Back in high school, most of us fit into some sort of clique. Maybe you were known as the nerd, the jock, the preppy kid, or the punk rocker. Or perhaps you were known as the class clown, the kid who made everyone laugh and also made the teachers say, “Quit fooling around!”
Have you always found it easy to make people laugh? If so, have you continued it into adulthood? Twenty years ago, only two places in Winnipeg offered comedy as an outlet: The Comedy Oasis and Rumors Comedy Club, which is still going strong today. Now, however, you can attend an open mic stand-up comedy night almost every day of the week.
On the first Tuesday of every month, Jekyll and Hyde’s Freehouse, at the corner of Stradbrook and Osborne, hosts a Women’s Open Mic Night. On Thursdays at The Standard Tavern, you can register for your moment on stage at 8:00 p.m., and then the howl is on from 8:30–10:00 p.m. The same idea applies at The Cavern on Sherbrook on Sunday nights.
Don’t know if you have what it takes? That’s the whole point of an open mic night—to have fun and see if you can make strangers laugh.
Big Daddy Tazz, one of Winnipeg’s best-known professional comedians, has been doing stand-up for 25 years. “Having open mic nights makes it easier to get much revered stage time,” he says. “It gives everyone, not only amateurs, but the middle acts and well established headliners a place to go and try out new material and play… because it is all about the fun!”
Since childhood, Tazz knew he wanted to be a comedian. But making that dream a reality was difficult, until one fateful night.
“I was a bouncer at a pub in Calgary that had a comedy night,” Tazz says. “The opening act didn’t show up, so they put me on stage, and the laughter from the audience grabbed me hard. I’ve never looked back.”
Personally, I can get sucked into my daily schedule and to-do list, so I forget to laugh and have fun sometimes. Then, when I watch a comedian, either on TV or live, and laugh hard, I remember how important it is to not take life so seriously.
If you’ve always wondered if you could succeed on stage, take some time to prepare a routine. It doesn’t have to be long, since many open mic spots are only five to ten minutes. Then pick a night and put your name in the hat.
Big Daddy Tazz encourages people to give stand-up a try. “Do it! Afraid is good. Fright creates the same endorphins in your body that excitement does, so just change the word from afraid to excited. They say laughter is the best medicine, that laughing feels good. You cannot imagine how incredible it feels to be the one creating that laughter, taking people away from what is weighing heavy on their shoulders for however long you’re on stage.”
