Live Review: Just for Laughs Festival, Montreal, QC, July 12, 2007

Today is Mrs. H's birthday, so in addition to a weed eater and a Coffee Crisp, I surprised her with tickets to two shows last night at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal, from where I'm writing this morning.

First, we saw a French comic by the name of Stephane Rousseau . Those of you who have seen "The Barbarian Invasions", one of the best movies of the 2000's in my opinion, would know him as the son of the main character. I understood at least half of what was going on, which for me is pretty good, and was also a pleasant surprise as French Canadian comedians are not known for their articulation. He was like a more clever, less frenetic Quebecois version of Jim Carrey.

Then, we stopped in at La Belle Province restaurant for a hot dog and a pogo before downing a beer at a sidewalk bistro and heading to the Nasty Show at midnight. I had heard that this English-language show was not for the faint of heart, and the five guys who comprised this bill delivered on that promise. From jokes about fisting Helen Keller to observations about how having sex outdoors usually involves having bugs crawl up your back door and bite your sphincter with the end result being something that looks like a UFC fighter's ear to getting married because you think to yourself that sitting at home with empty testicles and a full wallet is a situation that must be reversed to how Montreal women are so hot even the homeless ones have nice racks - it was all here. And even I was slightly offended at some of it, which is actually quite impressive.

Good times.

Overall ratings:

Stephane Rousseau: 8/10
The Nasty Show: 9/10