This Week in Toronto: LOL in the North Comedy Show

            Laugh-hungry audience members trekked in the snow to get to Toronto’s John Bassett theatre Saturday night for the LOL in the North comedy show. Headliner Faizon Love, alongside comedians Capone, Jay Martin, Trixx, Rip Michaels and up and coming Aaron Lewin performed in front of an audience of almost 1,000 people.

            Lewin began the show by warming them up with some hearty laughs. His natural ability to grace the stage with comfort and a comedic response for everything got the crowd in the mood for the rest of the performers. His performance included him removing some clothes, all except his boxers.

            While the move was gutsy, comedian Trixx agrees that taking risks is necessary to be a good comedian.

            “If you don’t take risks, you get too comfortable,” Trixx said during a pre-show interview. “If you’ve never taken risks, bombed a show or been booed, you never go home and think ‘what do I need to work on’?”

            This was Lewin’s second time at the John Bassett theatre. He enjoys performing there because it forces him to be a creative and comedic centerpiece for the 1,300-seat venue.

            Before shows, Lewin spends time in his dressing room looking in the mirror, dong push-ups, and mentally preparing himself for his skit. With a list of words penned into his left hand as just-in-case-cues, he takes on the tremendous responsibility of setting the stage for both himself and the performers after.

            When Jay Martin announced to Lewin that there was a switch in the order, he handled it with grace.

            “You’re up first, rooks,” Martin said to Lewin backstage shortly before showtime. “First, first.”

            The same ease and grace that Lewin had in this instance was brought with him to the stage. His routine included racial jokes, what it’s like being the only black guy in his suburb town of Richmond Hill, Bill Cosby’s news headlines, and of course, the difference between a white man and a black man approaching a girl in the club.

            The crowd enjoyed Lewin, as most of his audiences do. He meets the difficulty of stand-up with an impressive calm, one that forces the audience to feel calm, too, in between laughter of course.

            Lewin’s next shows are set for February 15^th, 22^nd and 26^th.