Just for Laughs

Festival is bigger and better than ever

The Just For Laughs Festival is in full swing, and is bigger and better than ever. A couple of weeks ago festival organizers made a surprise, last-minute addition to the line-up that was described, tantalizingly, as on par with Stevie Wonder playing last year's Jazz Festival: comedy legend Steve Martin is bringing his unique brand of comedy, and his banjo, to the festival. The show, which will include a performance by Martin's band, The Steep Canyon Rangers, will feature such big-name comedians as Jo Koy, Mike Berbiglia, and former Montrealer Steve Patterson.

The Nasty Show: is back. And this year there's Nasty Girls, hosted by The Nasty Girl herself, Whitney Cummings, who told me, on my radio show on CJAD, “every time I'm introduced as The Nasty Girl I just think about how proud my parents are.” Whitney will also be a part of the Cheech & Chong Gala.

Mom's the Word 2: Unhinged is the laugh-out-loud follow-up to Mom's the Word. The original, now 17-years old, was about life with baby. The sequel is about teenagers and the way they turn your world upside down. Both plays are autobiographical, written and performed by 5 moms. The JFL version features the original cast, the moms who wrote the show. While their own teens were embarrassed by the true-to-life material, they tell me that teenagers in the audience actually end up apologizing to their own parents after seeing the play. The show is being called a Canadian international success, having been performed in 10 languages in several countries.

Axis of Awesome: A hysterical musical-sketch-comedy trio from Australia. They jokingly describe themselves as “a rock n' roll comedy sensation that's been around for 150 years.” It's actually only been about 4 years, and piano player Benny Davis points out that “we actually sing funny songs and tell jokes.” They're busy at the fest, appearing in several shows, including the Pamela Anderson Variety Gala (“we get to meet Pamela!”). Here they are doing their brilliant 4-chord medley.

Fans of the Lilith Fair, by the way, will be disappointed to learn that its planned stop in Montreal has been canceled.

When I had Warner recording artist Meaghan Smith on my radio show on CJAD I was looking forward to seeing her on the Montreal leg of the Lilith Fair. And she was excited about coming. I asked about the upsetting spate of cancellations along the way; ticket sales are down with producers citing the recent economic downturn. But Meaghan assured me, with her guitar player husband Jason Mingo and a Warner rep listening in, that only a few small venues had been cancelled, and that Montreal was still a go. Alas, days later they announced the cancellation of several more Lilith dates, including Montreal's.

Smith was in town for a very successful two-night stint at the Montreal International Jazz Festival promoting her first album The Cricket's Orchestra.

Dan Laxer is an announcer at Montreal's CJAD Radio, a budding stand-up comedian, and a writer. He is Citeeze's entertainment writer.

Photo Credit: whittlz