Before going on, it’s important to point out that The Debaters WILL live on in it’s birthplace: CBC Radio One where it is enjoying a large loyal weekly listenership and an extremely enthusiastic following at live tapings (the most recent of which were back-to-back tapings at Winnipeg’s Burton Cummings theatre this past weekend). So we’re very happy and grateful for that.

But of course, hearing that a tv show that you’ve worked very hard on (grow up) will not be coming back is like receiving a running kick to the groin: you’re surprised and left with an immediate dislike for the person who kicked you.

It would be easy to be frustrated with the Conservative government (a popular CBC stance) and the CBC (a popular ex-CBCer stance), but I also realize you can’t always blame everything on everyone else.

When I found out that we were doing The Debaters on television in the winter of 2010 I was excited but immediately nervous: How would we make the transition? Would it translate? Would I have to wear pants now?

I was assured the tv show would be “just like the radio tapings”. Which of course in the end turned out to be “just not true”.

The vision for the show was changed from that of its creator Richard Side and those who had worked with it for many successful seasons and manipulated into something it was not. It became too static, lost its intimacy and left no space for audience enjoyment. This is partly the fault of mis-direction from a network exec (who was fired from the network in the midst of  the tapings),  partly the mistake of the directing/editing team and partly the blame of me for not seeing what was happening and stopping it in its tracks. After all I was a “consulting producer”. I should have insisted on being consulted.

The feedback I got immediately from fans across Canada was “it’s not as good on tv” and they were right. It wasn’t. The audience was too far away and under-utilized, the editing left out a lot of great moments that should have stayed in and the overall feeling of each episode was the same as the taste of a good wine that is not given time to breathe: it’s not horrible, but it could be much better.

That’s where we failed on the production side.

On the network side we faced an even tougher challenge: having executives assigned to the show that didn’t know it, understand it or care to understand it. Hence zero (and I mean ZERO) attention paid to the show from a developmental and promotional standpoint. There were opportunities to correct this, such as when we taped the show at the Glenn Gould Studio IN the CBC building and invited the tv executives in charge  to come down the stairs and see it, which they did not. If you can’t convince someone to come to your show that is taking place in a packed theatre in their own basement, there’s really nothing else you can do.

So I’m left with an interesting tv experience and some valuable lessons learned:

1. When you are a “consulting producer” make SURE they take action on what you say…or walk away.
2. Make damn sure your show is getting the promotion on the network that it deserves doing anything it takes (except sleeping with network executives. That would be completely wrong)
3. As an on-air personality, if something doesn’t feel right to you it probably isn’t.
4. Don’t try to make a season of television in a week (which is what we were forced to do)
5. If you have the stomach to kiss ass to tv network execs, pucker up.

In the end, we’re just another “failed Canadian tv show” which no one except those directly involved with it, their families and a handful of dedicated fans ultimately care about.

But I am most disappointed because we were a chance for Canadian stand-ups to have their thoughts heard and faces seen in a format that isn’t quite stand-up but proves how much more compelling an argument can be if it is funny as well as factual. In short, it was a great chance to show how funny can also be smart.

But we didn’t succeed in getting through to the cbc tv side.

I’m proud to be part of the team that will still be bringing The Debaters to the radio airwaves for Canadians on CBC Radio One. I’m proud of the incredible stand-up comedy talent Canada produces that we will still proudly showcase. I thank the creator of The Debaters, Richard Side, for creating an amazing format which I still think could work on television if the right people gave it a fighting chance. I thank Brian Roberts for his passionate efforts to bring it to television, (which is no small feat in this country!). I thank all the crew who worked very hard on the show and the thousands of fans who came out to live tapings in Vancouver. I can honestly say, I wish you were running CBC television. Above all I promise, I’ll keep on trying to create and contribute to new opportunities for Canadian stand-ups to shine on. And I wish the best of success to the comedy programs still running on CBC TV. I can honestly say now, I don’t know how you do it.

