But eventually, I get around to thinking "Cottage Country"!

In Ontario, Cottage Country is nestled in the picturesque Muskoka region two hours north of Toronto. And, nestled inside that is beautiful Lake Rosseau, where, just a couple of weeks ago, Laugh Out Loud recorded an evening of stand up at The Cottage Country Comedy Festival featuring Rob Bebenek and K Trevor Wilson.

You'll also hear a little tip of the hat to the late great Irwin Barker.

The last two episodes of this season of Laugh Out Loud will be Listener All Request Extravaganzas! Which comedian did you like so much this past season that you simply have to hear again? Let me know...but you have to let me know WHY you loved them so much!

Email your impassioned plea to lol@cbc.ca and, if we play your pick, we'll read your email on the air AND you'll get a Laugh out Loud prize pack!

~Craig

PS. Don't forget that we'll be back up at The Cottage Country Comedy Festival on August 11th, recording at The Rene M. Caisse Theatre in Bracebridge!

O'Sullivan's family says the 48-year-old -- a well-known presence on the Canadian stage --died Friday.

A longtime performer with the Second City improv troupe, O'Sullivan also appeared on the small screen in shows such as Little Mosque on the Prairie, An American in Canada and Murdoch Mysteries.

His partner, the actor Linda Kash, is currently performing in Lost In Yonkers at Toronto's Jane Mallett theatre.

The show has been put on hold until Wednesday in the wake of his death.

Police say Friday's crash occurred around 2:30 p.m. local time after a vehicle left the road, crossed the shoulder and struck a parked flatbed pickup.

Courtesy of cbc.ca and The Canadian Press

You'll hear a set from Johnny Bagpipes who - as you may have guessed - has a certain "instrument" that he uses onstage. I'll give you a hint: it's bagpipes.

Plus, a comic whose perspective on life is no doubt influenced in large part by his rather unique marriage. It's Perry Perlmutar.

Shockingly, we are just five shows away from the end of this season of LOL and we want you to help us program the final two episodes!

Like last season, we're going to wave goodbye to this one with a Two Part Season Ending All Request Extravaganza!

It's your chance to let us know which comic you really loved this year and which one you want to hear again!

We've received a tonne of pitches already. So, don't be shy, get your requests into us! Hit the Contact button, or just email lol@cbc.ca! If we use your pick, we'll read your email on the air and you'll receive a Laugh Out Loud gift pack!

I want to remind you that Laugh Out Loud will be at The Cottage Country Comedy Festival in Bracebridge, Ontario on Saturday August 11th at the Rene M Caisse Memorial Theatre in Bracebridge. Ticket info here.

We haven't completely confirmed the lineup, but I would pencil that date in your datebook...does anyone besides me still even use a datebook?...be that as it may, set that date aside, because it is going to be an amazing evening of comedy, and I'll be on hand, hosting the whole shindig!

Have a safe and happy Victoria Day Weekend!

~Craig

This is an encore episode from November 2011.

The three performers we have for you this week have - among many other things - appeared on stages all over the world from New York to London to Dublin to Montreal.  You've seen them on late night talk shows and in Norm MacDonald's case, on Saturday Night Live.

Stay tuned to the end of the show for a preview of what you will hear next week. Bagpipes by the way - seriously - we've got bagpipes!

~Tracy

I'm going to start the show at the Glenn Gould Studio inside the CBC Building in Toronto where you'll hear from a very funny relative newcomer, Keith Pedro, and the evening's MC, Ali Hassan.

Then, it's out to Vancouver for a set from Sunee Dhaliwal.

We are in the homestretch of this season of LOL and I want to tell you about something very special that we're doing for the final two episodes.

We want you - yes, you - to help us fill those shows!

Think about the past year of LOL.

Which comic really stood out for you? Which one would you love to hear again? Well, let us know, because our final two shows will be All-Request Specials!

Hit the "Contact" button up there. Then, tell us which comic you want to hear again. BUT, you have to tell us why! We'll pick the most passionate pitches, and read them on the air before playing your request!

But that's not all! If we play your pick you'll also get your very own Laugh Out Loud mug.

How can you refuse? (That's a rhetorical question, of course)

Next weekend, May 12th, Laugh Out Loud will be in Minett, Ontario recording a bunch of new material at The Cottage Country Comedy Fest.

