Home in Halifax!

I arrived in Halifax on Saturday the 17th. It is the first time I have been home in almost a year. The longer I'm away, the more I appreciate this place. The people are warmer, the air is cleaner and the comedy audiences are honest and appreciative. They won't laugh if it isn't funny, but they respect the effort and listen.

I did a showcase for the Halifax Comedy Fest on Sunday at Ginger's on Barrington street. Paul Ash has been running a room there for about 2 years and he has taken it from nothing, to hosting a showcase for a major festival in just 2 years. I do mean nothing. Halifax didn't have a local stand up scene for several years until he opened this room. That means he didn't even have a local group of comics to draw from. Anybody in Halifax serious about stand up moved to Montreal or Toronto.
It is still the only open mic in the city. (Pro-Am)

I know first hand how difficult it is to start a room in this city. Paul has done a wonderful job, because like so few in this business he really cares. He has a website dedicated to the open mic,(Pro-Am) which not only advertises upcoming shows but it has a bulliten board that is used as a communication hub for those who perform on the show including weekly reviews. They give each other encouragement, suggestions, and when needed a kick in the ass. They get together to write before shows. Paul had no less than 3 different flyers advertising the weeks shows and performers as well as an expensive ad taken out in the local arts paper. Even his cellphone answering machine advertises the upcoming shows. He runs this open mic(Pro-Am) better than most professional clubs.

The open mic is normally held on Sunday night and in this town, everything is closed except bars, pharmacies and corner stores. That means no walk in traffic and public transportation is greatly reduced.

Paul is another guy that I will put alongside Bill Davern and Shannon Bell for running a room that fosters young talent so well.

Halifax will develop the next new crop of talent in this country, not because the comics are any more talented, but because with only one room running in the city these guys are hungry. If they weren't they couldn't get on the show. Under Paul's guidance, this is a place where young comics will get a great start. I liken it to a Midget Hockey team being coached by Don Cherry or Scotty Bowman. Guidance like this will give you a leg up.

If you are a pro or an amateur visiting the Halifax area, make sure you drop by the room. You can find more information at the ComedyDawgs Website. www.comedydawgs.com
Here is Peter,Paul and in place of Mary, me in Halifax.
Another pic of the night with Paul EdwardsRhys, Paul Ash, Me, Nathan MacIntosh, Peter White and Bryant Thomson.