. He's returning this year to the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, this time with the distinction of being the winner of the 2012 Homegrown Competition at Just for Laughs. In advance of his visit to Winnipeg, J.D. Renaud chatted with Wilson about what it takes to spin a good story into a good bit, J.D.'s inability to correctly read IMDb, and what it takes to become a member of K. Trev's Elite Adventure Squad.

Returning by popular demand to the Winnipeg Comedy Festival once again, John Wing has more than secured his reputation as a stellar performer and true renaissance man in the world of comedy. A seasoned vet of the stand-up world, Wing has long been one of Canada's most original and consistently irreverent comedic voices. Not only that, he has also inexplicably found time in his busy schedule to write several books and collections of poetry in his down time, while being one of the most sought-after, witty, and razor-sharp joke writers in North America. He also has over 200 television appearances under his belt, including six Tonight Shows and nine Just for Laughs galas. J.D. Renaud spoke to John about the nomadic life of a traveling comic, the challenge of writing material with deadlines looming on the horizon, and the debate surrounding whether or not stand up comedy can be considered 'art'.

Shortly before Jeremy Hotz began his cross-Canada tour, Paul Little spoke with the comedian and actor about the place he is in his career, the significance of The Newsroom, his upcoming work on Call Me Fitz, and some interesting encounters he's had recently at The Laugh Factory. Unfortunately, as the interview intro will explain, there were some audio issues which made the first couple minutes of the interview unusable, so it kind of picks up partway through a question about getting the odd bit of negative reaction from an audience.

If you've ever been to Las Vegas, you are probably well aware of Cirque du Soleil. One of the mainstays of the Vegas strip and the originator of the big spectacle circus show, it has been delighting audiences for years. Formed in Quebec, Canada in 1984, it has grown over the years from one show to about 20 regular Las Vegas and touring shows, and at any given time employs upwards of 4000 people. Throughout the years, various productions have been shot for television and the screen, but never before in this way. Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away is a big screen extravaganza like no other. Producer James Cameron and director Adam Adamson take you where the stage show can't: beneath the water, high in the air, and in glorious digital 3D. Bringing viewers into this world directly is star Erica Linz who, takes the audience through the worlds of "KA", "O", "The Beatles: Love", and many more. Mark McLeod had the chance to speak with her in advance of today's release.

A week before heading down to Montreal for the 30th Anniversary of the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, Paul Little speaks on the phone with stand-up comic Brendon Walsh about his early years touring with Doug Stanhope (whose career he admires and looks up to), connecting with fans via Twitter (@brendonwalsh) and podcasts (Brendon's is "The Bone Zone"), and why regardless of the rest of the options in the entertainment world, it all comes down to stand-up. I also fill him in on where he's performing at JFL.

Toronto-based singer/songwriter Emma-Lee has been recording music for nearly a decade, and just released a new full-length album, Backseat Heroine. Over the years, while her songs have slipped into genres from jazz and pop to country and soul, her unmistakable and remarkable voice has stayed strong -- even through a couple vocal cord surgeries that put her singing future in doubt. Emma-Lee chatted with Paul Little over the phone on the day of her album's release (also her birthday!) about the recording process for the new album, the difficulties of pushing through the endless stream of music out there today, balancing music with a photography career, and why having a diverse sound might not always be a positive in the music industry.

Rebecca Kohler is incredibly funny -- which, oddly enough, is a great thing when making a living as a comic. Jumping between performing on stage and stepping behind the scenes to write for television, Kohler has appeared on CTV's Comedy Now!, Much Music's Video on Trial, and The Jon Dore Television Show while writing for children's program Scaredy Squirrel and CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Kohler spoke to Paul Little in advance of her appearances at this year's Winnipeg Comedy Festival about her early interest in comedy, her relationship with stand-up as a career, and what she has on deck for the next little while.

David Steinberg is one of the most respected names in comedy. Besides being second to Bob Hope in appearances on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson", he's written or directed TV episodes spanning 45 years, such as "The Smothers Brothers", "Newhart", "Seinfeld", "Mad About You", "Friends", and "Curb Your Enthusiasm". With David returning to his hometown for his first show in Winnipeg in 11 years, Paul Little spends nearly 30 minutes hearing a string of fascinating tales of Johnny Carson, Larry David, perseverence through failure, his new show "Inside Comedy", and why Winnipeggers tend to be pretty funny.

