Kootenay Gutbuster’s founder Daryl Makk can hardly believe they’ve already reached the tenth anniversary of their popular annual weekend celebration of all things funny, held in Crawford Bay.
“The Gutbuster is the kind of show you can’t get in the clubs,” said Makk, who noted the event is the only two-night outdoor comedy concert in Canada. “I like to call it the ‘funniest vacation ever’.”
The event, which is coming up on July 24 and 25, includes live music and stand up comedy, and the audience is encouraged to camp or stay nearby. The show often goes late into the night, too late to take a ferry back across Kootenay Lake without missing some of the performers.
Makk said one one of the things that makes him most proud is the customers who return every year, from all over North America, for the event.
This year’s lineup includes Kerry Unger, Damonde Tschritter, Sean Lecomber, Ken Valgardson, Marcus Ryan, James Moore and Wafik Nasrella — who bills himself as the “funniest one-eyed Egyptian Canadian comedian on the planet”.
“We have some really cool people booked to show up, and everyone is there to have fun. Right now there’s a lineup of comics who want to do it,” he said.
“We encourage everyone to explore the area by day and laugh their butts of by night.”
Makk himself likes to poke at society’s hypocrisy with his act.
“I love pointing out some of our little flaws, or emphasizing how we go against nature’s plan. You know, we were meant to be picked off by predators. Now we protect the weak and move them to the middle of the herd—I guess you could say I think there’s too much over-pampering of self-entitled people.”
Make said expect to make new friends and meet new people during the festival, and of course—expect plenty of laughs.
The weekend pass for the event costs $66, or $33 for July 24 only and $35 for July 25 only.
For more informationvisit kgbcomedy.com.
This story will be published in the Friday issue of the West Kootenay Advertiser.