Kill Tony – A Review
Yesterday I had the privilege to attend Calgary’s premier Kill Tony episode. For those unaware of the podcast, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe and his cohost Brian Redban host an open mic night in which any brave audience member can go up and perform a one-minute comedy set. Once their set has finished, Tony and Brian give the audience their thoughts on the performance, along with an often harsh but hilarious roast. Joining Tony and Brian is their two-person band who dress up as new characters each show, for instance they dressed up as Prince Harry and Meghan Markel in this episode. Kill Tony has always been one of my favorite podcasts to listen to, so when I heard they were coming to town I jumped on the opportunity and bought tickets right away. It was hosted at the Laugh Shop, a relatively small venue found inside the Blackfoot Hotel here in Calgary. For the most part I have no complaints about the stage or seating arrangements, however the speakers could definitely have benefited from an upgrade. There were points during the show in which the speakers provided a distorted sound or didn’t work at all. Sometimes it felt as if a bomb went off when the sound effects played. On the other hand, the food and drink offered at the venue smelled great and was reasonably priced. I would highly recommend coming with an empty stomach as the nachos they served were great! The show itself was fantastic, the second it started we were totally engrossed. Tony’s show is usually hosted at The Comedy Store in Beverly Hills, California but often travels to find new aspiring comedians. At no point during the show did I feel as if I was missing out by watching the show in Calgary instead of LA. The show definitely adapts well to the road. For some of the participants it was their first time ever trying stand up comedy and for others this was just another Thursday night. Like any good stand up night, there were winners and losers, some people bombed and some people did fantastic. Some of the participants were so good in fact that Tony went on stage and invited them to open up for his three stand up shows this weekend. For those who get easily offended THIS IS NOT THE SHOW FOR YOU. The comedians can do their set about anything, and I mean absolutely anything. Topics ranged from divorce and sex to darker stuff like racism and drugs. For many of the participants, comedy seemed like a way to cope with issues they face in their everyday life. Tony is great at identifying the participants weak points, allowing him to delve deep into their lives. Overall, I really enjoyed my time at the Laugh Shop and I would highly recommend the show to anyone who are fans of stand up comedy. I hope they come back to Calgary very soon and that they make Calgary a regular destination for their podcast.
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