Before journalism, before becoming a dad — this humour columnist was already making people laugh
Chris Hunt performs at Ottawa Yuk Yuks in 2008. Photo Credit Angela Jacques
Stand-up comedy is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks about diversions in Ottawa.
That’s a shame, because the capital is a quiet mecca for comedy.
Many local bars and restaurants offer weekend shows and Ottawa’s two prominent comedy clubs, Yuk Yuks and Absolute Comedy, consistently book top-tier talent.
The city itself attracts big names and I’ve been privileged to see Robin Williams, Jim Jefferies and Lewis Black live. They were all great, but nothing beats a local act at an actual comedy club.
My first experience attending live comedy wasn’t exactly what I expected. My sister and I went to an amateur night at Yuk Yuks almost two decades ago. I’d toyed with the idea of going onstage and one of the club’s rules stated that you had to see an amateur show before taking the plunge.
If you’ve never been, these shows are basically a mix of aspiring comics in the infancy of their careers and established pros trying out new material.
Most clubs take pains to highlight that many of the performers are raw, which is a thinly veiled disclaimer that some will likely suck.
There was rock music screaming from speakers, but nobody in the audience was talking to each other. I’ve since learned there will be crowds like this. Audiences can be like the weather, sometimes warm and calm, other times stormy or mellow.
This audience was quietly blah. I ordered appetizers and the waitress set them too close to the candle on our table, causing the napkins on the plate to ignite. There was literally an open flame in the middle of the room and the audience was so checked out nobody noticed.
I was hoping for some really terrible performances. The worse they were, the better I’d feel about eventually going onstage.
The entire line-up was stellar. The pros were hilarious and though the audience couldn’t manage more than a gentle chuckle, I walked out thoroughly impressed and more than a bit humbled. The material performed was strong — much stronger than what I’d written to that point — but my sister encouraged me to go on, and a few months later I did.
I nailed it. The crowd connected with my set and I timed it perfectly to remain within the requested limit, so imagine my surprise when my set was done and there was no blinking red light to usher me off the stage. The club left me on a couple of extra minutes.
I gladly tell people it was because I was just that funny.
I continued to perform until I became a dad, but I had to cancel a show on short notice due to an emergency with my son.
It was then I decided to give it up. I chose to be a full-time dad over being a comic. That said, my son never stops making me laugh, so I guess I came out ahead.
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