Saturday, January 28, 2006

Westjet, Jason and Pizza


This was one of those starter days. When I arrived at the airport, my flight confirmation number garnered a "the flight has already departed" response on the check-in kiosk. Turns out, my 10am flight to Saskatoon was cancelled,(mechanical problems or something) and they rebooked me on the 9 am flight, so the kiosk info was correct. So, they couldn't get me on to any flight but a 3pm flight which would get me to Saskatoon about 11pm. So that wouldn't work. THEY SENT ME TO AIR CANADA, who did have a flight, for 540 dollars. But it would get me in at 5pm so I took it. Ouch. So when I got back through the lineup to cancell my Westjet flight, they tell me they have a 1pm flight that would get me to saskatoon by 8pm. So I go back to Air Canada and cancell my ticket. The one advantage of a full fare ticket is that it is refundable. So I am gonna get to the show without my child support check bouncing. everythings cool - until I get to Saskatoon, and my luggage doesn't. Fortunately, I carried my cd's with me, so I can sell them. Meanwhile, I have to wear the clothes I flew in, on the stage. THE SHOW WAS GOOD. jason "freddy" fredrikson is my opener - great guy, came well stocked, and it was great to see him.We had hung out at the Just for Laughs festival last time we were together, when freddy was part of the Home Grown Competition. He is pictured here losing, (ALTHOUGH HE DOESN'T SEEM TO KNOW IT). We went to a club after with Blind Mike Simmons - who regularly emcees show at the Park Town. Mike entertained girls with his magic tricks, and I described to him what they looked like. Freddy mixed it up and I had to do the big brother thing and get his ass out of there. We ordered pizza back at the hotel. Still didn't have my luggage.

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Fan mail

Jay Faso
Date: 2006-01-23

Message: Hey Richard, my girlfriend and i saw you perform at Lafflines in New West, BC on Jan/21/06....you had us both killing ourselves laughing....Keep The Laughs coming!!!!

Jenny
Date: 2006-01-23

Message: Same deal, Lafflines, Fri Jan 20th, party of 4. (Only two were good looking enough to remember though)

WHAT A TREAT! I swear I didn't come up for air until the show was over.

Hope you forgive me for calling you Dick, and humping your leg. I don't know what gets into me sometimes.

Can't wait until the next round of laughs. See you then.

Name: Mike
Date: 2006-01-23

Message: Saw you in New West on Friday night at Laff Lines...great show...just awsome!! My g.f and I had a blast as did our two friends that came with. Keep up the incredible work and hope to catch your show again sometime in the future.

PS. being from Ottawa and only having lived in B.C for a month or so I'm at odds as to how to occupy my time that WAS once used for voting. I look forward to any suggestions you may have

All the best!!

Mike in Poco!

Ivan Decker - and being 2nd Fiddle

Went to the show at YukYuks last night. Always good to see the new acts working out. Ivan Decker landed a great line about going out to dinner and being so broke you just look at the price and order the cheapest thing, so he orders "add bacon". "You take a plate - add bacon. And she'll have 'add mayonaisse'." Funny kid, reminds me of me back in the day - twisting on the everyday. Also Darcy, who is outwardly gay, and makes it work. Of course it WAS in downtown Vancouver. Hard to say what the reaction would be in the prairies...

Anyway, it's my last day in Vancouver before I start my western run. I was thinking about how tough it is to headline. Being second fiddle is easier, and often times more profitable. I just don't really fit anywhere in a show besides headlining. That means I dn't get gigs opening for celebrity acts. Usually celebrities fill the place on there name, but a working headliner can usually blow them off the stage, so they need someone a little lighter in front of them. So I get to be the star, but I rarely get to play the big rooms opening for some name act. Oh well, thats the price of being so damn funny.

New Headshot - whattdya think?

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Hangin out with Brett Hull

Did a voice audition yesterday, and ran into my pal Squatch. Squatch is a very funny comedian and an actor. We often run into each other at voice auditions because we have similar voices. He gave me a home-cooked cookie, which I promptly ate with my coffee, and forgot about. Until about and hour later when I just about passed out. Fortunately the sun was out, and I was down at "my office" (Starbucks on Cornwall and Yew) and so I sat there all afternoon, glad not to be handling large machinery. Lots of people came by and so there was plenty of conversation. Pete Johansson and Dan Quinn showed up, Pete did his always funny attempt to sabotage whatever conversation I may be in, particularly if it's with a female. Met a musician name Tayo, and a guy from North Van, Gabriel, whose interested in writing comedy. Gave both guys CD's and believe I have secured two new fans. I prefer the attention of normal people, then other comedians, although, I have many friends who are comedians, and do enjoy shop talk every now and then.

There is a new online forum at comedycouch.com - dedicated to comedy in Vancouver. There wasn't much activity on it, so I signed up and just wrote about the show i was doing. I also slid in a anti-TO remark to see if they were listening, and sure enough, some toronto-types started screaming. Anyway, it might be useful thing for people so check it out. I do love to provoke people.

Speaking of that, I met Brett Hull one night when he was playing for St. Louis. He was at Bar None with the rest of his team, and it was a couple of years ago when the smoking bans were coming in, but you could still smoke at Bar None, if you did it right. I was a regular there so I was in. Anyway, Brett Hull looks over at me and says, "Hey you can't smoke in here!" I said "I know" and took another drag. He said, "Unless you give me one." So I did. I had done a show that night, and there were some people in the club who had seen it. I told Breet that he was the second most famous person in the bar. He thought that was pretty funny. We talked for about half and hour about hockey. It was great.

Reminds me, I have been a regular caller on "The Brook Ward Show" on the Team 1040. It's surprising how many people hear me on that show. People are always saying they heard me.

Two days before my tour starts in Saskatoon. I am dreading it, but it's time to start packing. Gotta make a living.