The top 5 club shows at this year’s Just for Laughs

Montreal’s annual Just for Laughs festival crams a lot of comedy into 2 short weeks. While most of the attention gets focused on the huge star-filled galas, which this year include hosts Seth Rogen, Andy Samberg, Chevy Chase and more, the club shows are always your best best. Comedy is best served by a small dark room that allows performers free reign, and this year’s edition of the festival offers up some of the best crop of current comedians in a number of intimate venues. As a bonus, the club shows are often the cheapest tickets at the festival, and can be bundled together for even further savings. Below we highlight 5 great club shows at Just For Laughs this year. Be sure to check out the festival’s official website for all ticketing info.

The Alternative Show
July 22-26 @ Katacombes, 1635 Boulevard Saint-Laurent. 11:45pm, $20

Dollar for dollar, this is consistently the best deal of the festival. Hosted by the ingratiatingly neurotic Andy Kindler, the show brings together a handful of the best “alternative” comics on a single bill. While that “alternative” tag might throw some off, this is simply a loose designation for forward-thinking comedians, and allows them the freedom to venture off into areas they couldn’t touch on a more mainstream bill. The lineups vary by night, but are almost uniformly exceptional. Over the last couple of years, the show has included spots by Tig Nataro, Todd Barry, Todd Glass, Hannibal Burress, Paul F. Tompkins, Eugene Mirman, and many more. If you’re looking for a glimpse of where comedy is heading, look no further.

Talk of the Fest – Broad City
July 22 @ Club Soda, 1225 Saint-Laurent, 7:00 & 10:00pm, $40-$54

Comedy Central’s Broad City is the breakout show of the year. Creators, writers, and stars Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson portray a couple of twenty-something stoner best friends, who embark on a new ridiculous lark every episode, from trying to score Lil Wayne tickets, to smuggling weed in their nether-regions. Often described as the “anti-Girls,” the show is a refreshingly juvenile yet affectionate look at modern life, as lived out by Williamsburg trust-funders (and their imitators worldwide). The pair’s manic energy should transition well to a live set-up, with the duo apparently setting each show around a specific theme, ensuring a unique experience each time.

T.J. Miller
July 25 @ L’Astral, 305 Ste Catherine West. 11:30pm, $36- $48

A long-kept secret amongst comedy nerds, T.J. Miller is now primed for much wider recognition. He starred in HBO’s Emmy-nominated Silicon Valley series earlier this year as an delusional tech start-up svengali, and even has a role in the latest Transformers: Edge of Extinction film, alongside ex-Funky Bunch leader Mark Wahlberg. A witty stand up performer with almost unbridled energy, this is likely the last year you’ll be able to catch T.J. at the club-level. With only one show slotted so far, this is one you should probably grab tickets to sooner rather than later.