Then, we'll be back that way again in August - this time in Bracebridge, Ontario - for more from Cottage Country Comedy Fest, where I'll be hosting an amazing evening of comics that you'll be hearing on LOL next season!

~Craig

This week I'm bringing you the final instalment of the 10th Annual "Accent On Toronto".

Recorded last October, Accent is a celebration of diversity - in stand-up form - and it all happened at the historic Danforth Music Hall in...well, you guessed it...Toronto!

You're going to hear two very well-known, very accomplished Canadian comedians; Debra DiGiovanni and the evening's MC, Angelo Tsarouchas.

Unbelievably, we are coming to the end of another season of Laugh Out Loud. In a mere six weeks we will be shutting it down for the summer.

Yes, I know, six weeks! Why am I mentioning this now? Am I that needy?!? NO!

I bring it up because the final two episodes of this season will be programmed by YOU! Yes, you! We want to know which comics really resonated with you this past season! Hit that "Contact" button up there and tell us which comedian you want to hear again!

Now, you can't just email and give us a comic's name! We want to hear your most impassioned pitch for WHY you want to hear the comic again! If we pick your comic, we'll read your pitch on the air AND you'll get a Laugh Out Loud gift pack!

~Craig

We'll be back next week with a brand new show, recorded on our Winter Road Trip in Vancouver!

On today's show I have a couple of comics that LOL recorded at the "Misfortune Tellers" Gala at this year's Winnipeg Comedy Festival.

It is more than a lesson you learned, I'm sure...you were most likely conditioned not to do it.

If someone trips and falls, don't laugh!

If a kid passes out during a spelling bee, don't laugh!

If someone gets in a car accident, shatters their knee and has their femur driven through their pelvis, don't laugh?

And that last one's going to be the challenge today.

Because that's precisely what happened to Rob Pue and you'll hear precisely how funny it was.

You'll also hear a set rife with misforture from Wawa, Ontario's Pete Zedlacher!

And this is the best kind of misfortune, in that it's not yours! Unless you are Pete Zedlacher and you're listening to the show. In which case, hello Pete!

~Craig

You'll hear Daryl Makk, Kevin Stobo and Cory Mack live in the intimate setting of Broken City Social Club in Calgary, Alberta. It was part of Comedy Monday Night, a weekly comedy showcase put on by James Moore (who took the photos in today's blog).

And, don't worry if you don't live in what one would refer to as a "major city centre"! Sure, we love Calgary and Toronto and Winnipeg and Montreal and Halifax, but we also love Thunder Bay and Kamloops and Saint John and Wadena and Pictou!

But we can't know about where you live unless you tell us! So, email us at laughoutloud@cbc.ca and let us know about your town. You can also leave a message on our facebook page facebook.com/LOLCBC or tweet us @LOLCBC!

So, inform us, Canada. Let us know where we should be going next season! Hope you have a great Holiday Weekend!

~Craig

Hailing from Saint Lucia, Gilson has now spent most of his life in Canada. While he's spent time as a host on MTVCanada Live and acted in a bunch of television commercials, it's onstage, doing standup in front of a live audience, where I think he's at his best.

Sitting in the audience that night, what struck me the most about Gilson was his use of dynamics. As you'll hear in this set, the way he weaves a story - using highs and lows and sometimes outright silence - is pretty incredible!

We still have a lot more comedy from Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, and you'll be hearing that in the weeks ahead!

~Craig

You've already heard some stuff that we recorded in Toronto and Calgary. Now, it's time to head to Vancouver, British Columbia and just a sampling of what we captured for you there!

You'll hear the very funny and probably quite familiar, Charlie Demers. But, I also have a couple of names that aren't quite as recognizable...yet.

You've already heard some stuff that we recorded in Toronto and Calgary. Now, it's time to head to Vancouver, British Columbia and just a sampling of what we captured for you there!

You'll hear the very funny and probably quite familiar, Charlie Demers.

But, I also have a couple of names that aren't quite as recognizable...yet.

While out in Vancouver last month, we planted ourselves at The Comedy Mix for two nights. The first night was filled with "newer" comics that were vying for a wildcard spot for our live recording on the next night! The plan was to pick one of them to add to our bill.

We ended up adding two, great young comics; Michelle Shaughnessy and Chris James! As soon as we heard them, we knew they had to be on the show!

Special thanks this week to our Vancouver recording crew, Susana Valente and Alexis Douglas.

Thanks, as well, to Rob and Mario at the Comedy Mix in Vancouver!

