Oct. 22: Shawn Farquhar

Tonight's guest was a tough one to nail down, folks. The guy is simply always on the move, performing all over the world. Shawn Farquhar is simply one of the world's best magicians and he lives right in our back door (a suitable place for a magician to be lurking, for sure). The Maple Ridge resident has won every major award there is in magic – he's a legitimate world champion, twice over. He's wowed Queen Elizabeth, Ellen DeGeneres, and has fooled Penn & Teller twice. He's that good. But one thing I always admire about him is the joy with which he performs whether it's for little kids at Science World or for celebrities, peers and dignitaries.

We got him between shows in Reno and on the high seas with Disney Cruises. On November 4 & 5, you can see him in town at the 75th anniversary of the Vancouver Magic Circle at Performance Works on Granville Island, where he'll be sharing the stage with magicians from South Carolina, Los Angeles, and South Korea.

We're on the air in Vancouver at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM. If you're outside the area, you can livestream us at coopradio.org or find the station on your TuneIn Radio app.

To whet your appetite, check out this gorgeous trick he created that won him the world championships. It's the most elegant trick I've seen. I could watch it over and over again. In fact, I have!

Oct. 15: Wes Barker

Regular listeners to What's So Funny? know I have a big soft spot for magic. I've had a few magicians on as guests over the years. Tonight, we'll have the first repeat magician guest. Wes Barker was with us first back in July of 2014. Since then, he's ripped apart many a phone book, appeared on America's Got Talent, fooled Penn & Teller, started a YouTube channel, and got married. On Saturday, Oct. 21, Wes, along with four other magicians (Kel, Vitaly Beckman, and Trevor & Lorena Watters) are performing at Bunaby's Michael J. Fox Theatre. So we'll talk about that and everything else he's been up to. I wonder if there's such a thing as audio magic? Maybe he'll perform some!

We hit the air running at 11 pm, as usual. Set your alarms and tune your radios to 100.5 FM in Vancouver. If you're outside the lower mainland, or don't own a radio, livestream us at coopradio.org or search for us on the TuneIn Radio app.

Episode 466ish: Katharine Ferns

When life gives you lemons, make a Fringe show out of it. That's what Katharine Ferns did. In this episode of the old podcast, Ferns itemizes her hard luck story. She gives us the raw version, while in Katharine Ferns is in Stitches, you get the horror and the ha-has. Originally an artist, Ferns started out doing standup while a student in Vancouver. She took herself and her act to Toronto for a while and has been living in jolly old England the last five years. We talked all about all of it.

You can hear our conversation here or go download us on iTunes or Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.

Podcast episode 465ish: Andy Cañete

Andy Cañete returns for his second go-round. Both times he's been talking about his latest Fringe show, but our talks always delve deeper. In this one, he talks about the dangers of being a soccer fan in his native Chile, the secrets of Gloria Macarenko, how Chris Farley makes him feel old, the dangers of some old jobs he's had, and the plausibility of Mariel Hemingway as a presidential bodyguard.

If downloading podcasts are too complicated for you, go no further. We've got what you need right here. Just click below and fill your earholes with our conversation. Otherwise, go search What's So Funny? on iTunes or Stitcher or wherever else you get your podcasts. And while you're there, subscribe to us. Hell, leave a comment on those platforms, if you're so inclined.

Oct. 1: Randy Charach

Is he a mentalist? Is he a magician? Is he a hypnotist? Is he a comedian? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Bottom line is he's an entertainer. That covers it all. Our guest on Sunday is Vancouver-based showman shaman, Randy Charach. He's put people to sleep all over the world... No, wait, that doesn't sound good. But remember point 3 above? He's also a stage hypnotist. I am impervious, though, so I'll be sharp as a tack. I won't succumb to his dark arts. Charach is doing his thang at the Norman Rothstein Theatre in Vancouver on Oct. 14. You can get your tix at Randytickets.com. (That picture to the right is as old as it looks. Randy doesn't don a tuxedo and top hat anymore. Nor does he carry a magic wand. But that's him and it's a great look. I hope he comes dressed like that to the radio station on Sunday!)

Sept. 24: Alex Sparling

Tonight on the program, we've got standup comic Alex Sparling. Just in time, too. I hear the comedian/actor is moving soon to the comedy hotbed of Salmon Arm Prince George, British Columbia. We'll find out why tonight. And we'll talk about his experience in Vancouver, growing up in Yellowknife, and how a brutal attack changed his life. It took us a while to find a Sunday that worked for both of us so it's probably now or never.

