Review: Peopl’s Comedy Night with Jono Zalay
Going into the underground comedy hut at Peopl’s Bar with its funky and artsy audiences and comedians from the Montreal area feels all too swell. Even though the audience did not fill all the seats, they showed as much support as a group three times larger ever could have! The comedians participating in the show were the host Jess Salomon, Alain Mercieca, Brad Macdonald, Molly Brisebois, Scott Carter, Freddie James and the headliner Jono Zalay coming all the way from New York city.
All the comedians were great. However the one that stood out the most with his very funny jokes (next to the headliner, that is) was DJ of the evening, co-producer of the show and comedian Freddie James. His stage presence was very lively. He had great energy and one could see that his comedy was sincere, down to earth, came from his life experiences and that he was excited about telling his jokes. His humor touched on the subjects of stereotypes in regards to black and white people, as well as the names of human anatomy. He established an amazing connection with his audience and they cheered him very loudly at the end of his act. Freddie continued to add funny stuff throughout the entire show as he had a microphone and was at the music. With his bubbly energy, Freddie James is definitely a star in the comedy scene.
Brad Macdonald, also a co-producer of the show went up on stage and made the crowd laugh. His jokes were very proper and in general he had a politically correct demeanor. The host of the evening, Jess Salomon, set the stage so that the audience could feel like they were part of a big family. The comedians seemed really genuine and supportive of one another. This set a nice mood for the contest that happened on that night.
The producers held a contest where the audience member with the most original idea of what they could do with a jar of Nutella would win a gigantic pot of chocolate. Throughout the evening people gave their ideas on a piece of paper to the host and the comedians finally chose at the end of the evening.
Jono Zalay, the headliner of the evening, did not disappoint with his performance. His material was nicely presented and he was very humorous. Zalay had great stage presence and he seemed very at ease with his act. One of his jokes centered on the fact that he has a doctorate in neuroscience and how his friends literally call him for advice when they need medical attention even though they know that he is not practicing his degree at all.
All of the comedians were storytellers that evening. None of them asked question to members of the audience. Nonetheless the public still got to feel included in the act by their participation in the Nutella contest. Also, at intermission everyone got to enjoy complimentary pizza and bond together. The evening was great and it is a highly recommended activity.
Peopl’s comedy is produced on the last Wednesday of every month.
