For the first time ever The Calgary Folk Fest will include the jeers, cheers and chuckles of talented funny people in their newest addition... the Talk Tent.
The Talk Tent will run Saturday and Sunday from 11 am - 5 pm, and is programmed
chock-a-block with stand up comedians, interviews, and a special celebration of
the 100th birthday of Woody Guthrie. Bring your festival chair and have a seat
on the grass under the tent (it will be shady!).
Here is a peak at who will be attending:
Atomic Improv
Donovan Workun and Mark Meer have been creating
comedy-on-the-spot based entirely on audience suggestions for over 2 decades.
Their fast paced, high-energy show incorporates a range of styles, characters
and hooks to produce a comedy pressure cooker. They’ll also be doing sketches
from their national CBC Radio comedy program The Irrelevant Show, an irreverent
take on pop culture that ranges from the everyday to the surreal, including
scenes about family life, dating, relationships, the workplace, the news and
superheros.
Chris Fairbanks
Stand-up comic, writer, artist, actor, twitterer,
skateboardinger. He’s a correspondent for action sports channel Fuel TV and a
Comedy Central reality show Reality Bites Back regular. When not touring as a
stand-up comic, Fairbanks earns his living as a poster artist, animator and
illustrator.
Richard Flohill
Richard is a Toronto-based publicist, writer and
concert promoter who has influenced, supported or managed more than 100 artists
over 40 years. His experience and abiding love of music make him an informed and
engaging presenter and interviewer who gets deep into artists’ music, history
and stories. A dedicated carnivore, Richard has thrived all these years without
letting a piece of lettuce, a carrot or cucumber pass his lips. He’ll do a panel
with festival artists on their war/travel stories, interview individual artists
and share information about how to make a living in music.
Kevin McDonald
Comedian, actor, writer and director, The Kids in
the Hall co-founder Kevin McDonald is known for his popular recurring characters
the King of Empty Promises, Sir Simon Milligan and Jerry Sizzler. McDonald has
appeared in many films and television programs, including Seinfeld, Friends,
MADtv, Tim and Eric's Awesome Show Great Job! and Arrested Development and
hosted his own CBC show Sketch with Kevin McDonald.
Derek Seguin
A quintessential performer, seasoned stand-up
comedian, actor, host and narrator, he’s a regular on CBC Radio’s The Debators
and Just for Laughs. Derek’s takes on the world have a hysterical Quebecois
flare. Whether ragging on politics or describing life with his children, he
deftly brings audiences into his perspective.
Walking Woody’s Road
Jimmy Lafave and his collaborators celebrate
and chronicle the life and writings of legendary singer/songwriter Woody Guthrie
for the 100th anniversary of his birth through stories, songs and video.
The schedule will be announced alongside the full weekend schedule at the end of
June.
For more information check out the
Calgary Folk Fest webpage