The World’s Smallest Comedy Is A Big Deal
Montreal loves festivals. Montreal loves comedy. In fact, it feels like we should have some sort of comedy festival, like a week long, featuring different comedians doing their unique thing. It feels like that would be super successful, the kind of thing you’d have to try really hard to fuck up.
Ahem.
With 25 shows over the course of 10 days, the second edition of World's Smallest Comedy Festival is a really big deal. At a time when producers are hustling to take a cut of all that JFL left on the table, The World's Smallest Crew is continuing their mission to bring you the best comedy in town. In case you've been living under a comedic rock, The World's Smallest Comedy Night has been running weekly for 6 years. In that time they've introduced comedians to the scene, and seen careers take off. The lineup is consistently killer, so much so that when comics pop in from out of town, this is the mic they reach out to. A huge part of their success is that they're genuinely independent. They don't have bossy sponsors, or marketing folks trying to put profits first. This is a group of dedicated comedians bringing the people that make them laugh into the spotlight, and that's the scene we need. As a result, this festival is a marathon run of comedy approved by the comics in the know. The entire festival takes place at Hurley’s Irish Pub, the official home of World's Smallest Comedy. They have food, booze, beer, and coffee, so if you pack right, you can camp out pretty solidly and let the laughs roll.
Let's try to fit all these shows into one preview without it getting messy, shall we?
The festival kicks off on July 21 with a grand opening party and World's Smallest Comedy classic, Laughs on the Terasse. Get your giggles in under the setting sun while cheersing the start of the shenanigans. Wassim El-Mounzer headlines, featuring Walter J. Lyng, Zak Kik, Vance Michel, Troy Stark, Abby Stonehouse, Merry Kringles, Serag Meletian, and Jonathan Burello.
There's a Ladies’ Edition of Laughs on The Terrasse in the fest as well, so catch your fave funny females, witty women, and chicks who bring the chuckles. Abby Stonehouse, Mariam Khan, Andrina Learmonth, Elspeth Wright, Elie Gill, Carmina Berbari, and Molly Brisebois.
World’s Smallest staples like The Dirtiest Show will be there with two shows! Try not to clutch your pearls while comedians tell their rowdiest, raunchiest jokes! Over the two nights you can catch Zak Kik, Vance Michel, CJ Monias, Michael Pecker, Claudio Capri, , Matt Boirgeli, David Zuneiga, Chad Noonan, James Mancini, Paul Ash, Blair Anderson, Crystal Morency, and George Assily.
World’s Smallest Blackout makes its return as well! The website bills it as: celebrating melanin in all its comedic glory. This show is straight up Ethnic, straight up Urban, and straight up got that Uptown Vibe in Downtown Montreal…these writeups are slaying me, by the way, so hang tight for more quotables. Featuring Goofy Welldone, Vance Michel, Peter Bowen, Uncle Phil, Sam The Mic, Joshua Clarke, and Hash The One Come out and support the culture.
New shows are making their debuts too! Heartstrings: A Storytelling Show promises that laughter is the main ingredient in all the tales to be told. Walter J.Lyng headlines, featuring Troy Stark, Vance Michel, Sin Dee, Sloan Kooshan, and Daniel Carin.
Queer comedy takes centre stage at World's Queerest Comedy Night. Celebrate diversity with some of the boldest voices in the LGBQT+ scene. Raquel Maestre headlines, featuring John Cotrocois, Andrew Khoury, Sarah Warren, Merry Kringles, and Lauren Mallory.
Dig podcasts? You’ll love ‘em even more live! Be a part of the peanut gallery while pods from across Montreal's cultural landscape record episodes! Daniel Carin brings Advice by the Fireplace to the stage, Trevor Thompson hosts his “padcast” Trevor’s Pad, and Abby Stonehouse records House of Stone live. Vance Michel brings Rapid Flames to the stage, and Keith Hesitermann and Lawrence Corber are doing their first live Go Plug Yourself in over 4 years, marking a milestone with episode 300!
When I saw the Michael Jordan Gala, I thought it was a comedian I hadn't heard of, but no, this is (tangentially) about basketball. See, it's on the 23rd, and MJs number was 23, so there you go. The show promises “slam dunk punchlines, and guaranteed laughs that will make you dribble” (gigglesnort). The folks on the show probably know something about basketball, or have really cool kicks. Catch Tyler Lemco, Viveth K., Carmina Berbari, Elspeth Wright, James Mancini, Daniel Carin, and Vance Michel.
Our resident New Yorker Vance Michel hosts The New York Comedy Show, bringing Big Apple vibes to La Belle Ville. The lineup has New Yorkers, and people with NYC stories. Join Nazeer Khan, Samson David Serag Meletian, Zak Kik, Walter J. Lyng, and Eric Spicely
The guys behind the epic YouTube series Pussy Patrol The Docuseries are doing a show! Expect Li’l Enis and Special K (Quinn Lague and Kevin Campbell, respectively) fully in character, and in full effect. They just dropped their second album (yes, really). Will they rap live?! I dunno, but I'm hoping. Their meta-game is remarkable, and you won't want to miss this.
Ha! Ha! Franglais is exactly what it sounds like: a lineup of the bilingual mashup that makes Montreal so special. Featuring Walter J.Lyng, Noelia Castignan, Carmina Berbari, Goofy Welldone, Vance Michel, Djeff Martin, and Marko Kulic
What's better than a showcase show? Two showcase shows! With two different lineups! Allow me to name drop:
Lawrence Corber, Vance Michel, Zak Kik, Mike Carrozza, Andrina Learmonth, Marko Kulic, James Mancini, Joel Slavik, Sushil Ganesh, Hash The One, Alvaro Salvagno, Abby Stonehouse, Mariam Khan, Erik Intrevado, Zak Kik, Vance Michel, Steve P. Adams.
There's a night of Spanish comedy, (La Noche de Comedia Más Pequeña del Mundo, obviously), and two Confidential Comedy shows, where what’s said in the club stays in the club. Plus, there's the MTL Hundo show where six hilarious comedians do their darndest to be the funniest and win a cool hundred. The audience decides, so come out and cast your vote!
The grand finale comes on Wednesday, July 31, in the form of Vance Michel’s special release party! Aka Vito Blaze, Vance filmed his first special, Just Blaze, back in April, and now we finally get to see the goods! If you weren't at the taping (well, where the hell were you then?), this is your Mulligan. Come out to give props, laugh your face off, and party World's Smallest Comedy Fest 2 into the history books.
Did I miss anything?! Probably. Imma need you to check the schedule, and plan accordingly. Like I said before, World's Smallest Comedy Night is basically a Montreal institution at this point. They keep getting bigger and badder, even as other mics fall off. And why? Because The World's Smallest Crew is dedicated to the craft of comedy. All shows range between $10 - $20, which is a helluva deal. We all need the laughs, so grab ‘em while you can. Score a seat, and start a new comedy tradition.
Get all the details at The World's Smallest Comedy Night.