1. I didn’t go to film school

2. I didn’t fail out of film school and become a professional movie reviewer

3. I’m not bitter, having failed out of film school, so I can still appreciate a good movie without being envious that I didn’t make it.

All that said, I’m reviewing “The Hunger Games”, a movie based on a series of books that is intended for female youth readers and which I only went to see because my wife is female and youthful…(but is NOT a teenager. Let’s just be clear on that. I have her papers.)

In any case, we went to see The Hunger Games on Saturday afternoon at the Humber Cinema which is not exactly state-of-the-art and for that reason is not exactly packed with people which is exactly how I like it.

I had zero expectations going into The Hunger Games except perhaps I would leave with that same “I guess I would like this more if I were a teen-aged girl” feeling I felt after my wife dragged me to Twilight.

Much to my surprise, The Hunger Games hooked me right away, with a believable not-too futuristic story, a competition element with “Rocky-like” overtones and an accurate portrayal of our infatuation with reality tv and the ridiculousness of the rich 1% douche bags of society.

I’m not going to give any part of the movie away (I hate when movie reviewers do that) but I will say that the movie was well written, well paced and well performed from all aspects. There were a couple of moments when I thought to myself “as if that would ever happen” but I’ve also experienced those moments watching live Sports coverage (Sydney Crosby’s overtime goal at the 2010 Olympics comes to mind) so my disbelief was easily suspended.

In short, I left the movie thinking not only “that was a great movie” but also thinking “that was a great social commentary on where the world could be heading if we don’t smarten up”. A feeling that I think was echoed by many of my “fellow” movie-goers (the audience was mostly female). It also made me question again why no one ever dies in a game of “Survivor”? They should either let someone die or change the name of that show.

But I digress. The Hunger Games is a movie well worth seeing whether you’re a teen-aged boy or girl or in your twenties or thirties or forties or fifties (those in their sixties and above, I’m not counting you out either. I was just trying to keep this review as short as possible…which I have now failed at).

And even the very rich and obnoxious, whom this movie does a great job of holding a mirror up to, will be entertained if they can temporarily remove the giant stick from their giant asses and slither down from their pedestals for a couple of hours to sit among the riff-raff.

Good talk everybody.

Dear babies born on February 29th,

Let me wish just you the happiest of happy birthdays you beautiful little freaks of nature.

While the rest of us of any adult age long ago stopped celebrating birthdays with the gusto we used to as kids, you have the freedom to celebrate birthdays like a kid your whole life.

Indeed it’s quite a responsibility a leap year baby’s birthday party. Since it only comes along once every 4 years you are obliged to celebrate in Olympic proportions. So you’re going to need to light a massive torch to pass around, invite the whole world to watch and every active participant should be so energetic they’ll be accused of taking performance-enhancing drugs.

What an advantage you leap year babies have. While the rest of us turn 72 you’re just turning 18…(albeit the most-saggy, least cologney-smelling 18 year olds in the world, but still, technically, you’re 18). That means you can reap the benefits of being a teenager much longer. Like having infallible wisdom, making fun of “old people” and living off of your parents.

Of course, there is also a downside. Bouncers don’t technically have to let you into bars until you’re a senior citizen. And by that time, what’s the point of even going to a bar. You are NOT going to pick up. And by the time you sit down for a drink…you have to pee again.

But overall I think being born on February 29, would be a giant leap from being born on any other day of the year. Even if none of you are likely to live beyond the age of “twenty-five.”

Yours truly,

Steve Patterson

In previous 3 day trips I have gladly walked through Times Square and gawked at all the sights, marveled at the magnitude of mundane businesses made better by exciting signs (the Red Lobster in Times Square looks like most concert arenas in Canada). But not this trip. This time around I find myself walking down to the outskirts of Times Square, looking at the swarms of people jostling in line for half-price Broadway tickets and say to myself “Hmpf. Bloody tourists” (that’s right. I say “Hmpf”. With a p.) then turn around and head back to “my neighbourhood” in the Upper West Side (important note: I am very fortunate to be staying at a buddy’s house in the Upper West Side. Otherwise I would almost certainly be rooming with cockroaches in an abandoned warehouse that has been converted into a hotel.

