There’s no doubt
about it. Alonzo Bodden loves Montreal in general and the Just For Laughs
festival in particular.
It was back in 1997
that Alonzo got his big break as a stand up comic, when he performed a killer set at that year’s
New Faces of Comedy showcase. And from there, his career took off, and his
affection for the city and the festival remained unabated.
And the Alonzo
Bodden/Just For Laughs/Montreal love triangle continues this week, as he
returns as part of the line-up of the All Star Show, which is wrapping up
this Saturday at Club Soda before it moves to the Metropolis on July 24 (which is
hosted by Dom Irrera whom, coincidentally, emceed the New Faces show where
Alonzo made his festival debut); and he will be spotlighting his own solo show
“Alonzo Bodden: News is Not News” from July 21-26 at the Salle Claude-Leveille
of Place des Arts.
“I always look
forward going to Just For Laughs year after year. This is the best and the
biggest comedy festival I have performed at. It’s where the most comics get
together to perform and have a good time doing it. This is one of the few
chances we get to see each other in a relaxed setting and crash each other’s
shows,” he said in a recent phone interview. “And by the way, I forgot to
mention that Montreal has the most beautiful women on Earth, who also happen to
speak French.”
“I love the vibe
that this festival brings. You have about 100 of the best comics in the world
gather in Montreal every year to hang out and do what we do best,” he added.
Alonzo’s path to
comedy actually began in the aeronautics industry, where he worked as an
aircraft mechanic for Lockheed Martin. “When I was at McDonnell Douglas, I used
to train new mechanics, and I would put in some jokes during those training
sessions. I found out that I had more fun making them laugh,” he said.
From there he took
a comedy writing class, did five minute spots at open mic nights and realized
that stand-up comedy was more to his liking than showing mechanics the inner
workings of an aircraft. His successful set at the 1997 New Faces of Comedy
show convinced Alonzo to give up his full time job and pursue a career in
comedy, which has proven to be a good career move, in which one of his crowning
achievements was clinching the grand prize during the third season of NBC’s
reality competition show “Last Comic Standing”.
Alonzo’s style of
comedy is quite relaxed and matter-of-fact, seasoned with a great deal of
personal observations, which he credits to many of the life experiences that he
went through, whether it be healthcare, politics or relationships.
“I talk about
healthcare because when I was an aircraft mechanic, I was also a union guy, so
I know what healthcare plans are all about,” he said. “As for relationships, I
have had a lot of failed relationships all my life, so it’s better to hear it
from someone who has experienced them than from some smartass 24-year-old. And
about the issues of the day, well, I have been in that world, so I look at that
world through my eyes. For example, America has a Black president, and
coincidentally, I happen to be Black!”
And Alonzo not only
has the comedy club to use as his soapbox to comment on the issues of the day;
he shares them with listeners on his podcast “Who’s Paying Attention?” During
our phone interview, he admitted there was no shortage of issues for him to
comment on that his fans and listeners should be paying attention to (Rob Ford
notwithstanding).
“Right now (former
U.S. Vice President) Dick Cheney is blaming President Obama for the mess in
Iraq, which I find tragically funny,” he said. “Then this past week, no school
shootings have been reported, mainly because school is out for the summer. Then
there’s our favorite go-to person Sarah Palin, because whatever she has to say,
it should always make us feel much better about ourselves.”
Besides giving his
opinions, Alonzo was also noted recently for what he gave of himself. In March
of last year, he underwent transplant surgery to donate a kidney for his
brother, so he wouldn’t have to go through dialysis any longer. As of this
writing, Alonzo is extremely happy to say that both he and his brother are
doing fine. As a result of the successful procedure, he has become a
spokesperson for the National Kidney Foundation, advocating not only kidney
donations, but also taking better care of your kidneys.
“Donating a kidney
to my brother was like giving a gift; it totally changed the quality of his
life and I was happy to do it,” he said. “It’s really important that people
should consider being an organ donor, because they are really needed. Also,
it’s important to take care of your kidneys; you should be tested regularly and
drink lots of water. And don’t forget, if you’re in need of a kidney, find a
brother!”
* * *
For more information about the All Star Show, Alonzo
Bodden: News is Not News, or any other Just For Laughs show, as well as to
purchase tickets, check out the festival’s website at www.hahaha.com.
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