Three friends who also happen to be up-and-coming comedians are embarking on a cross-Canada road trip to entertain people and establish themselves as a reliably funny brand.
The DIY Comedy Tour comes to Moose Jaw on Tuesday, May 9 and occurs at 8 p.m. at Ruchi’s Masala House on Caribou Street West across from Shoppers Drug Mart. The tour features Winnipeg’s Scott Porteous, Calgary’s Frank Russo and Mississauga, Ont.’s Mike Payne.
Tickets are available at the door.
The men are “very strong, independent comedians” who are not represented by an agency but love comedy and want to create their own opportunities, explained Porteous. Thus, the do-it-yourself tour name embodies that outlook and enables them to build their brand.
Porteous, 39 — “but I act like I’m 22” — is one of Canada’s youngest comedy veterans and has been performing for nearly 20 years. He has performed at The Winnipeg Comedy Festival, The World Series of Comedy in Las Vegas and had his alter-ego — Herbert Henries — featured on Canada’s Got Talent.
One feature of this tour is the comedians are performing in small communities that don’t normally see this kind of entertainment.
“… People tend to appreciate you going to them and bringing the funny, if you will,” said Porteous, noting this will be his 14th tour overall but first with this group.
Porteous met Russo while performing in Thunder Bay years ago, while he met Payne online during the pandemic.
Porteous had planned a tour in spring 2020 but cancelled when the pandemic struck. So, he created an online writing network for comedians to improve their acts. That’s how he met Payne.
“Even though I haven’t met him physically, I feel like I’ve known him for a long time because of the stuff we did in the workshop and connecting with this tour,” added Porteous.
People who attend can expect an evening that is fun and memorable. Each comedian brings something different to his set, from clean material to dirty to observational to humorous stories.
“It’s going to be a great time, and hopefully, we can gain some fans and some friends along the way,” said Porteous.
As a kid, Porteous grew up watching Just For Laughs on TV, while he later fell in love with comedy after performing during an open mic night. While being a comedian has been “a grind” since there have been more valleys than highs, he’s always enjoyed it.
“I always had a different kind of humour, and to be able to express that and (have) people find it funny found me in a way,” he said.
Porteous started his career imitating other established comedians like Jeff Foxworthy and Rod White, but eventually found his own style. He compared himself to a mixed CD since he offers a little bit of everything.
Performing at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival several years ago was an emotional experience for Porteous because he felt his comedic efforts were vindicated. Meanwhile, The World Series of Comedy in Las Vegas was a great experience since his jokes did well with an American audience.
However, he was “nervous, so nervous” during his performance on Canada’s Got Talent in 2022. But, his alter ego Herbert Henries stole the show with his “acts of danger” like knife throwing and escaping a straitjacket. It was also a surreal experience since he performed in front of judges Howie Mandel and Lilly Singh.
“I’m just happy I had a good set … ,” said Porteous, adding while judges gave Herbert four “yeses,” his act did not advance because there were many other good talents.
The DIY Comedy Tour can be found here.
