CANMORE – You think this is funny? Well, only if you’re talking about Friday Night Comedy in Canmore and nothing else.
Comic Scott Dumas recalls the hits and misses of getting his comedy night baby off the ground on the eve of its 75th show this Friday night (March 15) at artsPlace. Doors open at 7 p.m. as comedian Nigel Lawrence headlines the milestone show.
From humble beginnings to becoming a go-to event at artsPlace, Friday Night Comedy survived a shaky first year, lockdowns, a pandemic, and turbulent creative control in its eight years. The monthly event has been a stage for inexperienced comedians looking for a few minutes to comics with TV shows and everything in between.
And then there were the bombs … well, only a few bombs.
One time stands out to Dumas when Calgary comedian Sam Walker brought his particularly off-beat “vulgar and sexual” routine to the mountain town.
A bomb is when the crowd turns on a comic in one form or another, such as with dead silence and icy stares or being verbally, or sometimes, physically combative.
“He’s a very nice man and I love the guy, he’s really talented, but he bombed hard at artsPlace because he’s out there, man,” Dumas said with a laugh. “When comedians come to artsPlace and are like, ‘So is there any language and content I shouldn’t say’ and I go ‘they don’t like Sam Walker.’”
One thing that hasn’t been a bomb, though, is the comedy night itself.
“My brain kind of explodes when I think about that; 75 [shows], it’s crazy,” said Jeremy Elbourne, executive director at artsPlace.
The live comedy night began in January 2016, a few months after artsPlace opened. Dumas, new to town, wandered into the building and inquired about putting on shows. Elbourne said artsPlace was looking for programming, but also, he loved the idea – especially with a professional standing right in front of him. Since then, artsPlace and its theatre has been in the funny business on a monthly basis and a destination for comics to test their trade.
“Most of what we do here is based on what this community wants,” said Elbourne. “The shows are really good and the quality is high and Scott has a really extensive network, which is fantastic, and now we have a reputation of being a really great room.”
Dumas is the jack-of-all-trades when it comes to Friday Night Comedy – he’s the booker, host, comedian, marketing, and even handing out flyers on the sidewalk with the question “Wanna watch a comedy show tonight?”
It's sort of a funny thing: Dumas does everything except headline.
However, the comic would be dismayed if he didn’t mention Raffi Tchalikian – the man behind the sound, lights, introductions and intro music. The comic spoke of the importance of having his right hand man on the job.
“If I’m David Letterman, he’s that other guy, Paul, he's my Paul,” said Dumas.
The comedy show has had a few name changes over the years, but Dumas is sticking with Friday Night Comedy, and he’s also sticking with the count on shows, similar to how the UFC adds numbers to its events.
“Jeremy doesn’t like it, but I keep doing it,” said Dumas with a laugh.
In its first year, it was a bit up and down with crowd numbers and Dumas didn’t know if it would last. However, he never gave up on his baby.
“I really thought I had a vision that this could work and it has come to fruition,” said Dumas. “I still worry about it because I want it to be full every month and when it’s full, I say ‘Oh, why was I worried?’”
When the COVID-19 pandemic happened, it was a “kick in the dick.”
For many performers, March 2020 was the start of a black hole in their careers. Dumas was no different.
In Canmore, artsPlace still gave opportunities for performances to do virtual shows.
“Artsplace was committed to doing the shows under the parameters,” said Dumas. “So we just kept plugging through, kept having ideas, trying to stay online. I guess that’s what you gotta do now, is stay online. I was doing some videos on artsPlace, just trying to be relevant and trying to stay positive about future shows.”
It was around this time as well that Dumas regained creative control of Friday Night Comedy from an agency he was working under. He had relinquished control for about a year-and-a-half until he realized Friday Night Comedy was far from reaching its full potential. Even if it meant burning some bridges.
“To make a long story short, that agency does not book me anymore because I won’t give them control of artsPlace. So that's how important it is to me.
“Things are getting back to normal and I’m pretty proud and happy with it.”
Dumas doesn’t think he'll ever leave the artsPlace and appreciates the growing popularity inside 124-seat theatre.
“Seventy-five shows is awesome. I’m really proud of it,” said Dumas. “I’m just really happy that I’m able to supply really quality acts.”
The show isn’t leaving artsPlace, but under Cackling Crow Comedy, Dumas showcases numerous comedy shows around the Bow Valley.
