JFL NorthWest, Vancouver’s comedy festival profiles – Barry Crimmins

Barry Crimmins.

If any of the comedians coming to this year’s JFL NorthWest are in a position to talk about the current political situation in the U.S., it’s Barry Crimmins.

An activist as well as a stand-up comic, the Boston-raised Crimmins is known for his acerbic and trenchant take on politics. An acknowledged influence on comedians Marc Maron and Patton Oswalt, he’s been honing on the stand-up circuit since the 1970s.

In the 1990s, he led a crusade against child porn on the internet. More recently, his old friend from the Boston comedy circuit Bobcat Goldthwait directed a documentary about Crimmins called Call Me Lucky (2015). In it, Crimmins talks about his own history of sexual abuse, and of being raped at the age of four.

We talked to Crimmins, who plays the Biltmore Cabaret as part of JFL Northwest Feb. 23, about the current political situation, why Vancouver is his kind of town, and touring with musician Warren Zevon. Continue reading:
JFL NorthWest, Vancouver’s comedy festival profiles – Barry Crimmins

JFL NorthWest, Vancouver’s Comedy Festival profiles – Aparna Nancherla

Aparna Nancherla comes to JFL Northwest for a show at the Biltmore Cabaret Feb. 25.

Aparna Nancherla has written for and appeared on numerous comedy TV shows, including Late Night with Seth Meyers and appeared on Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central) and on the upcoming season of Love (Netflix). In her adopted hometown of New York, the former Washington, DC resident hosts a long-running, popular live underground weekly comedy show, Whiplash. Besides stand-up, she is an experienced improviser. She comes to JFL NorthWest for a show at the Biltmore Cabaret, Feb. 25.

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JFL NorthWest, Vancouver’s Comedy Festival profiles – Aparna Nancherla

Hot tub anniversary machine – Vancouver’s monthly live talent show celebrates 9 years of hilarity

For nine years, Talent Time has been giving a home to stray talent. In the fine old tradition of vaudeville and the Carol Burnett Show, the monthly live variety show has hosted comedians, singers, clowns, jugglers – you name it.

For its upcoming ninth-year celebration, Thursday Feb. 2, Talent Time is doing something it hasn’t done before – bringing a hot tub onto its stage.

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Hot tub anniversary machine – Vancouver’s monthly live talent show celebrates 9 years of hilarity

JFL NorthWest comedy profiles – Colin Quinn

A dependable TV presence since his days anchoring Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live, Colin Quinn is an acerbic Irish-American comedian who can currently be seen on the HBO hit Girls as well as in two specials on Netflix, Unconstitutional and the Jerry Seinfeld-directed Colin Quinn: The New York Story. Recently, he played Amy Schumer’s character’s father in the movie Trainwreck.

Quinn is bringing his latest show, now titled (see below) Wrong Side of History, to the Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway) Feb. 23 and 24 as part of the JFL NorthWest comedy fest. We talked to Quinn about his new show, his web series Cop Show, and working with Girls’ Lena Duham.

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JFL NorthWest comedy profiles – Colin Quinn

JFL NorthWest comedy profiles – Nate Bargatze

Marc Maron has called Nate Bargatze a “comic who should be big” and Jim Gaffigan called him “one of the top up and coming comics.” The Tennessee born-and-raised comedian, known for his deadpan demeanour, has appeared multiple times on Conan and was one of the first comedians to perform on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. Bargatze has also performed at festivals such as Bonnaroo, SXSW, and Moontower; appeared on three episodes of Maron’s celebrated WTF podcast; and performed for the troops in Iraq and Kuwait over five times.

Bargatze has also released an album, Yelled At By A Clown, and a comedy special, Full Time Magic. Bargatze is in Vancouver with the JFL NorthWest comedy festival Feb. 18, when he’ll perform at the Biltmore Cabaret (2755  Prince Edward St.).

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JFL NorthWest comedy profiles – Nate Bargatze

JFL NorthWest comedy profiles – Chris D’Elia

Television viewers will recognize Chris D’Elia from the NBC comedy series, Undateable, as well as starring opposite Whitney Cummings on NBC’sWhitney. Stand-up comedy fans will know him from his myriad club, theatre, and late-night talk show appearances.

His most recent standup special, Incorrigible, hit on Netflix in 2015, and followed-up his first one-hour Comedy Central special, White Male Black Comic. His numerous other TV credits include Comedy Central’s 2015 roast of Justin Bieber, Comedy Central’s Workaholics, and Comedy Central Presents, as well as TBS’s Glory Daze and Showtime’s Live Nude Comedy.

We talked to the Los Angeles-based comic about his upcoming appearance at the JFL NorthWest comedy festival, where he’ll perform two shows Feb 24 at the Vogue Theatre (918 Granville St.).

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JFL NorthWest comedy profiles – Chris D’Elia

JFL NorthWest comedy profiles – Jon Dore

Jon Dore plays the Comedy Mix as part of JFL Northwest.

Jon Dore is one of Canada’s most successful comedy exports. The Ottawa-born, L.A.-based comic is a regular on the late-night talk show circuit and the host of Funny As Hell on the Movie Network. Other credits include The Jon Dore Television Show (The Comedy Network,  2007-2009),the ABC-TV series How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life), and appearances on Live At Gotham, How I Met Your Mother and Inside Amy Schumer. Feature film credits include the indie drama Gus, and the comedy film Stag.

Dore, whose unique bait-and-switch comedic style has made him a favourite on the comedy club and festival circuit in Canada and the U.S., appears at the Comedy Mix Feb. 24 & 25 as part of the JFL NorthWest comedy festival. We talked to the comedian about funny cities, Google searches and his favourite band.

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JFL NorthWest comedy profiles – Jon Dore