My partner and I are both fans of laughter and have spent hundreds attending local shows together. So tonight wanted to check off outdoor comedy festival from our list.
This is aptly name the Great Outdoor Comedy festival, a touring show that was held at Stanley Park for Vancouver. We went early enough to find parking at one of the lots surrounding the park space. However, the whole of it was sectioned off, so we found ourselves trekking around its perimeter, in order to gain access via the main entrance.
We decided to save our money and opt for general admission tickets. They were 50% cheaper than the VIP tickets, which only gave you an hour earlier entry, plus assigned seating. Instead, general admission tickets invited guests to either bring their own folding chair or blanket to sit on. You basically find a spot where ever available and mark your territory.
We brought a blanket for easy carrying, and were able to hang it over our shoulders as we took a trek through the park.
Once again, we were early enough to claim a pretty decent view. At the base of the hill, with an elevated slant that gave us a clear look at the stage, even when fully reclined. This, even despite the row of chairs that claimed their place in-front of us.
Given the onset of fall, we were smart enough to bundle up tight. Although as soon as the sun set, the night grew cold. I was thankful for my three layers on top, two at the bottom, with hood covering my head, and socked feet in comfy shoes. However, we were still cold, without gloves and a blanket to protect us from the wind chill.
And as a night grew on, the awkward, slanted seating did a number on our backs. We kept shifting, finding it hard to get comfortable on the hard ground. It flattened our bottoms, and we felt like we were constantly sliding. So the take away for next year would be to bring folding chairs and a blanket.
I was impressed by how speedy the lines were with enough drink and food vendors to see shorter wait times. There were also plenty of food options across multiple trucks, split into two different areas.
There were three popcorn options, mini donuts; and plenty of fast food the likes of burgers, pizzas, and hot dogs. For something more rich guests were able to look to grilled cheese, dressed up mac & cheese, Filipino fusion street snacks, and even bannock.
Similarly, there were plenty of porto potties on either ends of the park, also with little to no waits. I just wish there were kept cleaner throughout the night.
Anticipating the cold, my partner decided that we would load up on food and drink. We found our seats and laid our picnic blanket out to claim it. We would then gather up our snacks and come back to enjoy it all, still relatively warm.
We bee-lined it to the bar to double fist two cans of Ole’s canned tequila Palomas. One to enjoy as we waited in line for food, the other to sip on as we watched the three hour performance.
For food we both got a Mr. Tube steak, all beef hotdog dressed our way. Mine soaking wet with excess ketchup, mustard, relish, and horseradish. The hot dog was as expected, a smaller wiener in a big bun given its flavour from my salty and sour condiment mix.
We also got a bacon grilled cheese sandwich from Mom’s Foodtruck to share.
It came with a side of chips and a quarter of a pickle spear. We had to go back and ask for more of the former after seeing how little kettle cooked, salt and vinegar chips there were at the bottom of the cardboard tray. The chips were a little greasy, but they added a nice break in between bites of rich gooey sandwich. Loaded with plenty of cheese that pulled as you bit down. And the bits of bacon offered nice chewy pops of salt.
My partner also suggested that we grab a bag of popcorn, opting for salty and sweet, as something to easily pick at and pop into mouths. His belief was that we should continue to eat and nibble in order to stay warm. He was right, it worked. That and me leaning onto him for body warmth.
The show started later than the advertised 6:30pm, more like 7:15pm , for those waiting patiently. As an introduction we saw a situational comic dressed as a park ranger carrying the festival’s raccoon mascot as a puppet on his hand. He would engage the audience and make jokes at their expense. Not everything landed, but it did keep us entertained enough. Especially with those he picked on that had witty comebacks.
Thankfully, his sketches were short lived, punctuating the warm-up of the show. He sandwiched the live Festival Musician, Paul Filek, putting his Indie take on classic and modern music.
The evening’s host was Lark. Sadly I found her high pitched voice very shrill through the audio equipment. It actually hurt my ears and I was not able to focus on her single forever cat lady jokes. There was also an echo from the stereos that sound like a 0.5 second repeat and delay. This did take away from the entirety of the night
The actual comedy set featured 5 comedians co-head lining. Fahim Anwar, Dan Soder, Mark Normand, Andrew Santino and Ralph Barbosa; in that order. Each man speaking to his dating history and paying respect to gay men and their overall prowess.
It was an energetic start with Fahim’s impersonations. Dan played off his voice and awkward timing, coupled with much witty word play. And both Mark and Andrew were relatable, speaking to relationship and everyday observations.
Having been to a Ralph Barbosa comedy show previously, we actually got these tickets to watch him perform tonight. However as the final act, he didn’t quite take it home. His energy was off, he was not as fluid or as smooth with his deliveries. This lost the crowd at punctuation points. It felt like he knew it himself and called his set short, having the least amount of stage time compared to the others. This was disappointing, but maybe the pressure got to him and the drinks did not help.
Either way we were eager to get home and be warm in bed, so did not fuss.
Overall, a nice experience, but I think I prefer a stadium show, even without its downtown Vancouver city, skyline view.
