It's that time of year when the reality of the Canadian climate seems to make us stand up and stamp our feet to get warm, but this Friday night we have a better reason to get up.
The Snowed in Comedy Tour comes through town with their stand-up humourists who entertain their crowds to the point of standing ovations.
The troupe is composed of a seasoned set of stand-ups who might be good on their own but when combined never fail to leave their audiences in stitches.
These guys are nothing if not to laugh at: Great Canadian Laugh Off winner Paul Myrehaug returns this year as well as five-time Canadian Comedian of the Year nominee, Pete Zedlacher. Seattle Comedy Competition winner Damonde Tschritter will replace an injured Craig Campbell. Just for Laughs winner Dan Quinn completes the all-star cast.
Damonde Tschritter
Quinn, with 23 years of stand-up activity under his belt, says that the group is looking forward to visiting Smithers for the fifth time.
"A few years ago Jason (Krauskopf) from Local Supply Co. saw us in Prince George and invited us to come down. We took a chance and it's become a regular part of our schedule," he said.
"It was a lot different than we expected. It has a progressive vibe. The ski hill is amazing and the people have been good. They've treated us phenomenal every time we've been there," he explained.
"We didn't know what to expect. It's a pretty fun place and we enjoy it."
The show received a standing ovation last year, and this year's crowd looks like it may be larger than the 300 people who saw that show.
Quinn feels that Canada produces so many great comedians because we have a certain amount of confidence that goes along with our humility. Canadians make fun of themselves a little bit and don't take themselves seriously. That said, they are still confident to speak their minds and say what they have to say. Canadians use subtlety and humor to get their point across and like to have a good laugh.
For his own stand-up, Quinn likes to talk about his life by telling stories about his own experience. He feels that most people can relate to these and see the humour involved.
One of his dreams is to get a TV show about taking over a ski hill with a bunch of misfits trying to make it happen.
Who knows, we might see some of our experiences with grocery shopping moose shared on a comedy series someday.
This Friday's show is at Hudson's Bay Lodge at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are available at Local Supply Co.
Paul Myrehaug and Pete Zedlacher