Kingston comedy scene finding opportunities to thrive

Stand up comedy in Canada and around the world is booming, with social media and streaming services like Netflix bringing a renewed focus to the art form in recent years.

While comedy clubs were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and Kingston's only dedicated club was shuttered in January of 2022, the local scene, much like the broader comedy scene, is seeing a resurgence over the last couple of years.

Comedians trapped inside and with nowhere to perform took to social media to promote themselves and their work, and many used it as an opportunity to vault their personal brand forward in a way they wouldn't have at comedy clubs alone.

Al Babcock, a local comedian who runs shows through his production company AB3 Comedy, said that even though COVID nixed the majority of opportunities to perform, it forced comedians online and in many ways helped them to connect with audiences they otherwise wouldn't have.

"There's something to COVID forcing every comedian to kind of go online and do social media and do TikTok, and podcasts, and everything that has actually helped a little bit of a comedy boom coming out of it," Babcock said.

"Everyone started some kind of online channel and I think that although at the time it wasn't that great it really helped comedians kind of build their social media."

Eventually though, like music and other performing arts, stand up comedy has returned to the stage, but the accessibility to comics through podcasts, Youtube, and social media remains at an all time high.

In the absence of a venue specific to comedy in Kingston, local promoters and comedians have been looking to fill that gap with any space they can find throughout the city.

While it's not necessarily known as a comedy town, Kingston has built a vibrant and active comedy scene, and the Kingston Comedy Community Facebook group has surpassed 1,300 members, with events at a variety of venues throughout Kingston and nearby towns constantly shared within the group.

With the success of ticketed shows and open mics hosted throughout the city, even more spaces have opened their doors to events, most recently regular shows getting off the ground at both Blu Martini and Ganonoque's Royal Theatre.

Babcock said that diversity of spaces has helped open up options, and while Kingston's local scene continues to grow it should allow it to remain a close community rather than a constant competition for spots.

He says Kingston comedy feels like a community, and it's growing because of that.

Alexa Elder says that accessibility and welcomeness of the local scene is a big part of what attracted her to it and has convinced her to make it a big part of her life.

Elder says she first tried stand up at an open mic in Kingston two years ago and has since made performing a frequent part of her plans.

She says that might not have happened if the community wasn't welcoming to newbies.

"I never once felt as though me being new was any kind of barrier, people were so supportive and so friendly," Elder said.

"All of us I think get each other, in a way that no one but comedians get comedians."

She added that the organic support comedians have given each other to this point is the best way to continue to grow the scene.

"If we just keep going out to each other's gigs and having a good time and supporting each other and buying tickets, we can afford to keep putting on cooler shows and attracting more variety of performers" Elder said.

Both Elder and Babcock said while working out of so many different venues has been great, there's also limitations from not having spaces dedicated to comedy.

While recently Kingston has attracted some big name comedians to the newly renamed Slush Puppy Place, like Bert Kreischer and Jim Jefferies, there's a massive capacity gap between the venues where Kingston's comedy scene runs events and the 5,700 seat arena.

Some bigger names in Canada's comedy scene have made stops in Kingston en route to shows in larger cities like Montreal or Toronto, but the lack of mid-sized venues in Kingston is a problem for comedy the same way it is for music, as has been noted by the city's official music strategy.

Babcock says in the meantime Kingston's comedy scene is focused on bringing the best product possible forward - and with more options available for performers - the scene is improving.

"The comedians in Kingston, now that they have these stages, are getting way better," Babcock said.

"The main thing is keep providing quality shows... if we're putting on like open mic level shows in the Blu Martini that doesn't help anyone."

There's room to grow, but Kingston's comedy community has come a long way in recent years.

"When I first started here in Kingston, there was like six people who really did comedy, and now there's probably about 20, so it's great," Babcock said.

Owen Fullerton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, YGK News