The real adventure for me so far, other than attending a taping of “The Colbert Report” on Tuesday night….well, hold on, that’s definitely the highlight so far for me. Colbert is by far my favorite nightly comedy host and the show in general I think is the best nightly comedy on television thanks in no small part to CANADIAN head writer Barry Julien (thanks again for the VIP treatment Tuesday night Barry!). I’m happy to report that the show live is just as funny as the end product on TV and that’s with very, very minimal coaching of the audience. Everyone really wants to be there, all the jokes are funny for real, what they’re saving on applause signs they’re spending on top talent. Anyway: Colbert taping. Highly recommended. Enough said.

My other adventures so far as a “1 week local” are in trying to find the right trains back Uptown from various locations.

After attending the Colbert taping with my buddy Adam and then celebrating with a few post-show cocktails I got on a train that was supposed to take me to 79^th St, a scant 2 blocks from where I’m staying. Instead I ended up in Queen’s, a large borough away. Then last night, after doing a short set in the East Village I boarded a train that was supposed to go to 81^st and ended up at 125^th in The Bronx. Those who know me may think this is due to falling into a drunken slumber aboard the train and missing my stop but actually the train system is partially to blame here (along with my stupidity). Not all trains stop at all stops at all times. This is elementary to actual New Yorkers. But to a guy who grew up in Toronto where, if you guess the right direction you’re on the right train, this is not as intuitive. There are “express trains” here (in New York even the inanimate objects are trying to outrace each other) which only stop at certain stops. I’m still not sure of the exact system for the express stops but if I had to guess it would be “any stop but Steve’s”.

So now, as I sit in a café near where I’m staying I am very excited to report that the club I am playing tonight, “Stand-Up New York” is a very few short blocks from where I’m staying. No trains for Stevie tonight. They are “expressly forbidden”…(sorry. I thought that and had to say it)

OK, good talk everybody. Hope wherever you are you’re on the right track…

Especially for the people of Toronto

For the mayor that you “elected” left a lot of skills neglected

Which made most people want to see him “out” PRONTO

Though he’ll never quite be “out”, of that he left no doubt

When he refused to take part in Pride week lore

He could have marched in the parade not sure why he was afraid

(Rob) That’s not the kind of ass they’re looking for

The Liberals were destroyed when their hand-picked “golden boy”

Made the worst mistake you can in a debate

He tried to implore us, but in the process just bored us

While a better leading man did just great

We all knew him as Jack, there was nothing he lacked

With charisma, and talent and drive

It’s a cruel trick of fate we now describe him as “late”

This country’s better if he were still alive

But life does go on, and our PM is strong

Strong tactics, strong party, strong caucus

Just don’t get too strong sir, and don’t get me wrong sir

But Canada’s not supposed to be raucous

We’re in pretty good shape, our resources are great

Our leaders for the most part have “spunk”

But the best part I think, though some guys are dinks

No one tweeted any photos of their junk

His name is Anthony Weiner, by now you have seen, er

The “package” he tweeted untamed

He resigned after that, but I’m sure he’ll bounce back

As a porn star, who can use his real name

Bell and Rogers made a purchase

Of a team that often lurches

Just beyond the playoff cutoff every year

So now when you watch the Leafs, at a price that’s too steep

The reason cell phone rates are so high will be clear

There was the death of Bin Laden, Obama finally got him

So there’ll be no more waiting for later

Also gone are Mubarak, Gadhafi and more

What a shitty year to be a dic-tator

Then there was Kim Jong Il who was not Kim Jong Killed

But died, so his son will replace him

They will call him Supreme Leada’ in North Korea

But I think he should be called “L’il Kim”

So now we delve into two thousand twelve

The year Mayans say will be our last

Let’s give thanks Canucks, our country sure doesn’t suck

We’re just not as well liked as years past

We pulled out of Kyoto, which many think is a no-no

And some say makes us giant asses

So we’ll become a world leader in a world void of cedars

But full of greenhouse gases

And to close I go back to the man we called Jack

And the last words he unfurled

“Let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic friends

And together we’ll change the world.”

