Breaking the Ice with Jeff Paul

We found this local beauty dressed like a frosh week *Kim Jong Il in a west Toronto park this past fall, located dead center between a pie eating contest and a hot dog stand. Because this is Toronto after all, we should note that the hot dog stand was vegan and therefore pointless, the pie was some sort of organic hybrid bullshit, and the park was loaded with douchebags dressed up like the road crew for *Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes. In between sips of ball-sweat-warm PBR, this “should he be allowed in a park?” sketchbag informed us that he was none other than standup comic and Niagara-On-The-Lake native Jeff Paul

(*Editor’s note: I was going to say “vanilla Ray Charles impersonator” which is way funnier but pussed out at the last minute assuming not enough of his original pre-biopic fan base had died off yet. Soon! Additional editor’s note – I actually really like the band Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, anyone who doesn’t like that can go straight the heck to hell and kiss my hacky sack on the way down)

First off, we’ll note that if you make the mistake of confusing Niagara-On-The-Lake with Niagara Falls, Jeff Paul will dick punch you with the unrestrained anger of every lady he ever woke up next to. Niagara on the Lake is known for its rich tapestry of Ontario wines (according to my mom, the pinot pairs nicely with trolling comedy posts on my Facebook page), theatre tradition, and people with way the eff more money than anyone I know in comedy. But, as Paul says, its also lousy with good old country boys like himself! Save the neck tats, doomed marriages and the smell of Cotton Candy and Wal-Mart brand men’s fragrance for Clifton Hill, one town over. (I joke I joke, but only if people start getting all law-suity)

Second off, Jeff Paul is about to graduate from standup comic (a Toronto favorite and club regular, btw) to PROMOTER. Booker. Festival Producer.

No shit! Don’t let those mustard stains fool you. Jeff Paul isn’t dickin’ around, folks!

This January 24th & 25th during Niagara-On-The-Lake’s bustling Icewine Festival, Jeff is bringing in a 2-night stand of some of Canada’s top touring pro comics, and some of the fastest rising crowd killers from the Toronto stage. Friends of Paul’s (yes, don’t listen to the rumors – he does have many of them on the comedy beat), the lineup is what we in “the industry” (Ha) call SHIT STACKED! That’s a good thing. Or at least it is if you like your comics to be FUNNY and WITH GOOD CREDITS!

No, seriously. The inaugural ICEBREAKERS comedy festival boasts some of my personal favorites to watch, and I’m the smartest kid you’ll meet.

For example…

Christina Walkinshaw (Comedy Now, CBC’s The Debaters)

K. Trevor Wilson (Louis CK, Patton Oswalt & Sarah Silverman opener @JFL42)

Hunter Collins (Video on Trial, No Kidding)

Rhiannon Archer (Maria Bamford opener, Dark Comedy festival, Boston Women in Comedy)

But that’s just a small, small, small taste. You can (and will) check out the full line up & ticket info at www.niagaraonthelake.com

Featuring a different comic each day as this weekend draws near (you can LIKE Icebreakers on Facebook for event times, lineup, bios, tape, the whole shebang) Jeff Paul is teasing this thing harder than a bull’s balls on breeding day. No, not sure if that’s a relevant metaphor or not but when you run your own comedy section you can make up whatever the f*ck metaphors you want. Who’s going to stop me?

And, for the fastest festival updates that are up to date, Tweet it up @IcebreakersCom

For more on this weekend’s first of MANY annual Icebreakers Comedy Festivals, check out Jeff Paul this Thursday on Forever Young with Dean Young & Friends, on Pod Almighty and itunes. The funniest thing on Toronto radio with the name Dean in it! Ever.