This week on Starting Out my guest is standup and sketch comedian, and perhaps even more importantly the founder of Hub of the Hammer, Matthew Surina. Matt started Hub of the Hammer, an event company that specializes in trivia and comedy nights, a few years before the pandemic hit, and as you can imagine the last few years have been quite hard. Matt started writing for radio, then found standup in Hamilton, where he eventually met former guest of the pod Devin Bateson and Black Zeus, who formed the excellent sketch group Aunt Francis, which we get into. We also talk about the myriad of shows Matt has produced over the years, notably the First Timers Club which gave a venue for first time comedians to try it out heckle free. I loved catching up with Matt, and please if you have the chance to support an Hub of the Hammer events, or you’re thinking of putting an event on, go to hubofthehammer.com and get in touch with Matt and team. There’s a nugget of a call back to real hard core fans of the pod at the end. 

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My guest this week on Starting Out is the hilarious Hamilton comedian who recently made the big move to Toronto, Kev Sheeler. Kev is also the host of one of my favourite, irregularly scheduled podcast “Kevy’s Country Breakfast”. To know Kev is to know he approaches things differently than most, be it standup, podcasting, or even this interview. So I thought I’d do something different this episode and start with a clip of Kev's podcast so you all could get to know Kev a bit before our conversation. It was fun, it was odd, it was laden with obscure pop culture references - all things right in Kev’s wheelhouse. Mostly, Kev absolutely hates people talking about their journey, so while he may be a less-than-ideal guest for the theme of this podcast, I loved the conversation anyways! If you like baseball checkout “Kevy’s Country Breakfast” wherever you get pods -  I promise you will be very entertained.  Thanks for listening and the ongoing support. Music by Devin Bateson.

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I really wasn’t going to do anything to mark doing 52 episodes of the pod, but what the hell. This is a special episode because I had been wanting to have the amazing comedian Al Val on for a while. And the timing of this was even more special as she has recently come out as trans and is in the process of transitioning to female. Al talks about being cast as a munchkin in Jr. Kindergarten as her first validation into show business, and then getting a script for “Who’s on First?” in Grade 5 propelled her even further.  Al talks about going to Western for university with the certainty she was going to be an amazing comedian. It may have taken some time, but Al sure got there. We share a few road stories that really explain why we’ve always had such an infinity for each other, and I loved hearing about the journey she has been going through these last few years, how it’s impacted her mentally, comedically, socially, every way! You can check out her podcast, PodGis wherever you get pods. Thank you for listening and supporting for the better part of a year. Keep sharing and tell someone about the pod! Music by Devin Bateson.  

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This week on Starting Out it’s the incredibly talented, funny-in-two-languages, and social media verified Carol Zoccoli! Carol (aka The Little Potato) was born and raised in Brazil, where a burgeoning comedy scene proved to be a nice distraction from her academic pursuits. Carol became one of the first comedians in Brazil, one of only two women, and her obsession with comedy led her to learn some English through watching YouTube clips of American standups and sketch comedy.  Eventually, Carol was cast on the Brazilian version of Saturday Night Live as the Weekend Update host. One of the most amazing things about Carol is she then took the plunge to try and not only learn English, but attempt to be funny in a foreign language when she moved to Toronto with enough savings to pay for Second City classes. Carol achieved just about everything you can achieve in Canada, including appearances at the Winnipeg and Halifax Comedy Festivals, CBC’s The Debaters, and now calls Brooklyn her home where she will no doubt continue to be successful. Carol just released her debut English-speaking comedy album - Legal - with Comedy Records, and it's available on all platforms, so please support her and buy the album. Music by Devin Bateson.

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I waited a long time to have Black Zeus on the pod, because I wanted to make sure we set it at  a time when you all could experience what it’s like to have an authentic Black Zeus experience, and I’m so happy we did. Born in Greece to Ethiopian parents, Mike Demissie, aka Black Zeus, had a mid-life crisis at 22 following a car accident that left him looking for his authentic self. We talk about moving 12 times before he was 22, recognizing because a follower instead of a leader, and how Curb Your Enthusiasm opened up a world of comedy for Zeus over 10 years ago.  As you’ll hear, Zeus is all about love, authenticity, and laughter as a healing tool, and I got to learn the origins of his stage name. Please do yourself a favour and follow him on Instagram where you can see how beautifully he starts each day. Please also check out his podcast, which he just launched the 3rd season of - The Black Zeus podcast on Youtube and anywhere you get pods. Thanks for listening, please share the pod with someone who might like it. Music by Devin Bateson.

