Laughs on tap at local brewery: Windsor’s comedy scene here to stay — and growing | CBC News

With standing-room only shows and a festival coming up this month, the comedy scene in Windsor is here to stay. 

Brewing for Comedy, a series of regular stand-up shows at Craft Beads Brewing Company, is now a staple of the local comedy scene for pro and amateur comedians alike. 

Jen Richardson is one of those comedians, and a host of a local show. Windsor’s comedy scene is growing, she said. Post-pandemic, people want to get out more, she said. 

“Once people started to go out and be allowed to do things again, everybody’s just in the mood to laugh. The comedy scene in Windsor, there’s more and more comedians that are coming out. 

“It’s standing-room only for an open mic on a Tuesday and all of the comedians are just levelling up. 

“The audience is great… if you want to go and feel good vibes it’s a it’s a great place to [be].”

Comedians across the scene in Windsor have used the time to continue to grow and get better, she said.

Brewing for Comedy Festival takes the stage this month

On Friday, Brewing for Comedy held an LGBTQ comedy showcase and, later in the evening, an amateur open mic night. 

“It’s also because the comedians are good,” Richardson said. “There definitely is an appetite. People are ready to laugh and have a good time and just enjoy life again.”

It’s culminating later this month with the Brewing for Comedy Festival, the first-of-its-kind comedy festival in Windsor. Running from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2, there will be nine free shows as well as a “Best of Fest” show to conclude the event at the Capitol Theatre. 

“It’s definitely going to be like a celebration of Windsor’s comedy and how far we’ve come in the last couple years,” said Paul Montanier, director of the festival. 

“I’ve been doing comedy in winter for about eight years and Windsor’s comedy scene has changed a lot since then. I know that people … don’t know that we exist. I think that’s the biggest issue that we face. 

“This is kind of like a celebration and being able to show people our local talent on the same stage with you know the best comedians that we could find.”

Craft Heads is home base for Windsor comedy, with Brewing for Comedy shows held there weekly and nine of the 10 Brewing for Comedy Festival shows set to be held there. 

“We’ve also gotten really great support from Windsor’s art and culture scene,” Montanier said. “People have been coming back to shows. Craft Heads has been amazing for us, they’ve been helping us. They’re like an arts and culture headquarters for Windsor, basically.”

Comedy a way for people to come together

Billy Squires is a producer of a Brewing for Comedy show, and is on the festival board. He said comedy creates a chance for people to come together. 

“I think people have needed to come together and have a good time together as a collective, as citizens of this city,” Squires said.

 “They always complain about there not being enough to do. But when we can all get together and laugh about some of the same things … that really brings the whole group together and moving forward.”

If you’re reading this and wondering if comedy is for you — or you’ve always wanted to give it a shot — Richardson has some advice. 

“Just do it. If you bomb, you bomb. Everybody bombs. The hardest part is taking that step and getting on the stage,” she said. 

“But also prepare. Don’t just wing it. If it’s your first time doing stand up, make sure like you’ve written out your jokes and get to the funny, fast.”