First and foremost, I got married!!! After somehow evading nuptials for a solid 39 years I finally tied the knot on April 29 to my beautiful bride Nancy. We had our wedding down in Saint Lucia with a small group of family and friends and it was every bit as unforgettable as a wedding should be. Sure, it rained during what was supposed to be “dry season”. And if the date looks familiar to you for some reason it’s because it took place on the EXACT SAME DAY AS PRINCE WILLIAM’S! (that’s just my luck). But on the bright side, the pesky British Paparazzi largely ignored our wedding and my family is better looking than the Royals. Plus Nancy is the princess I really wanted. So everyone came out alright there.

After the wedding my first gig was for a group called the “Young President’s Organization” in Vancouver and I shared some of the debating tips I have picked up during the last few years hosting The Debaters, which the esteemed group seemed to appreciate and I also got some good tips on marriage from some of the married veterans there (most of which involved “just say yes”) so we both learned something from that.

In June I got to participate in my third St. John’s comedy festival out on the Rock and was even scheduled on a show with a hero of mine, Mr. Dan Akroyd. But due to a mysterious infection on my arm I had to go straight to the waiting room of the hospital and watch the myriad of injuries that come in on a George St. Friday night, so again not QUITE according to plan, but close.

This summer I participated in the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal again, taping 3 episodes of The Debaters and also moderating a bunch of industry events for great groups of comedy pros like the guys from Funny or Die, podcasters like Paul F. Tompkins and Marc Maron and maybe the hottest comic on the planet right now: Louis C.K. Some great insights there and more motivation to keep getting better because there are a whole lot of great young comics coming up that are hungry. If you don’t stay current in comedy these days, you’re not really IN comedy.

Also in the summer I visited my brother and sister-in-law in one of my favorite places in the world: the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia. While there we decided to partake in a leisurely tube ride down the Gaspereau river which turned slightly less leisurely when my brother fell out of his tube and we all briefly thought he had drown (I know, hilarious right?) Fortunately though, he was alright in the end and it did lead to my most hilarious moment personally of 2011: I got chased by cows. True story. I got out of the river in the middle of a cow field, sopping flip-flops, inner tube over the shoulder and had to run for my life from a herd of cows. Those of you who say “cows can’t run” let me assure you they can. Fortunately I run (slightly) faster and so after I threw my inner tube, jumped over the electric fence and dive-rolled on the other side I regained just enough dignity to say hello to the kind Nova Scotian cow farmer (is that what they’re called) who had watched the entire thing transpire with what can only be described as “detached indifference”. I hope he was at least laughing on the inside, because I know I would have if I had seen a guy running for his life from a group of cows. If that’s as close as I ever get to Spain’s “running of the bulls” I am totally fine with that.

But this Fall is where things really happened for me personally. I embarked on my first Cross Canada theatre tour with Just For Laughs. Entitled “The British edition” (because every comedian on it except me was British) we hit over 20 Canadian cities in a month’s time and I got to reconnect with friends I hadn’t seen in a long time as well as meeting lots of new friends and fans of comedy and especially of The Debaters. Always nice to see that what you’re doing is appreciated by people and though I still don’t quite believe that laughter is “the best medicine”, I’m starting to see that it’s a very welcome diversion for a lot of people.

Also this Fall, The Debaters started appearing on CBC television on Tuesday nights after great shows like The Mercer Report and This Hour Has 22 Minutes. There really aren’t a lot of television gigs for comedians in Canada, so we’re sure hoping this one keeps going for a good long while and it’s nice to be able to share the television spotlight with some great Canadian talent.