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I had always been excited to have this week’s guest on the pod as I think he’s one of the best in the country, one of the most unique acts around, and an unbelievably self-made successful comedian, it’s Jeff Leeson. For those that don’t know him, Jeff is a crowd work comedian, who has basically no material. We really get into what it takes to have the guts to go on stage without a plan.  Jeff started standup at 14, where a valedictorian speech vaulted him to produce a comedy show for friends and family, needing to handle his grandmother, and finally a spot at Yuk Yuks. We cover Jeff’s 22 years as a comedian, and his decision to forgo material for the most part and just do crowd work. Please check out his special on Dry Bar Comedy - if you enter the code JEFFLEESON you can watch it for free -  and please, please, if you ever have the chance to see him, go to one of his shows. Thanks for listening, please keep supporting and sharing the pod, it really helps out. If you could leave a review that’s even more and I am so appreciative of those who have.  Music by Devin Bateson.

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This week’s episode of Starting Out is all about obsession, in a good way, as I have my friend and comedy colleague, Joe Vu on. When I first approached Joe to come on, he said “oh I’ve started so many things - professional video game player, video game designer, professional poker play, journalist, copywriter, day trader, and of course comedian”, so naturally we had to go into each of them. We start with the harrowing tale of Joe and his parents escaping the war in Vietnam, ending up in Winnipeg, where despite all odds his father was able to achieve his medical degree and become a doctor AGAIN in Canada. There were so many expectations heaped on a young Joe to continue in his father's footsteps, and he was on his way until psychology, video games, and copyediting his campus’ newspaper derailed it, but that’s a good thing as you’ll hear. Joe has been featured at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, and CBC’s The Debaters. Please check out Joe’s first of many albums, First Generation Comedian. Thanks for the continued support of the show, I hope you’re all staying safe out there, and for those listening in real time - Happy New Year! Music by Devin Bateson.  

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I'm excited for you to hear this week’s episode of Starting Out, featuring the INCREDIBLY successful headlining comedian, my good friend, my golfing buddy, and simply one of the best people I know, Darryl Purvis. Right out of the gate Darryl and I have a lot of laughs, as we both share an obsession of standup from the early 80s, and golf at a young age. The pride of Antigonish, Darryl talks about how he’s never done drugs because of that obsessive tendency. Darryl moved to Toronto to pursue standup, then New York, San Diego, LA, Northern California, and eventually back to Toronto where he became one this country’s best headliners. We have a rollicking conversation, that isn’t unlike how we talk to each other on the golf course. Please go and see Darryl if you ever have the chance. Thanks for listening, please share with someone. Music by Devin Bateson. 

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This week’s Starting Out was a long time coming as I have wanted to have Patrick Coppolino on for a while now. You’ve heard Patrick’s name throughout this podcast, as he’s a Hamilton-based comic and now operator and manager of Levity Comedy Club & Lounge in downtown Hamilton. The theme of this week’s show is really chances, and taking the leap and just going for it, as Patrick outlines how a chance job opening allowed him to learning film editing and production for J.R Diggs - who was always worried Patrick would get snatched away from rival Tom Green, and how right he was. Patrick talks about going on a North American tour with the likes of Jason Rouse and Ari Shaffir, and then a challenge by Rouse to overhaul his act completely that changed everything for Pat as a comic. Finally we talk about managing a comedy club, the only viral video I’ve been a part of, and I try to give Pat his due for helping so many comics with chances throughout the years. This is a good one. Thanks for listening and supporting the show. Please support Levity Comedy Club if you’re around the Hamilton area. Music by Devin Bateson.

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This week on Starting Out is another banger, as I have the pride of Waterdown, Ont, Chris Jarvie on. I am so excited for you to hear this, as I forgot just how much I love sitting down with Jarvie and telling comedy stories. I didn’t even know how many parallels there were in our starting out stories, Chris also in Hamilton about a year before me. We talk about how much he benefited from hosting weekly trivia shows, and having the chance to do 2 whole hours of material on a mic each week. I mostly wanted to talk to Jarvie about the hosting and producing he does on a series of charity shows at Legions around the Hamilton area. One of these shows was the first time I ever got paid to do comedy and it holds a deep place in my heart, and we go deep about it here. We talk about the nuances of hosting, having a great closing bit, and advice we get and give to new comics, so if you’re new to standup, pay attention. Thanks for listening, if you’re ever in the St. Catharines area please check out the club Chris now works at, Showtime Comedy & Entertainment. Music by Devin Bateson. 

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All episodes here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1632913

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