This week, Toronto's comedians set out to prove that you don't need to be part of the mainstream to get noticed. Follow me as I walk you through the road less travelled in This Week In Comedy.

MON MAR 25 / ALTdot COMEDY LOUNGE / RIVOLI / 332 QUEEN W / 9PM / $5

ALTdot once again brings the ruckus to the ladies (and gents) by featuring numerous acts that would normally headline if they were playing at the big two (Yuk's/Absolute). What's great about the lineup is its diversity, featuring everything from engrossing storytellers like K. Trev Wilson to the utterly unpredictable like Winston Spear and Terry Clement. This means that the show will be consistently interesting, which is no small feat. All hail the pantheon at Diamondfield Entertainment!

WED MAR 27 - SAT MAR 30 / PAT THORNTON / YUK YUK'S / 224 RICHMOND W / 8PM / $11.50-20

It's refreshing when a comedian gets to the point where he's so comfortable on stage you can't tell whether he's improvising or delivering material — Pat Thornton's reached that height. But what'd you expect from a guy who has his own 24-hour stand-up comedy special to raise funds to fight AIDS in Africa every year? That takes both balls and serious improv chops. The best thing about Pat is that although you might've seen him before, you never know what you're going to get. Based on my observations, that's one of the ways you build a following.

FRI MAR 29 / COMEDY @ CAM'S / CAM'S PLACE / 2655 YONGE / 9PM / FREE

Damn, son! Gilson Lubin (Def Comedy Jam, MTV), Fraser Young (Yuk's), Monty Scott (should be famous), Hunter Collins (MuchMusic, numerous viral videos)...that's just half the lineup. Usually, ALTdot wins the title of best roster, but Matt Holmes (host/producer) has somehow managed to wrestle the belt away this week. It's just another example of homegrown talent doing their own thing, on their own terms. Pay special attention to Holmes. I've heard he can, and I quote, "host the shit out of a show."

SAT MAR 30 / SUPERSTARS OF COMEDY / COMEDY BAR / 945 BLOOR W / 10PM & MIDNIGHT / $10

In Toronto, we're seeing more and more comedians freeing themselves from the mainstream and taking their destinies into their own hands. Case in point, Pat MacDonald's Superstars of Comedy. Through consistent hard work and promotion, he's built his own following of fans by delivering the goods time and time again. IMO, ten bucks to see the likes of Alex Pavone, Ben Miner, and Monty Scott is charity.

About the Author: This is Michael Jagdeo, and I refuse to write about myself in the third-person. My blog, Diary of a Stand-up Comedian, walks you through the up's and down's (they're mostly down's, really) in my quest to become a killer comic in Toronto.