KAMSACK — A comedian who has placed second in the prestigious Just for Laughs homegrown competition, interested Jimmy Kimmel, starred in a movie and is one of the busiest comedians on the college scene, will be entertaining in Kamsack on Saturday.
Kelly Taylor will be at the Kamsack Playhouse Jan. 14.
The Playhouse is a licensed venue. Proceeds will go towards the theatre and the Kamsack recreation committee.
“From the first time stepping on stage it was only nine short months later that Kelly was headlining,” said his webpage. “In just his second year of comedy, Kelly Taylor shocked the comedy industry by placing second in the prestigious Just for Laughs Homegrown competition.
“Competing against comics who have been in the business for 10-plus years, Taylor firmly made his mark at JFL. His performance did not go unnoticed as creative heads from NBC Universal, Happy Gilmore Productions and Jimmy Kimmel quickly approached with interest.
“Later that year Kelly did a tour of the Canadian colleges, and was named Canadian College Comedian of the year.
“Already conquering Canada, he has now moved on to being one the busiest comedians on the American college scene,” the webpage said. “Kelly also starred as the lead role in the movie Sure Shot Dombrowski.
“Kelly’s ability to headline clubs, corporate and college events at just three years into his budding career is evidence that this kid is the real deal. Aside from Just for Laughs, he has already appeared at the Vancouver and Halifax comedy festivals, and has performed all across the United States, including Los Angeles and New York City at some of the most well respected clubs in the industry.
Taylor credits his start in Saskatoon comedy clubs with giving him his confidence on stage. “It was great for starting out, because you could get a ton of stage time, and then you had to work on your material. In nine months, I got to do my own headline set. It was a good way to build material,” Taylor said.
He also spends much of his time on the road away from his home in Saskatoon, doing shows for colleges in the U.S and Canada.
“Campuses are different in Canada, as opposed to the U.S. In Canada, it’s more cut loose and free. I talk about drinking and partying and stuff like that, and in the U.S. it seems like they have comedy set up as an alternative for people going out and drinking,” he said. “I kind of tailor that show in America to just talking about everyday things.”
The funnyman says he developed his own sense of humour from his family, both from his father and his brothers.
Taylor says his father was “loud and in your face and really funny. He was always on and joking the whole time. And my brothers, it’s the same thing. My brother, his whole life, was burning me. Whatever you said or did, you got burned. All day. You had to have a defense for that, so it was back and forth. It’s a family thing.
“When I do corporate work, I talk about family and kids, whereas when I’m talking to a younger crowd, I rarely talk about having kids and that. Then it’s like, ‘Who’s this old guy?’”
His “down-home” style and uncensored comedy make Taylor extremely popular for those who like their comedy on the raw side.
