Zawatsky is half of the line-up for the ‘Back to the Funny’ show, a two-night comedy dinner event Dec. 10 and 11, in Saltcoats. He will perform along with well-known Saskatoon comedian Matthew Murray.
For Zawatsky the event is something of a homecoming.
“I am from Saltcoats originally. I lived there until Grade 7 then I moved to Yorkton and lived there until I moved to Saskatoon for University,” he explained, adding “. . . this will be my first show in Saltcoats.”
And being his first time in front of a hometown crowd, Zawatsky said he is more than a tad nervous.
“My nerves are crazy for this show, but I’m super excited to bring some laughter to my hometown,” he told Yorkton This Week. “I am just worried that some of the jokes and stories I tell are gonna embarrass my family.”
Being a stand-up comedian wasn’t exactly in the plans for Zawatsky after high school, turning out to be something of fallback position he has found he really likes.
After heading to university, Zawatsky found it wasn’t a good fit.
“I dropped out of university and came back to Yorkton for a year then moved back to Saskatoon where I’m currently staying to do stand-up comedy,” he explained.
So, how the jump from classroom to comedy stage?
“Once I dropped out of University in December 2019, I moved back in with my parents and wasn’t really sure what I was gonna do with my life,” said Zawatsky.
“I had always wanted to try stand-up and I thought it was the perfect time to try it since I had literally nothing else going on at the time. So I decided to try writing some jokes.
“I started watching YouTube videos on stand-up writing and started practicing on my friends.
“Then once I had material I was confident in, I found out that Saskatoon was the only place in Saskatchewan at the time with an open mic. Then went up on stage for my first time in summer 2020 at The Black Cat Tavern in Saskatoon and absolutely bombed.”
But Zawatsky also had the bug for comedy perhaps because humour has always been important to him.
“I’ve always enjoyed making people laugh, whether it’s with family and friends or in school. I was always doing everything I could to make people laugh which got me into trouble lots,” he explained. “Some of my friends in high school had told me I was funny and I should try doing stand-up.”
But, just being funny doesn’t mean you can make it work on a stage under the bright lights.
“I feel like everyone can be funny with their friends or family but it’s a whole different beast getting up on stage,” said Zawatsky.
But there is also something amazing when it works on stage.
“When you have a room full of people laughing at your jokes you get the same feeling you get when riding a roller coaster,” said Zawatsky. “But when you tell jokes on stage and no one laughs it feels like that roller coaster just flew off the rails and crashed.
“However the highs definitely outweigh the lows.
“When your jokes fall flat you can’t think ‘man I really sucked tonight’. You have to think ‘why did I suck?’ What part of that joke didn’t work? How can I make it better?
“It’s impossible to do good on stage every time so having tough skin is an absolute must.”
Good material helps and that’s where the writing behind the scenes comes into play.
“There are so many processes to writing,” said Zawatsky.
“Sometimes something happens during the day and you’re just like okay that’s a joke. Or ‘Hey it would be funny if that happened’.
“Lots of my jokes come from my experiences, but I also like to read the news to draw some inspiration if I’m having trouble thinking of topics to write about.
“I watch a ton of YouTube videos of joke writing tips and how to edit jokes. I’ve looked at so many different techniques and tricks that my brain is about to pop.
“But there is so much material that comes from everyday life and real conversations that I find myself writing ideas or funny conversations in my phone all day to look back on, then see if I can take it on stage or expand on it.
“My stories are mostly based on real life experiences. Some stuff happens in my life that I just think is hilarious and think there’s no way I could’ve sat at a desk and come up with that.”
So does Zawatsky have someone he sees as an influence?
“Bill Burr is a huge influence on my comedy,” he replied. “His sarcastic style is definitely one of my favourites because I’ve always had a smart mouth.
“I feel like I’m too early into comedy to really determine what style of comic I am. But I try to tell all kinds of jokes to have some variety to my sets.”
While the Saltcoats show will be a hometown first for Zawatsky he has been honing his craft at other venues.
“I have done open mics at bars all over Saskatoon,” he said.
“Last summer I was working with a group called Lawnchair Laughs out of Saskatoon that would get hired to do backyard shows all over Saskatchewan.
“I’ve booked multiple spots at The Comedy Pit in Saskatoon for the competition ‘Saskatoon’s Funniest Person with a Day Job’.
“As well as I just recently did a showcase show at High Key Brewery with The Comedy Lab where my set was recorded and submitted to Winnipeg Comedy Festival for a possible TV spot next spring.
“I have also guest hosted Yuk Yuks on Tour at the Park Town Hotel in Saskatoon.”
As for the upcoming show in Saltcoats, tickets can be bought online at tinyurl.com/comedy2021 or call Matthew directly at (306) 229-5544.
