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It’s no joke: Comedian Eric Johnston bringing his ‘Run with the Bull’ tour here

Comedian Eric Johnston will perform at Cask 82 on Manitoba Street on Friday, May 6. Tickets are $20 and the show starts at 8 p.m.

A chance encounter with a Moose Jaw resident in New Brunswick convinced comedian Eric Johnston that he should bring his North American tour to The Friendly City.

Johnson, who hails from Hamilton, Ont., kicked off his “Run with the Bull Comedy Tour” on Feb. 25 in northern Ontario before heading to the United States and then out to Canada’s East Coast. 

In Fredericton, he met a Moose Javian, where they discussed the comedian’s upcoming schedule.

“I said, ‘Actually, on this tour, I randomly have a Friday off and I’ll be in Saskatchewan. I … would love to fill it somewhere,’” Johnston recalled. “And he goes, ‘I’m from Moose Jaw. Have you thought about doing Moose Jaw?’ And I said no.”

The last time the comedian performed in Saskatchewan was in 2019. Johnston loved it so much that he said he would consider coming again. The Moose Javian encouraged him to return and perform in Canada’s Most Notorious City.

Johnston will be in Moose Jaw on Friday, May 6, at Cask 82 on Manitoba Street. Tickets are $20 and showtime is 8 p.m.

The comedian admitted he knew almost nothing about Moose Jaw aside from jokes he’d heard on CBC. 

“Is there like a world’s largest moose statue or anything like that?” he laughed. “So far, I’ve seen the big nickel in Sudbury (Ontario). I saw the big bean in Chicago (Illinois). I just saw the world’s largest fiddle in Sydney, Nova Scotia. And now I’ll see the world’s largest moose, or one of the world’s largest mooses — meeses? — in Moose Jaw.”

Johnston, 32, has been a professional comedian for 12 years and has maintained a schedule of almost regular nightly shows. Since he drives everywhere, he considers himself a “road warrior,” with the motto, “Have show, will travel.” 

Johnston developed the name for his comedy tour — and all its branding — using the first names of his grandfather and father, Bull. Bull Johnston wrestled with Maple Leaf Wrestling in the 1960s and ’70s, while Bull Whip Johnston wrestled across the world from the 1970s to ’90s. 

Johnston never met his grandfather, while his dad died when he was 13 years old. However, he experienced enough of that entertainment lifestyle that his career is similar to their wrestling careers. While he doesn’t take bumps and bruises, he performs almost nightly in different communities. 

“I wanted to be part of that (entertainment) lifestyle (growing up). Obviously, I couldn’t get into professional wrestling, so I got into dance and musical theatre,” Johnston chuckled, noting he did that for seven years before attending the Vancouver Film School.

On Nov. 1, 2010, a friend invited him to an open mic night at a club. Johnston signed up, performed, and never looked back. He now performs 150 to 200 shows a year.

“So, since Nov. 1, 2010 … I have not stopped,” he added. “For lack of a better phrase, I run with the bull. I keep it moving, head down, horns out, always moving forward.”
The comedian had to adjust his act when the pandemic struck, which meant finding new places to perform, such as backyards, front yards, breweries, wineries, apple orchards, and on Zoom in a comedy club he built in his basement.

It was tough transitioning from comedy clubs to smaller venues when the pandemic struck, he said. 

After the initial “shock and awe” of the situation in March 2020 wore off, he launched a summer comedy tour that took him to people’s backyards. He even performed in a front yard that was near a bus stop. While he joked around, people got on the bus while others exited joined the audience. 

“There’s a lot of distractions and stuff, but if you can be funny in those most extreme circumstances, you’re doing something right,” he said, noting he received positive responses even outdoors. “It was a helluva experience, but it helped me grow as a comedian.”

Johnston describes his shows as firing himself out of a cannon, meaning audiences receive jokes about his background, family, wrestling, touring, and travels across the continent. Many people have said they appreciate his humour, but most especially, they enjoy attending comedy acts in person again.

“If you want to have a laugh, if you want to get out of the house … nothing brings people together like laugher,” he added. “And … I truly am addicted to the sound of laughter.” 
 

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