#61 - Battle to the Funny Bone 07/23/18

A couple months ago, I started hosting 'Battle to the Funny Bone'. It's a weekly joke battle show that goes down Mondays at The Comic Strip in West Edmonton Mall. 

Originally dreamt up by Alberta Comedy Wunderkid Drew Behm, the concept behind the show is simple. 8 comedians compete in a bracket style tournament. The audience comes up with topics for the comics to write jokes about, and then 2 comedians have a few minutes to write a brand new 3 minute or less set on whatever the topic is. They both tell their jokes, and then the audience chooses who moves on to the next round. Eventually, one comic is left standing. 

A couple weeks ago, Brad (left) and Ryan (middle) got the topic "fighting" for their battle. If this end result doesn't make you want to come to our show, what will??

My buddy Ryan Short took over hosting duties for Drew when he moved to Toronto, and then recently turned it over to me. Before I was hosting, I battled almost every single Monday when I was in town. It's a really fun show to participate in, both as a host and a battler. If it sounds hard, believe me, it is. Getting up in front of an audience with jokes you've worked on for weeks is hard enough. Taking jokes that you wrote 3 minutes ago up there is terrifying. But for my money, it's also the single best workout for a comedian in Edmonton. In one shot, you get a chance to exercise your writing muscles, your improv skills, and it forces you to think outside of the box. 

We get all kinds of topics, too. Everything from innocent stuff like aqua-sizing, and being able to turn invisible, to stuff like 9/11 and Schindler's List. I would bet over 1/3 of all the material I have now originated on this show. I never would have thought to write about old people on drugs if not for Battle to the Funny Bone. 

And the audience seems to really enjoy it, too. Ryan started building up a group of regulars before he stopped hosting, and the've hung around and even grown through the transition. I understand not everyone is excited to go out and watch comedy on a Monday night after working all day, but the tickets are cheap (or free if you message me!), and you're guaranteed to hear different jokes every single week. The show is over by 9, so it isn't a late night. And the best suggestion for a topic at the end of the night wins passes to come back and see another show at the club! 

I know this blog has seemed like a giant plug for the show, and it was. 100%. But it's my favourite show. I'm genuinely appreciative for the opportunity to host it and be part of it every week, and I guarantee it's contributed more to my growth as a comedian than any show I've been a part of. If you've ever come to a show, thank you very much. Please come out to another one! And if you haven't, there's no time like the present! 

Or, 3.5 hours from now....

Thanks for reading!

Adam