~Craig

A couple of weeks back, we were honoured to be at Broken City Social Club, tape rolling...well computer digitizing where nine Calgary comics took the stage, and I have two of them in this show! The understated, contemplative Terry Hollas and well, pretty much the other side of that coin, Trent McClellan!

A couple of weeks back, we were honoured to be at Broken City Social Club, tape rolling...well computer digitizing where nine Calgary comics took the stage, and I have two of them in this show! The understated, contemplative Terry Hollas and well, pretty much the other side of that coin, Trent McClellan!

It was an evening filled with headlining comics, and we asked them to distil their sets down to around the 12 minute mark. The results are potent.

I think it's safe for me to speak for LOL producer Tracy Rideout and tell you that we LOVED Calgary!  The comics were great, the club was fantastic and even the people we met along the way were incredible!

For example, Tracy and I were standing outside, waiting for a cab to take us to the club when a friendly gentleman approached us, making casual polite conversation.

During our chat, we soon learned that we were speaking to very well-known Calgary playwright (and ubiquitous CBC radio guest) Eugene Strickland! Small, small world! Eugene let us know that cabs are extremely scarce whenever there's a Flames game on...and Tracy and I were running late!! Eugene disappeared inside the restaurant, then emerged with his friend, Frank, who offered to give us a ride to the venue!

We took Frank up on his offer and I want to thank him again for his help! Thanks Frank. Calgarians are nice people!

I also want to send very special thanks to James Moore (not the Heritage Minister..although he's good, too!) No, the James Moore to whom I refer is a tireless supporter of comedy in Calgary, running Comedy Monday Night, and he was an enormous help to us while we were there! Truly, we couldn't have done any of it without him.

Cheers James, and thanks for these cool photos, too!

In the weeks ahead, you'll be hearing more comics that we recorded on that great night in Calgary!

~Craig

This week, the spotlight is fixed on Dave Merheje, with a set that Laugh Out Loud recorded a mere three weeks ago at Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto.

It was the first stop on our 2012 Winter Road Trip, and as you'll hear in Dave's set, we hit the ground running!

Born in Windsor, Ontario, he now calls Toronto home and even though a lot of his most raw, honest and fearless material centres around growing up in a Lebanese-Canadian home, a lot of his story-telling tackles immediately familiar and identifiable themes.

That said, a lot of his stuff isn't familiar or identifiable at all!

But it is riveting, tangential, passionate, circuitous and extremely funny.

Dave won last year's Just For Laughs Irwin Barker Homegrown Comedy Competition, and it's easy to see why in this set!

Next week, I'll have a couple of comics that we recorded in Calgary at Comedy Monday Night at Broken City Social Club!

~Craig

This week, the spotlight is fixed on Dave Merheje, with a set that Laugh Out Loud recorded a mere three weeks ago at Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto.

It was the first stop on our 2012 Winter Road Trip, and as you'll hear in Dave's set, we hit the ground running!

Born in Windsor, Ontario, he now calls Toronto home and even though a lot of his most raw, honest and fearless material centres around growing up in a Lebanese-Canadian home, a lot of his story-telling tackles immediately familiar and identifiable themes.

That said, a lot of his stuff isn't familiar or identifiable at all!

But it is riveting, tangential, passionate, circuitous and extremely funny.

Dave won last year's Just For Laughs Irwin Barker Homegrown Comedy Competition, and it's easy to see why in this set!

Next week, I'll have a couple of comics that we recorded in Calgary at Comedy Monday Night at Broken City Social Club!

~Craig

Now, get it out of the gutter; it's not inappropriate in a salacious or lewd way (sorry). The comics we have for you just fly in the face of the notion that "video killed the radio star".

See? That reference is probably the worst thing you're going to hear on the show.

Today you'll hear styles of comedy that don't usually work without the visuals.

As you'll hear in sets from Hot Thespian Action, Hal Sparks and Reggie Watts, there are always exceptions.

Here's some video of Hal and Reggie!

Thanks to everyone who came out last week in Calgary and Vancouver for Laugh Out Loud's Winter Road Trip live tapings!

We recorded a tonne of stuff and it will all be airing on the show very soon!

~Craig

Now, get it out of the gutter; it's not inappropriate in a salacious or lewd way (sorry). The comics we have for you just fly in the face of the notion that "video killed the radio star".

See? That reference is probably the worst thing you're going to hear on the show.

