Just thinking about the Olio festival gets me all nostalgic. I remember way back when they held their first festival in town, many, many years ago. I think you needed to be a member of a long defunct newsgroup to get the invite. Or maybe you had to mail away 75¢ to a post office box in order to get a photocopy of the program mailed to you. Actually, I'm kidding; the Olio festival has brilliantly combined music, comedy, art, and style since 2009. This year's program looks absolutely smashing, and I'd like to highlight some of the comedy on the bill.
CBC Radio's This is That live on stage at the Rio Theatre in Vancouver
Yesterday evening I made sure I was in the front row at the Rio Theatre, where Graham Clark warmed up the crowd with a stand-out standup set. The main feature of the evening was the live version of the CBC radio program This is That. Add spiffy graphics, hosts Pat Kelly and Peter Oldring in person, and all their guests—ehr—voices, and you have a whole new layer of hilarity to appreciate. If you ever get a chance to see This is That live, you must go!
The comedy did not end after This is That wrapped, and the Rio Theatre played a late night 10:30pm screening of the documentary Alone Up There, exploring the contemporary culture of stand-up. If you unfortunately had to start work early this morning and declined to stay for the screening, you are in luck! TheStandupComedians.com has just released a digital download of the film which you can enjoy DRM free in the comfort of your own home! The film is just $7 here.
Tonight is the much anticipated Stop Podcasting Yourself live taping that Bob has already highlighted here at VIAwesome. Dave and Graham are two of my favourite podcasters/performers in town, and you'll also have a chance to see not one not two, but THREE special guests, all of whom are local treasures! Comedian Alicia Tobin, Kevin Lee of the Sunday Service, and Dan Mangan! If you are not already in line at the Electric Owl, get there now! The show is going to start around 7:30pm! Actually, it's probably best to arrive at 7pm or sooner.
Over at the Biltmore Cabaret tonight, it's the International Sketch Showcase, featuring The Sunday Service, Charles, Pump Trolley, and Peter ‘n’ Chris all starting at 7:30pm. Then Saturday evening, for those looking for even more comedy content, it's a special edition of Raincity Chronicles at the China Cloud, and a stand-up set at the Biltmore Cabaret. Sunday evening, the Sunday Service appropriately wraps up the festival at the Kozmik Zoo. There's so much more to this festival; be sure to visit their website, grab a program, or try their free iPhone iPad app! See you at Olio!
