Just for Laughs review: Andy Kindler kicked off his week-long Alternative Show with Maria Bamford, Scott Thompson, and more

Andy Kindler’s The Alternative Show is the longest running show at Just for Laughs, allowing the more offbeat comedians at the festival the chance to revel in their weirdness for a few minutes starting at midnight each night.

Kindler is the perfect idiosyncratic host for the show, with his often cringe-worthy brand of comedy deconstruction where half his set might be spent explaining why the last joke was actually funny, or imploring the crowd to fill in their own punchline. He’s definitely not for everyone, but if you can get onboard with Kindler’s way of vocally emphasizing things that you might not expect, it’s a pretty hilarious ride.

Kicking off this year’s edition of the show at Theatre Sainte Catherine last night, Kindler actually stuck with a number of “traditional” jokes in his opening, including a takedown of his (former?) friend Louis CK. It was a relatively coherent set for Kindler, and probably the tightest I’ve ever seen him on the Alt Show.

Next up was the big gun of the night — ahead of her much-larger headlining show at Metropolis later this week, Maria Bamford took the stage and delivered a hilarious and often-perplexing song about the tolerance level her friends and family seem to have for her. Like most of Bamford’s work, it had a strong undertone of sadness, while still remaining laugh out loud funny.

Seeing Bamford in such an intimate venue was a pretty strong way to kick off the night, but the rest of the lineup was also impressive. Kids in the Hall alumni Scott Thompson dropped in under the guise of his Kids alter-ego Buddy Cole, a gay socialite / lounge lizard with an affection for graphic sex talk.

Laurie Kilmartin had a great set depicting the “joys” of motherhood, while Joel Kim Booster had a graphic yet amusing set discussing / basking in his sex addiction.

Finally, DeAnne Smith, who must be the festival’s hardest working performer given the number of appearances she clocks in each year, wrapped things up in the early morning with her blend of playful innocence cloaked in blistering punchlines.

As always, The Alternative Show remains the best ticket at Just for Laughs — with a selection of great performers that shifts from night-to-night, you’re guaranteed to see a strong cross-section of comedians that are freed-up from the constraints of the larger shows. The next morning will be rough, but it’s always worth it.

Andy Kindler’s Alternative Show runs through July 28th at midnight each night. For tickets visit the official Just for Laughs site.