Just For Laughs Peaks With Show Celebrating Improv 60th Anniversary

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In recent years, Just for Laughs has added more pop up shows and tonight I scored an invite to the Improv 60th anniversary show. I consider myself lucky to have spent back to back nights at Club Soda. During the festival, Club Soda is transformed into a comedy temple with audiences who come to truly celebrate very talented, skilled comedians comedians.

I grabbed a seat in the second row. This festival I’ve wound up very close almost every show, and I’m very grateful for this. I won’t start to get all “burning man” about potential reasons why…. snap out of it you’re at JFL.

Mark Normand hosted the evening, and it was surreal to see him in person; he exists so often as a stand up clip on my phone. To see every pause and nuance, and the absolute charisma and precision he has as a comic, is a thrill.

Donell Rawlings took the stage to thunderous applause fresh off a multi week run of The nasty show. It didn’t effect his energy in the slightest. He bounded on to the stage and took the place down with hilarious bits on pop culture. A breakdown of WAP, getting his dick sucked by guilty white women, and his reasoning of why rock is the angriest music, had the place howling with laughter. Things were starting to get insane at Club soda.

Neal Brennan is one of my favourite comics working today. He moves in eras a reflection of society an actual living comedic genius. Building off of Rawlings energy it was the showy Neal of more the 3 mics era more than his current deeply introspective blocks style. His performance auslated between highly political and super classical good joke structure. His material on love and dating struck a chord and the audiences laughed while simultaneously you could feel thoughts of love that didn’t work out. Neal has never given his fans a reason to stop liking him he’s always gotten better and grown with us. My festival could have ended right there and I would have been happy.

Next up Leanne Morgan, who I sincerely hope gets a special soon. Lovely southern charming a very good vivid comic with a classy hilarious perspective on aging and society. She understands her comedy and commanded the stage with a performance and knowledge of her craft to rival any ballet dancer or prima donna.

Fortune Feimster did a drop in set and treated the audience to a new story about accidentally going on her Honeymoon in a place where it is illegal to be gay. It was as funny as it was panic inducing.

Filipe Esparza finished out the night I fucking get him now. What a chill amazing performer his work is so seamless you get lulled into anything he says. Then winded with hilarious punchlines. I don’t smoke weed anymore but Esparza reminded of when I did. Even in Montreal far from California he makes people feel seen. A great bit about protecting yourself from people who have a lot of bad things happen rather then help them struck a chord with the French Canadian sensibility.

A surprise appearance by Bert Kreischer was the perfect zany finale no jokes were told but shirts were removed and beers were pounded.

The Just for laughs Electricity was palpable and everyone poured out onto the street in awe of the amazing once in a lifetime show they had seen.

I was buzzing from laughing this much. Droves of semi familiar faces were headed towards the hotel. Knowing there was nothing that was going to top that, I headed towards the silence of my hotel. With 2 days of festivities ahead, as the tidal wave built I would not be drowning…. I would be laughing.

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Marty Younge

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