And then there was the “comedy award season” (if you blink you’ll miss it) which basically lasts from late September to October. I had the honor of being nominated for a Gemini award (which I lost) and a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Male Stand-up (which I won) and also hosted both shows. I really can’t ask for much more than that.

So, needless to say, after all that I took a little downtime in December and left the entertaining of drunken Christmas parties to my comedy counterparts while I went to visit my in-laws in Florida. That trip was going very well until it took a sharp turn, in a golf cart, and my lovely bride Nancy fell out and broke her armL Thus, I have spent the last 10 days attempting to be the best nurse I can to my one-winged wife whose injury is a direct result of my stupidity (not a good feeling for either of us…but in fairness, worse for her).

Still, in a few days I get to return to Massey Hall (which was part of the Just For Laughs tour I hosted in November) to headline the “Comedy Extravaganza” featuring some more of my great comedy friends and Canadian comedy legend, SCTV’s Andrea Martin!!!! There really isn’t a higher note I could leave 2011 on.

So, as they say, there is really nowhere to go but down from here. Which is ok since according to the Mayans, the world will end on December 21, 2012. I’m not at all sure they’re right. But just in case, I plan to have my credit cards maxed out and be having sexy time with my wife on December 20.

Hope your 2011 was a reasonable facsimile of mine. I really feel blessed this year, with just enough unfortunate incidents to keep me in check. Oh yeah, I also moved to Toronto from Montreal on Sept 1. Only time will tell if that was the right move but the Montreal Canadiens are already suffering from my lack of attendance at home games. Sorry Habs. Good talk everybody…

One thing I wasn’t late for however was an appointment with my investment advisor who is trying to help me figure out how to make money I made this year last for several years into the future. It’s not an easy sell to someone who’s first financial advisor, my dad, had no training whatsoever and always gave ridiculous advice like “always pay twice the minimum monthly balance on your credit card”. That advice kept me solidly in debt until about 5 years ago. As it turns out, there are a lot of different things you can do with money and the more money you have the more people there are happy to help you. Fortunately my investment guy has been giving me advice since I had very little money and that money has grown so far, so I’ll keep listening.

Then I went to an appointment with my accountant who concluded that, yes, I had a very successful year and why that is a bad thing for tax purposes. Canada is one of the few countries in the world I think where, if you make money your first course of action is not to be proud and spend it but to hide it like a pirate so the government doesn’t take most of it. My conclusion is that Canadians who do have a lot of money and spend it openly (and have not yet been sent to prison) are among the most clever thieves in the world.

Other than that I’ve been taking R and R to the next level which included a 4 day trip to Montreal to see friends where I drank pretty much the same amount as I did each orientation week of university combined. As a result I’m trying to figure out a way to live in a steam room for a month eating only low-cal rice cakes  which strangely is not how most of my friends and family like to celebrate the holidays. So….January it is.

Tonight I’ll be attending the holiday party of one of the agencies who has booked a lot of work for me this year and I will try to only drink a “reasonable” amount. But that will likely prove difficult since I still treat most situations with an open bar as an experiment in new types and quantities of drink. As in “I’ll have a pint of Johnnie Walker Blue with a hint of absinth please.”

Anyway, I am also back to the writing board preparing for a big New Year’s Eve show (it falls on Dec 31 this year) at Massey Hall which I am very excited to be headlining and sharing the stage with the legendary Andrea Martin and good friend Ryan Belleville among several other very talented comedians. If you happen to be reading this in time, discounted tickets are on sale before December 9. And then the unreasonably-priced tickets are on sale after that. So if you’re interested in ending the year on a high laughing note in a magnificent venue for a reasonable price, get your tickets now!

OK, good talk everybody. And in case I don’t see you before Christmas…don’t forget to pick up some reasonably-priced presents for your loved ones. Or write them a poem, with an IOU for better presents at a later time.

