Double The Pleasure, Double The Fun
the double comedy recording of troy stark and walter j. lyng
Walter J. Lyng and Troy Stark are mainstays of the Montreal comedy scene. If you're a fan of funny stuff, you've probably seen one, or both of them, slay. Personally, I've seen each of them perform about a million times, and I keep coming back, because I laugh my face off every time. On Saturday, September 21, these funny fuckers -- ahem, I mean wit-gifted gentlemen -- will be recording their respective albums in a double feature live show.
Both the mutual respect and the bromance they share are real. They've been friends for the better part of their careers, which makes sense; they each have a unique voice while sharing a comedic vibe. For this special night they’ll each do 45 minutes, switching up who goes first from the first show to the second. It's a doubleheader, baby!
The albums will be released separately (obvs), making the live show the only opportunity to see the double feature in all its glory.
I caught up with them on a conference call, and I shouldn't have been at all surprised that serious answers weren't in the cards. I started with the basics, asking how long they've been at the comedy grind. Troy told me that he's been doing comedy for 12 years. As for Walter:
“It's going to be my first time on the 21st, actually. Well, it’ll be the first time I'm really, really trying.”
(I asked Troy how long Walter had been doing stand-up, and he said thirty one years, which is also inaccurate, but feels super true.)
What is true, is that they're half the team behind the World’s Smallest Comedy Night, and they’ve been friends for nine years. They've each been featured on JFL compilation albums, and when it comes to solo albums, this will be Troy's second, after his 2018 The King Of Clubs. Walter, on the other hand, has a previous attempt under his belt.
“I was supposed to [record] a few years ago, but the show got raided by the liquor police in the middle of it.”
Photo by Zak Kik
With the show only days away, I asked them if they're keeping anything in their back pockets, or clearing out all the jokes for a fresh chapter. They both assure me that they have notebooks of jokes that deserve further attention, so after Saturday they’ll hit the books, polishing up bits that maybe weren't at their finest at the time. So, are they retiring all this material after the show?
“There's no guarantee this material will be retired or anything. Nobody's making any outlandish claims like that,” Walter told me.
“This is the last time I will perform any of these jokes,” Troy cut in.
“But I just said, we’re not making those claims.”
“You're not.”
They go back and for a moment, and while Walter stayed vague, Troy settled on a middle ground.
“I will only perform these jokes in Ontario.”
The recordings will be old school audio-only, and I asked if they have any future plans for video specials. Maybe one day, but it's not at the top of their list.
“A comedy album is a great way to enjoy comedy. A lot of people don't have time to sit down and watch a video, you know, but can put it on their headphones, or listen in the car,” Troy told me. I agree with the convenience and classical nature of comedy albums, which is why you can catch me laughing by myself in the strangest of places.
When I suggest that neither of them are cut from the cloth of primetime TV or corporate gigs, Troy rightly challenges the assertion.
“Walter's a lunatic party animal, but his comedy is good clean fun. There's not a lot of objectionable stuff in there. So, if there was one of us that was going to be doing a corporate gig, you know…He tells stories about being a weird Dad, and everyone knows a weird Dad.”
And has Troy ever felt held back because he doesn't tell jokes about being a weird Dad?
“No, it would be weird if I did, because I don't have any kids.” Rim shot. “I'm pretty happy with the jokes I've come up with, and this will be a great place to see them.”
“Yeah,” Walter adds. “It's still not a super common thing that people record albums, especially in [the Montreal] scene. So you're not just getting one of these foolish endeavours on this night, you're getting two. We definitely hope it's something that a bunch of the scene itself comes out to, as well as a lot of people looking for a good show that night. Double headliners, double the fun, and double the trouble.”
I'm telling you this as someone who takes my laughs seriously: Do not miss this. I've been looking forward to it for weeks, and plan to hang for both shows. Get your tickets right here, right now.
Photo by Zak Kik
double comedy album taping - details
WHEN: Saturday, September 21
WHERE: Montreal Improv, 3716 Notre-Dame St.W., Montreal, H4C 1P7
METRO: St. Henri (Orange)
TICKETS:
