Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:01 Good morning, Fort McMurray, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world. You've tuned into the Mac city morning show. I am your host Elliot Pierre, and we're going to start the show off the same way we start every show off with a moment of gratitude. I know you could be doing a million other things with your time. So the fact that you're spending with us truly does mean the world to me. So thank you on that note, Tanner hit them with the intro.
Speaker 1 00:00:21 Oh, she caught me loves you're listening to the next anymore.
Speaker 0 00:00:25 <inaudible> and we are back. Okay. I'm excited about today. Uh, because we have somebody that I don't know. So that's exciting. One and two. Uh, he's a comedian and I love standup. So I'm really excited to talk to this guy today. Um, as everybody at home knows by now, I don't introduce my guests because they can do a better job at that than myself. So on that note, sir, can you tell everybody who you are and what you're about?
Speaker 2 00:00:51 Yes, I can. I am Steve McGowan, a comedian from Vancouver. Thank you for having me on the show.
Speaker 0 00:00:57 We're more than welcome. So let's hear about this. How long have you been in the standup game for
Speaker 2 00:01:02 12 years, but if you take away, COVID roughly 10. Okay. So 10 years, 10 years, a decade,
Speaker 0 00:01:10 A decade of comedy. So
Speaker 2 00:01:11 Professional, maybe the last six.
Speaker 0 00:01:15 Okay. And so primarily is like Vancouver, your spot. That's where you hone your skills or you, uh, you go on the road.
Speaker 2 00:01:21 Yeah. I mean, when you start out, I think like any community and you start out in your hometown and, uh, and, and cut your teeth. Yeah. And, uh, Vancouver definitely is a home base, um, for sure. And then, you know, as you do it more, you, you travel a little bit, um, when you're starting out, you kind of, you know, you're the opening act for a headliner that takes you on the road, whatever. And, uh, I remember one of my first road gigs opening for another comedian. Uh, we didn't, we took a really shitty car as you do. I think that's kind of like the Rite of passage is even if you have the option to take a nice car, you don't take the shittiest car. It was like a Volkswagen rabbit. I don't know what year had no snow tires. And we went into this.
Speaker 2 00:02:00 This is going back years and years and years ago. And we did it in the dead of winter. And we drove from Vancouver. Uh, sorry. We did it from the island, actually did some shows on the, make a Riley. And then we drove to Saskatchewan. Okay. Some places up in there and Regina and stuff. And it was, it was terrible, but it looking back at it, it was like, God, I never have to do that again. We did it about five or six more times that particular drive almost died too long of a story. But, uh, yeah, no. So you, you, you do you venture around the more you do it, the more that you, you travel and stuff, and then you get good, you get better. And, uh, and then you, you tour around a little bit more so in the last few years, yeah.
Speaker 2 00:02:35 I was able to, uh, to travel Canada, um, have done some stuff in the states in the past, but of course it's, it's hard when you don't have your proper papers and all that kind of stuff. So, yeah, I've toured around Canada and, uh, I've been very fortunate enough to work with a lot of Canada's best comedians. And, uh, it's been a lot of fun, man. I, I looking back at 10 years, it's like, holy shit, 10 years. Um, there's a lot that's happened. And, and, uh, if I could change anything, I would change everything. You know, I wouldn't, you know, you're always learning, I mean, 10 years, 10 years sounds like a lot, but I think in comedy years, it's, there's, it's, it's, I'm still a puppy, you know what I mean? I'm still always learning. And especially after COVID, I think every comedian will tell you that, you know, it's kind of like your recent things reopening and everything. We're just kind of getting back into it and it's just like, oh shit. Yeah. I forgot. I've got how to tell jokes. That's right. You start telling jokes, but then you have that experience behind you. And you're like, oh no, I remember how to tell jokes again. And then you're just kind of trying to find your bearings and that's, what's been like for me anyway, lately, let's be a lot of fun
Speaker 0 00:03:35 During COVID. Were you able to do any? Cause I know like there's a bunch of comedians that have gone online and tried different things like maybe hosting a podcast or doing clips or you see what like Andrew shells is doing. Um, he's definitely changed the scope of, and it's not standup obviously, but it's still a great form of entertainment and comedy. Sure. What were you able to do to keep yourself a little bit sharp during COVID? Absolutely. I
Speaker 2 00:03:58 Love it. I wasn't doing nothing That is not apple juice kids. This is a morning show. Uh, no, I was, uh, you know, what's funny is, and I really, really respect that a lot of comedians, I think for the most part, we're staying on top of stuff and staying, you know, uh, creative and finding outlets to, to fire off that creativity. That is really good. Apple juice, by the way,
Speaker 0 00:04:31 Listen, we only serve the finest of apple juices here, freshly squeezed. We have a troop, we have a tree in the backyard, me and Tanner. We go pluck apples every day and we squeeze them with our bare hands.