I got to see lots of good friends, some long lost family, meet some new fans and most of all experience what makes Canada great and share it with my new British comedian friends. Of all the many shows and tours I have done this has to be the best due to the great organization and hard work of the crew with us and the enthusiasm of comedy fans in great settings.

The JFL tour is the one chance for comedians in Canada to travel as one group for an extended period of time and really get to know each other. It is similar to the comedy road trips I went on when I first started, where I would get into a car with two guys I had never met, drive across the country and see how my funny little thoughts worked in places I had never been. But this time, the venues are better, the hotels are better and frankly I am much better as a comic.

This is not to put down that early roadwork as a comic. Everyone worth watching has gone through it and it is the dictionary definition of “paying your dues”. Hell, I know I will still do club shows down the road because, as I saw Louis C.K. say at Just For Laughs in Montreal this summer “never forget where you started” and also “comedy has saved me numerous times”…I know how Louis feels.

At its worst, being a stand-up comedian puts in rooms you would rather not be in, with people who don’t care that you are there. The money is worse than waitering and some of your “counterparts” are horrible human beings that you have to deal with. But at its best there is no better feeling than winning over a room full of strangers, making them laugh as one and forget about their problems for a while. All true comedy fans know the power of live stand-up. And all true comedians know there is no more addictive feeling than getting that big laugh and seeing the thanks on peoples’ faces.

With that in mind, the Just For Laughs tour is quite simply the best comedy tour I have ever been a part of. Instead of packed bar rooms it’s packed theatres. The people have all come ready to laugh (with the exception of one guy in Saskatoon. But he was just weird). And most importantly on this tour, all of the guys on the tour were not just funny comics but really good human beings.

So while I am satisfied with a good tour in the books and happy to be returning home to my lovely wife (I now know what it feels like to “go away to prison”. So Nance, do some stretching) I am also sad that the tour is over. Sad that I won’t be going through my daily rituals of going over notes backstage, slipping on my “comedy suit” or jaunty cap that made up my stage outfit most nights or hearing stage manager Zane Van Hoek with his “5 minute warning” knock on the door.

The feeling of taking the stage to a packed theatre audience is one that not many people and even not many comedians get to experience. Just For Laughs provided that experience and I will always be grateful.

So to all the comedy fans across Canada that came out to shows in the last month I say a very sincere thanks. And I urge you, wherever you are, to check out my new British friends: Matt Kirshen, Sean Meo, Hal Cruttenden, Stephen K. Amos and Terry Alderton, all of whom are now off on their own tours. And there is simply no finer comedy free-styler than my Irish friend Rob Broderick a.k.a. “Abandoman” who heads straight into a few busy music festivals in the U.K.

Matter of fact, I urge everyone to check out live stand-up comedy in their hometown no matter who is on. Not just because the comics will appreciate it but because you need the laughs that only true stand-up can truly bring in your lives.

As for me, I’m taking a little downtime in December though I do have a very special New Year’s Eve show I will announce here shortly. And inbetween live shows, for the love of God listen to The Debaters on CBC Radio and watch it on CBC TV Tuesday nights at 9:30. It’s a great format for comedy. And there’s nothing greater than great comedy.

Good talk and hope to see you all somewhere down the road.

As for the Saskatchewan shows, both took place in beautiful theatres and were well attended, but I have to say, the Regina crowd was just a little bit more into it. This is not a putdown to Saskatoon but rather a challenge for next time. Matter of fact it wasn’t even the whole crowd’s fault. There was ONE guy in the FRONT row that chose to look at his shoes the whole night. Every comic noticed it, every comic referenced it but to no avail. This man had come to a stand-up comedy show determined NOT to laugh. To me that’s like going to the doctor’s office for no medical reason. I mean what’s the point?

The interesting thing about a show like that is, as host, I get to see the immediate reaction of each comedian and everyone felt the same way: that was tough.

Still, the people we talked to in the receiving line afterwards were all very appreciative of the show and thanked us for coming. Some claimed to have “never laughed so hard”. Which made me wonder if perhaps they watched from the lobby so their laughter would not disturb the show.

