Dino Archie is ready to get nasty.

The Vancouver by way of California stand-up returns to Montreal this week as part of The Nasty Show, one of the longest-running and most popular annual showcases at the Just for Laughs festival. Hosted By Quebec’s own Mike Ward, the lineup also features Donnell Rawlings, Steph Tolev, Adrienne Iapalucci, and Geoffrey Asmus.

“I haven’t looked forward to a show like this in a long time,” says Archie by phone on Tuesday afternoon, hours before opening night of The Nasty Show’s run at Club Soda. “The first show is the exciting part — how far can we push the line? Or is there a line? Is the crowd going to be nasty? I’m hoping for complete consensual madness.”

Toxic But Safe

That delicate balancing act of pushing boundaries without forgetting the punchline lies at the heart of Dino Archie’s comic approach. The latest and best example of that high-wire act is Toxic But Safe, Archie’s first official stand-up special that he self-produced and put up on YouTube for free earlier this year.

“It was empowering,” says Archie of the DIY decision to put up the self-financed special himself, allowing him to bypass the gatekeepers of comedy and bring his act directly to fans around the globe. “Not waiting for a company to give you the green light, and then not waiting for their money or their say. We’re at a place where comedians and artists can just do it themselves. I come from a filmmaking background, and I kind of looked at it as almost an independent movie. This was one of the first times where I just watched it and enjoyed it, I was like, this motherfucker’s funny! It was cool to capture that moment in time.”

“I’m not a complete prick”

Toxic But Safe can also describe Archie’s overall comedic philosophy; he’ll happily tackle touchy subjects like R. Kelly Fans and gun control, but he still wants you to know his heart is in the right place.

“You have to be genuine to your sense of humor,” he stresses. “All the things I said in that special, that’s how I think, you know? I find humor in a lot of these things, but at the same time, I’m not a complete prick. The idea is to make people laugh, but what’s the point in making you laugh and pandering to what is acceptable?”

“It’s my job to make it easy for you to laugh at this fucked up shit,” says Archie of his material. “When I leave the stage, I want you vibrating on a good frequency. I’m just going to use these talking points and this funny shit to get you there.”

The Nasty Show runs from July 18-26 at Club Soda. Tickets are available here.