Vancouver Comedy Festival Preview: Jo Koy

I've been covering entertainment and events in Vancouver for years and I have to say that comedy is arguably the largest growing entertainment sector in our fair city. From independent competitions, open mic nights, and the annual Vancouver Comedy Festival happening later this month.

This morning I had the chance to chat with comedian Jo Koy, who has moved his way up over the last decade from coffee house appearances to doing the Tonight Show.

Jo Koy was raised on the West Coast which makes him no stranger to Vancouver. "We'd go up there all the time to shop -- that was the big thing back in high school," he told me. I remarked that we often did the opposite, heading South, thanks to the proximity of Bellis Fair.

Koy shared that his career got a boost when he opened a show at the River Rock in Richmond a few years ago, calling it his "first big experience in a legit theatre" so Vancouver is a special place for him.

His comedy is topical however what makes it a success for his audiences are the personal stories including loving impersonations of his mother or young son (whose new puppy was causing a raucous while we spoke).

Koy is also active on Twitter and does live UStream hits from time to time. There are plenty of bootlegged videos of his performances available on YouTube which Koy said (in another interview) actually help him write and come up with fresh material.

He will be performing at the Commodore Ballroom September 12th, just before the Vancouver Comedy Festival takes over the city.

Tickets for Koy's performance are now on sale along with other Vancouver Comedy Festival shows including Tom Green, Gerry Dee, and Charlie Murphy.

You can catch Jo Koy weekly on E!'s Chelsea Lately and his Comedy Central special "Don't Make Him Angry" is currently available on DVD.