Speaker 2 00:04:42 I lead squeezes. I stomp I can taste a bit of squeezed and a little stomp. And it's got the, the after taste of stomp. Yeah. Um, no, I really, I really, I just found it very cause when everything was happening, nobody knew what the hell was going on. It's like, oh shit. And, um, and, and for just kind of like, I think a lot of people like got, we'll just wait it out, make everything's closed. Okay, sure. Yeah. Um, financially, like I was, I was doing comedy full-time for about a year for the world herpes and everything shut down. And so I was, I was, I was very happy to kind of, I wanted to do comedy full-time because I hate money and it was like, ah, you know, I want to do that as I've always worked a job while doing comedy, but I was like, okay, it's time to just kind of do the comedy full-time this was the plan before COVID anyway, was new comedy, uh, maybe try some acting, getting into that.
Speaker 2 00:05:32 I've done very little acting, but try that, maybe voice stuff, whatever. And then everything happened. So it was like just kind of reset. Right. So, but when I saw people doing the things that they were doing with the podcast and, and the, you know, the zoom shows and all that kind of stuff, I was enjoying watching it, but I didn't, I didn't feel, I just wasn't like, I was like, ah, you know, I kind of found myself sort of delving into other forms of writing that I always wanted to do when I was much younger. Yeah. Like, sure. I'm a comedian and I love comedy and everything, but I'm also a big horror fan and I love thrillers, revenge movies, things like that. Huge west Craven, John Carpenter fan. So when I was younger, I would write all these little short stories, little horror stories and stuff.
Speaker 2 00:06:15 And then that just kind of went away. And then I started doing comedy when I was 30. Just want to turn 30, isn't going to do comedy, try, stand up, fell in love with it. Right. And that form of writing, I just kind of never really went back to it all. So jury, so the point is during COVID I found myself kind of going in the opposite direction of writing comedy and I, and I just kind of reopened my brain and it was just like, oh yeah, that idea I had from, you know, when I was like 20, it seems like, and then I just started writing. Then I couldn't stop. I was like, maybe I want to write a book. Right. Maybe I want it. What did you doing during I'm a Dick and fart comedian, what did you do? See, I wrote a book, but then I was like, I had this idea for this horror thriller thing or whatever, but then I'm like, I just kept seeing it as, as scenes.
Speaker 2 00:06:57 So I'm like, shit, maybe it's a script. Maybe I want to get into script writing. So I've looked into that. And in the last like seven or eight months, I've been really just opening into this world of script writing and have some friends that do it very successfully. Um, so I've been, you know, picking their brains like, Hey, why don't you get started? So I've been doing that and really, really just been in love with that, like, okay, this is great. So then I fell, my creative, my creative outlet was kind of shooting in a different direction. Then I was like, okay, I'm not writing any comedy. I was tired of the jokes I was telling before COVID anyway, it was time for me to write a new 40 minutes set, which will take time. Um, so it was like, and maybe I'm just going to go and start watching shows and just kind of live it and breathe it and be around it again. But then when everything started opening up, I'm like, shit, I need to write some jokes. And then I just kind of shot back into it. So I'm doing that writing and then I'm writing new jokes and getting back into comedy. It's like, yeah. Why was I thinking about not going back to this stage? You know what I mean? He was like, no, it was. And then when he started doing it, it's like, like I remember you remember it was like, oh yeah. Okay. Now this is, this is where I need to do.
Speaker 0 00:08:01 Yeah. All right. My man, we're at the part of the show called the Mac city minute. O'Connor has some questions for you. I don't know what he's going to ask. Cause we do zero preparation before, I guess show
Speaker 2 00:08:11 Like I do before any of my sets, the process I pu and I drink, there
Speaker 0 00:08:16 You go. Tanner hit him with the max city minute. Well, that
Speaker 3 00:08:19 Actually leads into the first question of what is one
Speaker 2 00:08:22 Ritual you have for pre-show pre-show is I I like, are we talking pre-show at the show? Yeah. Like before you go on stage, I pace. I never sit. I'm always pacing. They're like, oh, just have a seat. I'm just like, Nope. And I kind of tell the staff too, that if you see me pacing around going to the washroom a lot, I'm not doing drugs. I have to let them know that, um, I get very anxious. I get very hyper. Um, somebody once asked me before if I get nervous. Yes. But I turned it in. I turned the anxiety in the nerves into excitement and energy. And, and then I use that
Speaker 3 00:08:52 Question. Number two. What is the story you have from touring?
Speaker 2 00:08:59 Probably when I had sex with a heckler's mom, I've only told the story three times, but it just comes to my, it was very long time, but we don't have enough time for that
Speaker 3 00:09:12 Question. Number three. What is your favorite thing about single moms?
Speaker 2 00:09:18 Uh, one's gotta be, they always have half eaten blizzard in their, uh, in their freezer and Costco cards. Cause I, I have commitment issues.
Speaker 3 00:09:29 Question number four. What is one person you've made laugh that sticks out to you?
Speaker 2 00:09:37 Oh God, that's a great question. One person that I made laugh that stuck out to me. It was probably Dave Coulier when I made him almost spit out his beer. We were having dinner.
Speaker 3 00:09:47 Yeah. And your final question. What is one way you practice your skills in comedy that might surprise people.
Speaker 2 00:09:55 Sorry, say it again.
Speaker 3 00:09:56 What is one way you practice your skills in comedy that would surprise people
Speaker 2 00:10:02 Probably. And I'm only saying this because I've been told this and I never noticed this. Probably my confidence to just, I'm not, I don't know what I'm going to do now. I will say that until the point of getting on stage and then I'm just like, and then you just, yeah, confidence, I guess.
Speaker 3 00:10:15 And those have been your five questions
Speaker 0 00:10:17 And you go, so when you were a kid growing up, what kind of, who, who did you look up to in regards to like, I really think this person is
Speaker 2 00:10:26 When I was growing up. I, you know, I was born in 80, so I grew up in the eighties and nineties kid and all that stuff. So I think early on, like my dad was always a big fan of George Carlin. Uh, so I grew up watching, you know, the, the original George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Andrew dice, clay, uh, all that. So I think PR looking up, I mean, you know, bill, Burr's a big inspiration of course. Yeah. But growing up. Yeah, probably. I mean, Andrew dice, clay was just such a showman. He was, you know what I mean? It was just, it was pussy joke. Put Dick joke. Oh, it was just dirty. And watching that gear, like you can say that. Yeah. Maybe. Yeah. And uh, of course it was, you know, comedy that I wasn't allowed to watch. So I think we just, yeah, and just the whole, it was just the whole, you know, the leather jacket, the, just the stud and just the massive crowds. And it was just, it was a show. Yeah. So, I mean, it was like, whoa, that's what, that's what comedy is. That's what show business is. And that's why I'm in Fort Mac.
Speaker 0 00:11:25 There we go. So that's my last little, cause I know we're running out of time here. Um, how
Speaker 3 00:11:30 We've got lots of time. Yeah. You got eight minutes. Oh, sweet.
Speaker 2 00:11:34 I talked a lot. I'm still going to have him given the host a chance to know
Speaker 0 00:11:37 The whole point is to not hear me.
Speaker 3 00:11:39 And that's why he loves you.
Speaker 0 00:11:42 So what brought you here?
Speaker 2 00:11:44 A plane,
Speaker 0 00:11:46 Uh, plane. That's better. Exactly. The doors
Speaker 2 00:11:50 And Steve McGowan tonight at Bailey's. Is that as joke? No, we're not going, um, what brought me here was a fantastic comedian Booker, uh, and show runner, Renee manners, um, who I have become online friends with. And this is the first time meeting in person and it's a very good relationship and we're both, um, I think Corky and, um, troubled and a fun way to say crazy. I was trying to find ways of, yeah. Yeah. So, um, we actually, I think, I believe, and she talked about it last night on stage and she was like, you know, I saw this guy's Instagram stories and his dad, cause I've always filmed me. My dad, my dad is, you know, our parents are always the funny people. We get our traits from them. So I'm always filming my dad. Who's just a total character on his own. And she saw that stuff. And then in the last night she was like, I saw his dad's stuff online, the stories he posted. And I just figured I need to get this guy out. So actually my dad got me the booking, so I'm just here, I guess. I think she thought she booked my dad. Uh, and then I showed up,
Speaker 0 00:12:48 You
Speaker 2 00:12:48 Showed up. Yeah. But I love doing, um, you know, the small town tours and stuff like that. It's one of the things, you know, during, uh, my small career of comedy so far, uh, doing the clubs and the casinos and stuff like that are always a lot of fun in the big venues and everything and the festivals and all that and all that stuff. But the it's the small town tours, it's, you know, Northern BC, Northern, uh, Albert, I've been almost everywhere in Alberta. My first time in Fort Mac. Definitely not my first time in Alberta. My, my first time this far north. Yeah. And, uh, and just the vibe it's been so long since doing and coming back and starting to headline again, I think the small town who these are the best because the audiences there's just people's hair down. There's just a very, it seems, wow. I remember the first few small town shows I did. I was like, oh my God, Jesus, this is the crowd. And then your show starts and you're like, oh, I never want to leave.
Speaker 0 00:13:35 That's right. And it's different in regards to, when you come to a small town, like it's not a comedy club that you would normally go to
Speaker 2 00:13:42 At all. No.
Speaker 0 00:13:43 Right. And so these people that you have, they're just, they're there to be entertained, but on a different level.
Speaker 2 00:13:48 Exactly. Yeah. It's a different vibe. When you walk into a pat pub or bar in a small town, it is a different vibe than you get for going into like say a sold-out comedy club. It is, it's a very different, it's a different animal and it's just, and it can be very intimidating at first. It can be like a young comic. Who's just doing the road for the first time, going to these small town pubs and stuff. It can be like, Ooh, kind of overwhelming. Yeah. But once that show starts, like you said, they're there for the show. This is the entertainment they want to be. They're hungry for the comedy. And then just you have that. I don't think I've done any small town show where I've had to, um, you know, try to get them on board for like the first 10 minutes. Like it's always just right from when the show starts, the show ends and even talking with them afterwards and stuff, you know, you just feel that that's instant love for the show. And, and it's just a lot of fun, a lot of fun. How do you get up here?
Speaker 3 00:14:43 Like I know by playing, but like, does it like out of your own pocket or does somebody,
Speaker 2 00:14:47 This was, this was, this was taken care of by the booking, um, um, management team and which is always nice as well. But there are some, you know, you got to work out different negotiations in different ways and stuff like that. Get sponsored or anything you can't get sponsored. Yep. Okay. Yep. You have a sponsor. I do. It's Renee manners and yeah. And Bailey's and Lisa, there's a lease cycle. That was the name of the park in my head first. I'm sorry. I was actually looking for more whiskey. Well, we
Speaker 0 00:15:23 Don't really have any,
Speaker 2 00:15:25 We don't have any juice was sponsoring us. Yes.
Speaker 0 00:15:32 Yes. Bailey's and Renae manners are the sponsors. Yes. You got to talk about the sponsors. That's what I've learned on the show. Although we don't have any sponsors when people come, they're just like, Hey, I gotta plug my thing.
Speaker 2 00:15:43 And Alisa and Renee and Bailey, they were very, uh, very gracious and awesome to, uh, to invite me and have me and host me here. And it's been, uh, it's been really great so far. It's awesome.
Speaker 0 00:15:52 Um, now as a comedian, I like, I love watching standup and there's this one guy, um, you've probably heard of him, Jim Gaffigan. I've heard
Speaker 2 00:15:59 The name.
Speaker 0 00:16:00 He's kind of a big deal. Um, his last standup special that he put out on prime. Like he went to all these different places and Canada with someone there, and this guy in his sets was telling so many, like banger jokes about the area. And I'm like, he must have toured around for a little bit to a little history,
Speaker 2 00:16:20 A little street to like
Speaker 0 00:16:21 This. Yeah. When you come to a smaller town, is that something that you try to do or
Speaker 2 00:16:27 Totally. I mean, yeah. Yeah. Definitely. Absolutely. Whenever I met a lot of comments, just some comments don't like to do it. They're like, that's kind of a hat thing to do, but I don't think it's hacking to do when you're doing. Um, cause I wouldn't say hockey. It's a very kind of common thing to do when you're doing the small towns. It's always what I do anyways, is try to find out what the other towns around are like the competing towns. Like if you were Mona Colona, BC hates Penticton BC right here in Penticton. You talk shit about Colona, your audience. You can do no wrong when you're in Colona. You talk shit about Penticton. You don't let them know that it's like two turns in a toilet and you're just kind of poking into him. But yeah, I think it is good, but sometimes you're in the small town.
