Beatroute Magazine BC Print Edition - September 2017

LEWIS BLACK
Longtime friends get on the bus out of dodge
GRAEME WIGGINS
With Trump’s election to the American Presidency,
and the consistent political turmoil it has created,
many are musing with this idea of skipping the
country for bit; to get away from it all. For somewhat
political comedian Lewis Black (known for his long
running and delightfully angry Daily Show segments)
it seemed like the prime moment to head north and
do a Canadian tour. So this fall he’s going hit the
road with longtime friend and collaborator Kathleen
Madigan to get out of dodge on his bus and do a full
Canadian tour.
“I did this once before,” explains Black. “It’s great,
especially in light of everything. We knew early on
we wanted to get out and do this tour together.
We had been talking about it for years and then he
[Trump] got elected so it was like “LETS GO NOW!”
Madigan continues in the same vein, “we didn’t
know it was going to get this out of hand. Now I feel
I should stay here and protect my property with a
shotgun. I didn’t think we’d have to fight a war again.
But I’m really glad we get to go up there and golf a
little bit and tell jokes.”
The frustration of a Trump presidency does have
it’s perks, even for the less political Madigan. In her
words, “I do like the fact that as a comic, not as a
human. Because everyone is paying more attention.
I’m not as political as Lewis, I only do it when people
are paying attention. Imagine if MItt Romney was
president, no one would be paying attention. So that
helps you write a joke without getting too detailed.”
The touring life is old news to the veteran comics,
as Black explains: “We do a hundred a piece a year.
What keeps us going? I like it. What else am I going
to do? Go work in a woodshop? Buy a house and
go downstairs and paint? I can’t farm. I’m not a
gardener, too many bugs. So this was the option.
Theatre didn’t work out.” The two have done USO
tours together but they’re done with that side of
things. “I’m not going back,” states Black, “my sinuses
aren’t going back there. I’ve done it three times.
That’s enough.” Guam is also off the menu (due to
recent North Korean threats.) Madigan jokes, “I saw
an article about some dad who booked a family
vacation to Guam and how they’re still going and I
laughed out loud because that would totally be my
dad. “Goddamn it, I don’t care, we put the deposit
down, we’re going to have fun. Everyone get into
the car. He would have driven us right into nuclear
annihilation.” Canada will be treat in comparison.
Catch Lewis Black and Kathleen Madigan live
September 7 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
Photo Credit Clay McBride
Catch Lewis Black and Kathleen Madigan live September 7 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre
September 2017
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