Starting out his show business career in Ontario in the early 70s, Alan Thicke has gone from behind-the-scenes writer for top comics and performers, to writing some of the most iconic TV theme songs of all time, to appearing in one of the top-rated shows of the 80s (Growing Pains). In recent years, besides his many on-camera appearances (jPod, How I Met Your Mother, The Goods, and an upcoming Showtime series), he's also written two books about his own experiences with family and raised a superstar son (R&B star Robin Thicke). In advance of his appearance at this year's Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Paul Little spoke with the iconic performer about his early years in the business, what it was like being on one of the top shows on TV for so long, and the many projects he has on the go right now.

Tim Gray speaks to Maria Bamford, a comic on the forefront of where stand-up comedy is heading, ahead of this year's Just for Laughs. Maria fits perfectly into the alt-comedy scene that's redefined the art form over the last decade, winning fans through the "Comedians of Comedy" series and making her a highly-sought-after performer. Knowing Maria can often be reserved in interviews, Tim begins by telling her about his own comedy background. The ensuing conversation has Maria open up about the philosophy of comedy, her endearing attitude toward the craft, and her fixation with improving as a person and a comedian -- and it makes her as likeable a person as she is a comic.

A beatboxer headlining shows at comedy festivals? That may seem a bit odd. However, once you see Beardyman (aka Darren Foreman) perform, you realize that the former back-to-back UK Beatboxing Champion manages to bring a lot comedy into his set. Much like U.S. comedian Reggie Watts, Beardyman brings you on a musical journey through his great beatboxing, looping, and improvisational skills, while also being pretty darn funny in the process -- though Beardyman would point out that they're not quite the same, which is indeed true. Paul Little got the chance to speak with Beardyman in advance of his feature performance at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal. He spoke about his introduction to music and beatboxing, his evolution towards performing in comedy settings, dealing with different types of audiences, and his first appearance on American television (when he was on Conan a couple months back).

A short five years ago, John Hastings decided to enter the world of stand-up comedy, and he's already made quite the name for himself across Canada. While comedy was something he grew up enjoying, stand-up wasn't something he pursued until he was told it might be a way to make some money. Of course, that's not exactly the case when just getting started, but he fell in love with it and hasn't looked back. Last year, he even won the Irwin Barker Award at the Just for Laughs Canadian Homegrown Comedy Competition -- a personal highlight for Hastings -- and was named as one of the five comics to watch in 2010 by The Comedy Network. The man also keeps incredibly busy. Besides performing stand-up around the country and beyond, he also regularly does improv and sketch shows, and through all of that he's managed to record a new podcast six days a week and appear in several videos -- including a "rant series" -- for WatchMojo.com. World domination is clearly next on the docket. Hastings is making his first appearance

Darcy Michael is a comedian not easily categorized -- and he likes it that way. Essentially, he's just an incredibly funny dude who is able to translate real-life situations into gut-busting bits on stage, and we're all the better for it. Starting stand-up only a few short years ago, Darcy has already accomplished quite a lot, including being featured in a pre-taped bit on The Tonight Show, playing Montreal's Just for Laughs Festival, appearing in his own Comedy Now special on CTV, and even earning a Canadian Comedy Award nomination for his performance at the 2009 Winnipeg Comedy Festival. Darcy is returning to the Winnipeg Comedy Festival this weekend. Paul Little spoke with Darcy over the phone last week from his home in B.C., fresh off of him attempting a Jillian Michaels workout. He was still a bit amped up from the workout, but he provided some laughs while going over his career highlights thus far, why he loves Canadian audiences, and which other Winnipeg Comedy Festival acts he would try and check out

There's a new wave of Canadian comics living in and gaining success in the United Kingdom. One of the stand-ups doing quite well in the motherland, to the point where he now lives in London, is Pete Johansson. Beginning his comedy career at age 16 in Kelowna, BC, Johansson has spent the last 19 years gaining experience in Canada, the U.S., and abroad, performing along the way at the HBO Aspen Comedy Arts Festival, Montreal's Just for Laughs Festival, the Boston Comedy Festival, and the Edinburgh Comedy Festival. Johansson hasn't just stopped in England, either, as his quest for global comedy domination has also taken him to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and India. Sure, they're all Commonwealth countries, but it's certainly only the beginning. He's spent the last little while back in Canada, and before heading overseas once again, he's making a stop this weekend at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival. As he explained when Mark McLeod spoke with him over the weekend, Johansson is not a fan of "clean comedy"