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Trevor Noah: Back to Abnormal Tour, Vancouver

One night of drinking many many months ago, we made the unanimous decision to purchase tickets for Trevor Noah, South African comedian and the host of the Late Night Show (succeeding from Stephen Colbert). We both like comedy, have enjoyed his Netflix comedy specials, and have yet to attend a live comedy show at this scale. So today was the day we would get our tickets scanned.

We took a Lyft downtown early to be able to grab a bite before, avoid having to worry about parking, and drink as we wanted. It was nice to be able to see what a Downtown Vancouver Saturday night was like, post Covid restrictions. No limitation on the number of tables at a restaurant and the size of each table. Clubs at full capacity with lines down the block (after the show). And a crowd converging at Rogers Arena for Trevor Noah in his Back to Abnormal Tour.

This would be the first non-hockey show/performance that the arena was hosting since the pandemic started. And an added feather in our cap, to be able one day recall this historic occasion from the front line.

The line to have our vaccine passports checked went by quick, and the queue to have your tickets scanned and your person through the metal detector even quicker. We would grab a couple of drinks before finding our seat. Given the type of entertainment, highballs felt like the appropriate drink.

Truth be told, we had purchase our tickets not really knowing where we would be seating. So it was exciting to discover we were seated on the floor, at the the end of the second row with a clear view of the stage.

Although being right in front of one of the large screens flanking the stage, your eyes couldn’t help but gravitate towards the brightly lit screen. It also gave your different angles of the performers that our far right seats could not provide.

Sadly, as great as our vantage point was, we decided for the next show, we would not pay more to be on the floor. We did not enjoy sitting on hard and narrowly packed fold out chairs. Seats with no cushioning, no leg room, and no cup holders. And from where we seated, there was need to angle ourselves, overlapping with the person on your right. Watching the entire show in discomfort, squishing yourself in and down as much as possible.

As for the actual show, it opened with two other comedians: one who spoke to being in relationships versus not, the other growing up poor. Being able to relate to both, this was a funny warm up that had me clapping in agreement and laughing out loud with my head fallen back.

I was hoping for an intermission here, a pause to be able to grab more drinks and use the washroom before our headliner. But one flowed into the other, and I was eventually forced to scurry all the way up the stairs to empty my bladder full of drink, mid Trevor Noah’s performance.

Trevor Noah completed an one hour set. He covered the actions and reactions during the start of the pandemic and how we were coming out of it now. He touched on mask wearing and etiquette; over wishing and having our wishes to work less, stay at home, and spend more time with our loved ones come true but back fire; and how we all unanimously simply agreed we were over it. He also went into dog versus cats, his favourite horror movies, and ended the set with a hilarious true story that involved Indian cuisine and his best Punjabi accent in Scotland, with an Indian server dawning a Scottish accent. Given the crowd gathered together and the landscape of Vancouver this one hit home and was the high note to end the night on.

A great performance that I was happy to be a part of, but one I wish could be elongated with breaks between comedians and the ability to order more drink and food at your seats, like you would be able to at comedy clubs.

And as soon as it started, it was over. As the crowd lined up and spilled out into the night, we decided to walk and enjoy the night life a little more. A move to avoid congested streets and the need to fight for a cab or navigate a Lyft driver to a pick up point. We would stroll a few blocks, making Irish Heather Shebeen our destination.

Having been before, I wanted to show my guest their Whiskey Flight options. How they are listed like airline flights, with four 2oz samples of whiskey organized by country in either economy or first class. Economy flights prices varied from $30-$40 and first class topped the list at $100-$260.

We would share each and wrap up quick, not liking the awkward table we were seated at. A small two person round that was just outside a private cubicle, over looking the cleaning supply nook and kitchen, both brightly lit. I forgot what space saving tables like this felt like, having to distance and space ourselves out between one another in.

From here we wanted to look for late night eats, but after being ignored at a La Boqueria by their bar and serving staff; we decided to cut our losses, calling a Lyft home and Ubering some sushi and sashimi to meet us there.

We had the salmon sashimi, negitoro (tuna belly)  roll, soft shell crab roll, and Philadelphia roll with cream cheese. At our intoxicated state, this was the rice and carbs our bodies needed, and a great way to close out our night.

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