Next night in Regina we were all wondering if the show would go the same way. But thankfully there was something magical in the air in Regina. Right from the get go, with Abandoman doing their thing to warm up the crowd, everyone was more into it than the night before. It certainly makes my job as host more enjoyable when the crowd shows up ready to laugh and each guy on the show went with the crowd’s energy to spice up their sets.

And when the show was over, we got an even more pleasant surprise afterwards at O’Hanlan’s pub as Brent Butt and some of the cast from Corner Gas, who were in town for a fundraiser, showed up unexpectedly and shot the shit with us. Brent is loved throughout Canada but nowhere more so than in Regina, since he’s a good Saskatchewan boy who really put his province on the entertainment map with his show. Basically, being in a pub with Brent Butt in Saskatchewan is like being in a Catholic Church and Jesus sits down beside you: people are incredulous at first and they have to say hi and thank you. Brent takes it all in stride and is very gracious with everyone. He is a solid human being. Also there were cast members Gabrielle Miller and Lorne Cardinal, both of whom I have met before, so we chatted and shared some laughs. This probably gave the appearance to onlookers that all Canadian entertainers know each other, which is not true, but hey it is a pretty small community so it’s nice to know that it’s full of nice people.

As for Calgary, well, it was a bit bittersweet for me.

On the sweet side, I got to see my great friends EJ and Vanessa who made the trip in from Canmore and we went for a nice feed of Alberta beef and then to their friend and renowned DJ Cari Chang’s club called “Habitat”. A couple of the lads from the tour came with me, namely Terry and Mat and a good time was had by all. To be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t normally go to a DJ club, though I love great music, I just don’t want to be “that 40 year old guy” hanging out with the young people. But this was a perfect chance to revisit my youth with some tasty moves which I now realize are not really very good. But I had fun and it was dark in there. Plus, Cari is such a gracious host I can’t imagine going anywhere else in the city. If you are in Calgary and you like really good club music you MUST go to Habitat. Enough said.

Last night was show night at the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts and I woke up slightly hungover but looking forward to it. I was also looking very forward to seeing my nephew and niece, Jack and Madeleine and my sister-in-law Chantal. We went for lunch, hung out in the hotel pool for a while and generally had some good quality time…and then the night took a turn. Unfortunately the lunch I had eaten disagreed with my system and about 2 hours before show time I developed all the symptoms of food poisoning. In fairness, it might have been a combination of a week’s worth of late nights catching up with me, so I don’t want to blame the restaurant we ate at. But whatever the case, it was all I could do to stand-up, let along deliver stand-up comedy last night.

The lads were all on the ready that I may cut my time on stage short and in fact might not be able to finish the show. But hey, the show must go on and so I delivered the best I could given the circumstances and lo and behold it all went off without a hitch. The only difference in the Calgary show is that we didn’t go out into the lobby afterwards for the meet and greet, but trust me Calgary friends, you would have been in danger being too close.

After the show, Cari, EJ and Vaness were ready to party, which wasn’t an option for me. But they were good enough to show the lads a good time, back at Habitat and by all accounts they had a great time.

So a huge thanks to DJ Cari Chang, EJ and Vanessa and the good people of Calgary for being such a fantastic crowd last night. Because I’m really not sure I could have put up with anything else.

Tonight, we’re at the Winspear Centre in Edmonton and I am feeling much better than last night but still far from 100%. I’ll let you all know how it goes.

Lastly, please keep the donations coming for my Movember campaign. The mustache is now best described as “80’s used car salesman”. I’m hoping for 90’s cop by the end of the tour.

Good talk everybody.

Friday night we played the historic, one-of-a-kind, first lady of Canadian entertainment, Massey Hall in downtown Toronto! Being backstage there for an entertainer is like being in your favorite sports team’s locker room. Except that it smells a lot better. The walls are covered with signed posters of the acts that have played the stage through the years, which is essentially anybody at the top of their game. Eddie Vedder, Neil Young, Chris Rock, Johnny Cash, if they’re among the best they’ve played Massey Hall.

