Vancouver, My Favorite City and a Place for Comedy, too

Hey, Tom here.  Crazy week.  First, my buddy Steve O. is NOT GAY! (anymore, anyway:)  Went to his wedding last Monday in sunny Atlanta.  He’s come a long way from the crack head that stumbled into my house 7 years ago.  Miraculous.

Just got back from The Global Comedy Fest in Vancouver.  You know how everyone says “I love….”?  Well, I do love Vancouver.  Been there a total of 3 years in the last 16 working but it’s been a couple and even Joel, my assistant who hates everything, liked it.  I did a “surprise” set Thurs at Yuk Yuk’s, which was as much fun as I’ve had since I started touring..which was amazing since I barely slept the night before.  (Note to anyone considering a tattoo: NEVER get a partners name tattooed on your body.  It hurts like hell to get them removed and if, hypothetically, you’re getting married in 75 days and you rush to Dr Tattoff, do NOT say “Turn the laser to 11.  Gotta get this stuff off my arm cause I’m getting married to a beautiful woman with another name…in Maui where people tend to take their shirts off, in 75 days.”  Because you could forget to ice it down, develop giant blood blisters, a 103 degree temp and writhe in pain the night before flying out of the country…too embarrassed to see a Doctor because they might say you can’t fly which would mess up the schedule at a super fun comedy festival…especially if you’re the host of “The Best Of” show on Friday night.  Hypothetically.

So, The Best of The Fest Show Friday Night included Tim Rykert, Ben McGinnis, Moshe Kasher, Garfunkel and Oates, Jon Dore, Natasha Leggero, Paul F. Tompkins and Tig Notaro and me, and everyone killed except for me, who, doing my job, set the comedy bar very low between these fine acts.  That’s was the best part of the weekend.  Seeing all the young comic’s I’d never seen and watching the new material of the one’s I had.

I actually went out late Friday night after the comedy shows.  Got back to the Hotel at 3AM.  People like to party in Vancouver and when the bars close they like to stand in the street and yell at each other and party so I kept my head down and plowed through them.  The fact that I had a giant map in my hand was hint enough that I might be a tourist.  Also, as I walked by each bunch I’d hear “that dude looked like fucking Tom Arnold…only sweatier.”  It was fun and I resisted the allure of an all night McDonalds, which was really hard because I’d worked up quite a sweat.

Back to the comedy.  So many funny acts.  Garfunkle and Oates, this hot chick duo that I’m buds with from my Laugh Factory Shows.  They killed Friday night, as did my new favorite comic, Ryan Scovel.  He’s worked with me a bunch of times – blonde dude, kinda Owen Wilson-ish, and he does this hilarious southern character, a kids baseball coach, he’s Pro-Abortion, at least for a great joke, but who wouldn’t be, right?  Also, Andy Kindler is genuine the new Robin Williams of nice, funny guys.  His wife travels with him, too and they really love each other and, much like Robin, Andy’s wife gives him the “wrap it up” look that the best wives do.  On Friday, I did a fun fake talk show with Andy.  Paul F. Tompkins and Todd Barry were they other guests.  Josh Fadem played the sidekick and Andy Jr. in training.  Very funny.

I told Joel I thought Todd probably hated me because he is so intelligent but I never hold that against anyone, especially if they don’t know me too well.  Like Greg Fitzsimmons told me he hated me until he realized “you aren’t doing an act – that’s actually who you are.”  I took that as a huge compliment.  I didn’t even try to figure out what it meant, I was just happy to be liked and Todd’s so funny, I would expect him to not like me.

Natasha Leggero was awesomely hilarious and sweet as were the other guys and Tig Notaro and I became like friends, I think.  I did for sure.  We talked after the show.  I might’ve walked out on stage BEFORE her set was over, I couldn’t hear very well and I thought she said she needed me….she didn’t…but she was very funny about it.  It might’ve been part of her act and the 1000 kind patrons at “The Theatre” seemed concerned-confused-amused…so we were either improvising or I was being totally inappropriate and unprofessional, either way, she made it funny.  We both love Cheryl Hines and she was the glue that brought Tig and I together, that and her genuine concern for my mental health, which was refreshing.

Usually, the press I do to promote shows and clubs can be brutal and is what I say I get paid for,while the comedy is free.  This time, the local TV and Radio Shows I did in Vancouver were actually a lot of fun.  I got to be a real DJ and spin real vinyl albums from my youth on Classic Rock 101 and the Urban Rush TV show with the big (as in tall, sturdy) woman and the tiny (as in gay or just really good looking) man was awesome.  I wrestled the tiny man.  He was a good sport because he didn’t know we were going to wrestle until I jumped on him.  I really wanted to wrestle the larger lady but again, wanted to rep the festival in a professional way.  Thank you everyone!