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Like most proud husbands and fathers, Randy Webb loves sharing stories about his family. To his wife’s chagrin sometimes, Webb shares many of those stories with a public audience as part of his comedy routine.
“Most times she’ll sit in the back and shake her head, and there are times I’ve seen the look on her face like, ‘I can’t believe he’s telling that story,’ ” Webb chuckles.
The 42-year-old Lethbridge man admits he’s always been one for telling stories and adding embellishments. A fan of standup comedy, Webb was a regular at the now-closed Blarney Stone’s Yuk Yuk’s weekly comedy nights — as a patron, not a performer. That is, until a friend gave him an unforgettable birthday gift. Webb received five minutes of stage time, which he says went “really well.”
“Then I got five minutes here and five minutes there and then they asked me to host.”
That was six years ago and Webb continues to hone his craft. He works full-time with adults and children with disabilities but travels to Calgary at least six times a year to practise his own standup routines at amateur nights. He’s participated in several comic competitions, including Yuk Yuk’s Great Canadian Laugh Off in Edmonton where some of Canada’s funniest people compete for cash and a chance at comic stardom. Webb didn’t advance but he considers the competition a career highlight because the headliner later encouraged him to continue pursuing comedy because he enjoyed the act.
In Lethbridge, he continues to appear on stage as a host, introducing comics every month at Average Joe’s during the Yuk Yuk’s show. On Feb. 18, he’ll host Mike Dambra, better known as Pickle, and friends at the downtown watering hole. The show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets are $15.
Todd Lachairte, Think Tank Events promoter, says Webb was an easy choice for host because he’s local and “very funny.”
Hosting requires a measure of skill, says Webb. A good host keeps the show running smoothly and adapts his mini bits to the performers’ comedic styles.
“At least as a host, you don’t have to be funny,” he jokes.
Family obligations prevent him from pursuing comedy as a career. However, that may change once his daughters age 14 and 16 leave home, he says. Until then, he is content pursuing his “part-time hobby” while drawing inspiration from his life as a full-time husband and father.
“My bits deal with my wife, my kids, my family,” he says, adding being a father is one of the most frightening and rewarding experiences — second to performing on stage.
“I’ve had those few times where I’ve put my bit in and had crickets in the background but going up there and telling a story and people burst out laughing — it’s the best feeling in the world.”
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