Did you hear the one about the kid from Hamilton who got into comedy to stay out of the steel mills?
You'll hear about him, no doubt, if you go to Dunlop Lake Lodge next month to take in Eric Johnston's stand up comedy show, part of the UntouchaBULL Comedy Tour.
In this era of enforced political correctness and toxic social media posts, what's a comic got to joke about these days?
Johnston, raised in the Hamilton suburb of Stoney Creek, son of a professional wrestler, bases his fast paced, high energy one hour show on his life experiences.
He said as soon as he figured out the show was about him telling his life story, his career took off.
After 10 years of touring and 12 years as a stand up comedian, Johnston has adjusted to the fact that the show is really about his life.
"I grew up in Stoney Creek which is a very highly immigrant Italian, Croatian, Polish, Irish community.
"There were language barriers. There was definitely humour that survived in my neighbourhood," he continued.
He doesn't go out of his way to be Mr. Clean, but said there's little on the program that would offend your older aunt.
Johnston's performance rests on stories about the kids he grew up with, his family, the working class community he grew up in, and other relatable life experiences.
He avoids politics, something he doesn't follow. If there are hecklers in the room Johnston can usually placate them, or out talk them.
But not always. He told the story of an aspiring OHL player who once saved him from almost certain physical punishment by waylaying a man bent on charging the stage.
"I think through working hard and working through the steel mills or any kind of industry that's here in Hamilton, I think that all these guys have to do is sit around at lunch and laugh
"That just creates so many funny people.
"Now I'm at the point in my career where I've worked so hard that I've got the same money in the bank as if would have if I was in a steel mill," he continued.
Johnston's UntouchaBULL comedy Tour matinee show starts at 5 p.m., Sunday Oct. 23, at Dunlop Lake Lodge, with dinner to follow.
Tickets at $20 are available at the door or by calling or texting promoter Lesley Lynn at 705-862-2214.
Johnston's northern Ontario tour is part of a fall sweep through Ontario. He starts in Espanola on Oct 20, goes to Sudbury on Oct. 21, Blind River at Pier 17 on Oct. 22, and wraps up in Elliot Lake at Dunlop.Lake Lodge on Oct. 23.
"A comedy show is where you go to forget about the world not be reminded of it.
"You go into the room for the 90 minutes or two hours. And for that time, you don't care what's going on out there," he concluded.
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