EDMONTON, Alberta – As much as the world has changed over the past 2 years, your favourite comedians haven’t lost their talent for finding the levity and humour in the chaos that has been the world over the past 2 years with the pandemic. But on a smaller, regional scale that spans the 4 western provinces, this jocularity is going to be taken to new levels this spring with the “Field of Pipe Dreams” stand-up comedy tour!
It all started as a dream for Mike Rochburns, a former field foreman from Camrose, Alberta, who sat down with 2P News’ Rocker Smith to talk about the genesis of his idea for the comedy tour.
Mike Rochburns, tour’s creator
“We all know it’s been a tough slog for the oil and gas industry for the past 6, 7, 8 years. I lost my job, pretty much all of my buddies lost their jobs, it’s been a shitshow. So one night, while having some beers and side-splittin’ chuckles with some of my unemployed buddies, one of them jokingly said, ‘Dude, you kill me… hahaha… ever thought about doing stand-up… hehehehe,’ and that’s when the lightbulb went off. So I stood up on my stool and started crackin’ some funnies and before you know it I had the entire place on the floor.” – Mike Rochburns
According to entertainment analysts in Alberta, this comedy tour, that is centered around the pros and cons of working and living in the oil patch, is a first of its kind and it is expected to sell out every night.
The “Field of Pipe Dreams” stand-up comedy tour is coming to a small Alberta town near you.
The tour will begin in Camrose, Alberta, and make stops in a number of small towns across BC, AB, SK, and even Manitoba. Each show will be headlined by a different comedian and visitors can expect to see 7 to 8 professional comedians on a given night, including opening acts from local amateurs. The touring comedians will include Clee Torres, Anita Hanjaab, Jenny Tayla, Rex Sean, Dang Lin-Wang, and special guest comedian hailing from Houston,TX, Willie B. Hardigan.
Willie B. Hardigan, tour headliner from Houston, Tx
“Oh, man. This is so exciting. When Mike Rochburns called me up a few months ago asking me if I’d want to be on the marquee of his comedy tour, I said, ‘Hellz yeah, I’m all over that like Oprah on a baked ham.’ I had just lost my job as a drilling manager in the Permian and figured this was an opportunity of a lifetime,” Willie told 2P News.
When asked by 2P’s Yu Mii to crack a few quick jokes, Willie instinctively responded with, “Well, I work with my ol’ lady on the rigs, and the other day I pissed her off real heavy, so she sent me to the dog house! (long pause)… Get it? The dog house. That’s where I spend a good part of my time anyhow.” Willie continued with another joke by saying, “The other day I was in the field, and when I stepped out of my truck, my boot got stuck in the mud. Hahaha… yeah, I’m saving that one for when I feel that I’m starting to lose the crowd.”
2P News is proud to sponsor this tour, and we’re pleased to let you know that you can get your tickets today at ShamTix.com. Get them before they’re gone.