We're on the air at 11 pm and go until midnight. So if you're up or awake, tune in to CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver. If you're in, say, Yellowknife, try livestreaming us on coopradio.org or finding us on your TuneIn Radio app.

Podcast episode 464ish: Oh Susanna (Suzie Ungerleider)

What's so musical, you ask? Why, this podcast episode of What's So Funny? is. Our guest is old pal Oh Susanna, who's a big star in the alt-country/roots/folk scene. Suzie Ungerleider, her nom de vie, grew up in Vancouver but has called Toronto home for over twenty years. Her latest album, called A Girl in Teen City, is all about her misspent youth in this backwater town. We talk about how she's come to appreciate everything she looked down on as a rotten teenager. And we talk about what got her into music in the first place, because back when I played on a softball team with her, I knew nothing about this burgeoning musical career. As an added bonus, I play two tracks off her new album, which you're guaranteed to love.

Oh, if you're reading this in Vancouver, she's playing the Wise Hall on October 12. If you're reading this from anywhere else, check out her tour schedule on her website. Chances are she'll be in a town near you sometime.

No go and enjoy this hour. You can click below to listen, find us on iTunes or Stitcher, or even some other podcast dispensary. Your call.

Sept. 17: Leland Klassen

Leland Klassen has been a guest with us twice before, once in 2005 and once in 2009. But in 2009, I was sick. So I haven't really talked to him at length in twelve years. As of press time, I'm feeling healthy so there's a decent chance I'll be there tonight. And not just because now he's a big-time movie star. He's just a good guy who I like talking to. There was a period a few years back where I saw him wherever in the world I went on vacation. It was like he was stalking me. We've got lots of catching up to do. Leland, a veteran standup comic, recently got the starring role in a feature film, and it's Extraordinary. I'm sure it is (it just came out and I haven't seen it yet), but that's the name of it, too. Leland plays an ultra-marathon runner. He's a tall, lanky drink of water so he looks like a runner. We'll find out if he really is one. We'll also find out what it was like to share the screen with Kirk Cameron. And lots more, I'm sure.

We're on the air at 11 pm in Vancouver at 100.5 on the FM dial. If you're an ultra-marathoner and find yourself too far from home without your radio, you can always livestream us at coopradio.org or on TuneIn Radio and other such apps. Basically, what I'm saying is you have no excuse not to listen.

Podcast episode 463ish: Johnny Perrotta

I've known Johnny Perrotta for a long time but this was his first appearance on What's So Funny? He told us about how he moved from old Italy to the frozen tundra... well, Prince George, how he grew up worshipping Tony Manero, and about his various embarrassing acting gigs. It was our first night back in three years at our old/new studio. The levels may be a bit "hot" but whatchagonnado?

Click below for the full episode. Or better yet, subscribe to What's So Funny? on iTunes and it, as well as future episodes, will automatically show up in your feed like magic.

Podcast episode 462ish: Chuck Byrn

Here you go. Another podcast episode for you. This one's with former Vancouverite (but still a Vancouverite in his heart) Chuck Byrn. The veteran standup has been living in Toronto for eons but we got him on a family visit back to his home town. Great stories. Great opinions. Great voice! Listen to him tell us how he dissed Jim Carrey. Check out the stories on a vacation to Hawaii he took with Irwin Barker and Kerry Talmage. Hear how he sounded like Ian Bagg for a spell once (and the mysterious way Bagg answered his motel room door once in Victoria). Unfortunately, we lost the last two minutes but you get the vast majority of it, and it's good.

Check it out either below or on iTunes, Stitcher, or your favourite podcast server.

Sept. 10: Katharine Ferns

Katharine Ferns makes her return to What's So Funny? She's never been a guest, but she visited another guest back in 2012. She was still living in Vancouver then, but departed not long after for Toronto. A couple years there, and then she departed for England, where she's been performing standup and doing Edinburgh Fringe shows every year or two. She's back in town performing her new show, hot off a month-long run in Edinburgh. The show's called Katharine Ferns is in Stitches. She'll tell us all about it and what else she's been doing since her time here.

We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM. If you're in, say, England, and can do the math on the time zone, you can livestream us at coopradio.org. Or on TuneIn Radio.