Today you'll hear styles of comedy that don't usually work without the visuals.

As you'll hear in sets from Hot Thespian Action, Hal Sparks and Reggie Watts, there are always exceptions.

Here's some video of Hal and Reggie!

Thanks to everyone who came out last week in Calgary and Vancouver for Laugh Out Loud's Winter Road Trip live tapings!

We recorded a tonne of stuff and it will all be airing on the show very soon!

~Craig

Khalil Gibran once wrote that "Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror". That piece of wisdom is essential in this era of supermodels, plastic surgery, and society imposing upon us its stereotype of beauty.

That piece of wisdom probably isn't essential to today's show, though. I just brought it up because it sounded kind of smart and cool. Plus, Ayn Rand has surprisingly few quotes about beauty.

Our comics have looked at themselves in both the literal and metaphorical mirror...and as you'll hear, some aren't as happy with themselves as you'd think.

Ryan Belleville for LOL Feb 25 2012.mp3You'll hear introspective (not really) sets from Maureen Langan, Pete Johansson, and Ryan Belleville.

I want to take just a second here to say thanks to everyone who came out last week for the first show in Laugh Out Loud's Winter Road Trip! A great night at Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, and you'll be hearing it - very soon - on an upcoming episode of LOL!

And our road trip continues! This coming Monday Night - February 27th, we'll be at Broken City in Calgary, Alberta with a huge line up of great local talent! Click here for info!

Then, two nights later, Wednesday, the 29th, we'll be at The Comedy Mix in Vancouver, British Columbia! Click here for info!

Both shows are being recorded for future LOL episodes so come on out and be part of the live audience! Tracy and I will both be on hand, too, so make sure you say hello!

~Craig

Khalil Gibran once wrote that "Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror". That piece of wisdom is essential in this era of supermodels, plastic surgery, and society imposing upon us its stereotype of beauty.

That piece of wisdom probably isn't essential to today's show, though. I just brought it up because it sounded kind of smart and cool. Plus, Ayn Rand has surprisingly few quotes about beauty.

Our comics have looked at themselves in both the literal and metaphorical mirror...and as you'll hear, some aren't as happy with themselves as you'd think.

Ryan Belleville for LOL Feb 25 2012.mp3You'll hear introspective (not really) sets from Maureen Langan, Pete Johansson, and Ryan Belleville.

I want to take just a second here to say thanks to everyone who came out last week for the first show in Laugh Out Loud's Winter Road Trip! A great night at Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, and you'll be hearing it - very soon - on an upcoming episode of LOL!

And our road trip continues! This coming Monday Night - February 27th, we'll be at Broken City in Calgary, Alberta with a huge line up of great local talent! Click here for info!

Then, two nights later, Wednesday, the 29th, we'll be at The Comedy Mix in Vancouver, British Columbia! Click here for info!

Both shows are being recorded for future LOL episodes so come on out and be part of the live audience! Tracy and I will both be on hand, too, so make sure you say hello!

~Craig

And, captured at the "Does This Joke Make Me Look Fat? Gala", I'll have a killer set from Dana Alexander!

**UPDATE - FEBRUARY 25, 2012!**

"Laugh Out Loud Presents" will be taping brand new radio shows next week as we head off on our first winter tour!

First stop, Comedy Monday Night in Calgary at Broken City, Monday, February 27th - performers include Cory Mack, Trent McClellan and Kevin Stobo.
 
Then it's off to The Comedy Mix in Vancouver on Wednesday, February 29th where you can hear brand new material by Darcy Michael plus Charles Demers, Graham Clark, Erica Sigurdson and more.
 
Click on the links for ticket info. Both Tracy and I will be there so please come by and say hello!

~Craig

And, captured at the "Does This Joke Make Me Look Fat? Gala", I'll have a killer set from Dana Alexander!

**UPDATE - FEBRUARY 25, 2012!**

"Laugh Out Loud Presents" will be taping brand new radio shows next week as we head off on our first winter tour!

First stop, Comedy Monday Night in Calgary at Broken City, Monday, February 27th - performers include Cory Mack, Trent McClellan and Kevin Stobo.
 
Then it's off to The Comedy Mix in Vancouver on Wednesday, February 29th where you can hear brand new material by Darcy Michael plus Charles Demers, Graham Clark, Erica Sigurdson and more.
 
Click on the links for ticket info. Both Tracy and I will be there so please come by and say hello!

~Craig