So I had the pleasure of taking in all three WestJet-sponsored gala events for the Toronto Just for Laughs festival last week. I am a terrible comedy reviewer, but I’ll list some highlights:

• Louis CK bashing the city of Buffalo and then launching into a tirade about milk cartons.
• John Cleese coming out on stage to a standing ovation and then repeatedly insulting the city of Toronto (and, once, Hamilton).
• John Mulaney’s bit about chasing a woman down a New York subway tunnel. “I’m not going to rape you! I’m a little boy!”
• The dry humour of Jimmy Carr. “When the Iraq war started, little did President Bush know.”
• David Cross‘ sketch about “If You Care” plastic wrap and the ensuing New York Jewish accent.
• Danny Bhoy writing a letter to the Royal Bank of Scotland (“one of the ones in the real shit”) informing them of being £500-billion overdrawn. “Perhaps we can come to some kind of compromise!”
• Ross Noble stopping in the middle of a sketch to stare in shock at a man in the front row who was wearing flip-flops (“At the nicest theatre in the city!”) and then proceeding to steal them and use them in his entire act. And the second show was completely different!

Someone needs to tell John Pinette and Gina Yashere that they can actually base their act around more than one subject. Pinette’s jokes were all self-deprecating lines about how overweight he was, and Yashere’s jokes were all about black people. Sure, some of them were funny, but it gets old fast — just because you are one of those things doesn’t mean every single other subject is barred!

Gearing up for the Calgary Folk Festival! Things kick off on Thursday evening with Los Misioneros Del Norte, Justin Rutledge, Umalali, Iron & Wine, and Michael Franti & Spearhead, as well as emcee Carolyn Mark. Should be a great time — look for reviews very shortly!