This Week In Comedy: Nubian Disciples of Pryor, Six Pack, Kyle & Mark Do New Sketches And Just Kill It
With the weather getting warmer, Richmond Street gets a lot more interesting from Thursday to Sunday. But let's face it: you're 30, and, well, if the party isn't labelled, "For the mature clientele" it isn't for you anymore. Never fear! Everything from the (partial) cast of PicnicFace to the Nubian Disciples of Pryor are here to save the days. Follow me as I lead you away from the clubbing district to This Week In Comedy...
SUN MARCH 31 / NUBIAN DISCIPLES OF PRYOR / YUK YUK'S / 224 RICHMOND W / 9PM / $20
In the early 90's, BET's Comic View and Def Comedy Jam started featuring all-black comedians. In the same spirit, Kenny Robinson and Mark Breslin created the, "Nubian Disciples of Pryor" to feature the best that the great black north had to offer. The show is immensely popular, with the likes of Dave Chappelle, Will Smith, and even DMX dropping by when they're in town. In accordance with the HRDC, a non-black comedian is added to the mix every week.
MON APR 1 / SIX PACK / THE OFFICE PUB / 117 JOHN / 8PM / FREE
Let me tell you something: Chris and Brian know what they're doing, proving that you don't have to be part of the mainstream to profit from one's passion. This edition, DJ Demers, Mike Rita, Alex Pavone, Barry Taylor, and Christina Walkinshaw bring the noise. From the outside looking in, it's simple: put on free shows that win a following, and then invite that following to a show which has a cover charge. But ask the hundreds of people that have tried to run a room in Toronto, and they'll tell you the truth: it's freakin' hard. Good on them for having the brass to show the old-timers how it's done.
WED APR 3 / KYLE & MARK DO NEW SKETCHES AND JUST KILL IT / COMEDY BAR / 945 BLOOR W / 8PM / $5
When PicnicFace's slot on The Comedy Network was nixed, they held an online campaign (which sounds kind of lazy but isn't) to plead their case to the pantheon at Bell Media. Mark McKinney, Dave Foley, and some dude named Andy freakin' Samberg showed their support. Unfortunately, the smoke that wafted up from the altar of internet offerings didn't reach their way to Mt. Olympus. Luckily, two of the members, Kyle Dooley and Mark Little, are rising from the dead to put on a skid sketch comedy shows. Word to the wise: if you want to get a seat, come early.
THURS APR 4 / LAUGH SABBATH / COMEDY BAR / 945 BLOOR W / 930PM / $5
This week, the charming Tim Gilbert hosts another edition of Laugh Sabbath. I never know what to expect with Tim's jokes, and I love that. Sometimes when you've seen a comedian for a few times, you get a sense of where they are going to take things, i.e. dark comic going for the offensive, racial comic going for racial, etc. Not Tim. Like a box of white chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.
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.
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