I actually found out that many big name entertainers will only play Massey Hall when they come to Toronto, foregoing thousands of dollars in revenue from bigger venues for the atmosphere.

The place is haunted, but in a good way I think, with the ghosts of performers’ past and all of them push you to do the best show you can.

So it was that I took to the stage in the packed house, pumped to give the Toronto crowd a one-of-a-kind show and that was exactly what happened!

Full disclosure, I also wanted a top notch show because the night before at Hamilton Place I didn’t feel had gone particularly well. It was a nice big crowd and I met many appreciative people after the show that had really enjoyed it, but I just felt that I could have done better and there’s only one thing a comic can do after a set like that, and that’s come back stronger than ever the next night.

There is no better opportunity to do a great show than Massey Hall. Every seat in the house is a good one and with the house lights kept up a little bit, you can see everyone’s faces, which is how I like it. The challenge at some of these large theatres is that the house goes completely dark and we are delivering our show straight into a powerful spotlight. It’s sort of like doing a show with a train coming at you and then hearing voices laugh out of the darkness. It’s a little terrifying quite frankly. But not so Massey Hall. After my opening set was well received I turned the mic over to Matt Kirshen as I do each night and the ball just kept on rolling until, by night’s end, we had achieved an avalanche of appreciation which we couldn’t have appreciated more.

During the after show meet and greet in the downstairs lounge at Massey Hall (which again features signed photos of legendary entertainers) there was a long line of people waiting to talk to us, which I found a bit surprising in Toronto since it’s a city where often everyone has somewhere else to be. But the warm friendly smiles from people, including cast members from fellow CBC show INSECURITY (thanks again for coming guys!) was the perfect cap to a perfect comedy night at the theatre.

After Massey I headed down the street with some family and friends that had come to the show to the Imperial Pub where a dead ringer for Larry David was working the bar and the next thing I knew I was ordering pizza that I didn’t need at 4am. So much for perfect end to an evening.

Last night, still basking in the afterglow of Massey Hall we played the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, a venue not quite as historic as Massey but very, very impressive and I was quite worried it would pale in comparison to what we had just done. But lo and behold the Capital region peeps where Ready to Laugh (notice the capitals) and came out in droves (selling out a 3,000 seat theatre isn’t a given these days, so it was very pleasantly surprising).

Right from the first note of Abandoman’s off-the-cuff hip hop to our last good night it was a high energy and uplifting show, with lots of in-the-moment moments which are what make live comedy impossible to replicate on video. With the setup of the hall and everyone enjoying themselves I actually had to slow down the pace of the show and allow for pauses and in the end Ottawa was the longest after-show meet and greet of the tour so far, a strong sign that it went well.

On the upside, Nancy’s Uncle, Aunt and her surrogate family the Princes were all in attendance at the Ottawa show, so I’m really glad I didn’t suck. On the downside, it was unfortunately the last show of the tour for Hal Cruttenden who is headed back to Merry Olde England today and will be replaced on the tour by another outstanding UK comic, Stephen K Amos. We’ll miss Hal and his Tony Blair like composure on tour but he’s an in demand man and is looking forward to getting back to his family and getting back on a new routine which doesn’t involve drinking a handful of beers each night.

Now, I am home in Toronto to tape 6 episodes of The Debaters tomorrow at the fabuous Glenn Gould studio and I will catch up with the lads on Tuesday for a big show in Winnipeg. It will be tough to keep up the amazing atmosphere of the last 2 shows but I have re-affirmed on this tour that everywhere in Canada people love to laugh and I love being able to help with that….oh and speaking of funny looking, please don’t forget to donate to my Movember campaign at mobro.co/patterballs or through the Just For Laughs website at hahaha.com. I will update another picture there tomorrow, when I’m hoping it is slightly more moustache like and less creepy. Good talk everybody.