Speaker 2 00:17:08 You're like, Hey, what's a shitty small town around here. And sometimes they'll look at it and be like, oh yeah, sorry. What's a great, good town around here, but it is good to do your homework. Know the area I came in and day early and Renee showed me around some places and uh, showed me around Fort Mac and stuff like that. So I mean, it is, especially if you've never been to that town before, it is good to know a little bit. You don't want to go up, you know, dry and be like, Hey, what are you guys? What are you guys? It's always more fun. I find any way to be like, oh yeah. That's
Speaker 0 00:17:40 So that's it. Okay. So yeah, that is something. See comedians do though. And you gotta be quick. That's what blew my mind. Cause like I actually did a little bit of my own research about, uh, I'm going to call him Jim, cause we're on a first name basis. Like he wasn't in those locations for that long. And that's what I love about like the brain and the standup meeting. How are you coming up with like, you've been here for like a day, right. And already you're trying to accumulate and it's not easy to be like funny on stage. Like you got to put work into it. And so for you to like observe, write down
Speaker 2 00:18:15 And tweak and then you don't know if that's joke's going to work. I'm in their city, I'm in their town. I'm going to try to talk about this. Hopefully it'll yeah. You gotta to have those bangers that works right out of the gate. Um, like you said, you gotta be quick. You gotta also to go back, you gotta be confident in that. I know that this, this I was here for, you gotta do a little bit of the homework and find out what is, but you do, you have to be kind of, that's why it's good to ask also too, when you're in the town ask, ask around. Um, and if it backfires yeah. Use that.
Speaker 0 00:18:47 That's right.
Speaker 2 00:18:49 I'm not, I'm not from here. Oh, that isn't the place here. Oh, do I know?
Speaker 0 00:18:54 Oh know. That's right. Yeah. So in regards to you, you said you were trying to put together a 40 minutes set, which I always find interesting in regards to, is that the game plan as a headliner that you need to have that 45 minutes to an hour? Or is that just a bar that comedians try to have like that kind of material?
Speaker 2 00:19:12 Yeah. I mean like, uh, like a club set, regular headlining set is yeah, about 40, 45. Okay. Um, but you know, there's always wiggle room. Sometimes it goes long. Some of the other comments could go short or whatever. Or if it's just like, like I said, like a publisher pups shows never stick to the 90 minutes. Um, you know, timeframe there's usually starts a little bit later. People show up late, you know, waiting for the babysitters to come and okay, now we can go to the filter thing. So, uh, and then it could go, like I said, like when you, you fall in love with these crowds so easily and you don't want to get off stage. So it's like, ah, so usually I kind of prep small towns. I usually kind of prep for being ready to do an hour right now. Is that an hour of material?
Speaker 2 00:19:52 Not necessarily, no. Yeah. Crowd work. And I find that a lot of, especially in small towns is the crowd work. And then you get jokes from that. Like, there's been a lot of times where I'm like, oh man, I don't know what to do. Is this, is this joke going to work? I'm tired of telling that joke. I should be writing more. I don't know if I can fill this 45 minutes and then you get up there and you may be told half an hour of jokes. And then the rest was just crowded. But these are also jokes that you can't, you can't bottle that lightening touch. Right. You're talking to this guy, Frank in the front row and his wife and then you just have this connection and then everybody's a part of it. Now you're not going to be able to do it for, it's not going to be the next shot. That's right. So you just kind of take what you can and that's where the mat that's, that's the good static. That's the magic
Speaker 0 00:20:30 Stuff for man. I'm coming to check you out on a Saturday and you're
Speaker 2 00:20:33 Going to suffer me one way or another
Speaker 0 00:20:36 To bring some of my apple juice with me. Oh,
Speaker 2 00:20:38 For sure. Apple juice drink, apple juice.
Speaker 0 00:20:41 There we go. So, uh, this is part of the show where we're done, but everybody gets a shameless shout out or plugs. So the Mike's on you, the camera's on you. You're up.
Speaker 2 00:20:49 Okay. Uh, my name is Steve McGahn. Like we're talking about going to be a Bailey's pub here in Fort Mac tonight and tomorrow being Saturday, the 11th 8:00 PM. Uh, you can go to, I guess their website or show up it's limited seating. Uh, gotta wear your mask here now. Right? That's the thing in Alberta. Now you gotta wear your map. Uh, so please come on to that. And uh, I also have a, my first comedy album is going to be coming out called pleasantly offensive. That'll be available next month, which is what are we in September, October, be October, there'll be available on all the platforms and you can follow me at the Steve McGowan. I had to put a V before my name because there is a Christian singer in Portland with the same name. And as you can tell, we get confused with each other, quite a bit. People will confuse me for that single time, but yeah, come out to the shows of Fort Mac.
Speaker 0 00:21:35 There we go. Well, thanks for coming on the show. Thank you very
Speaker 2 00:21:37 Much.
Speaker 0 00:21:38 Great. I'll do a shameless plug add on for you. Thank you, Renee manners. Bailey's and Lisa Hardigan for making this happen. Now, there you go. Now that know Fort McMurray and the rest of the world would Buffalo. Thank you very much for tuning into another episode of the Mac city morning show. I really do appreciate it. Hopefully you're having a great day and we'll see you tomorrow, Pete.
