Indigenous comics gear up for livestreamed night of laughter

Keith (Bubbas) Nahanee was looking to lift the spirits of members from his Squamish Nation back in 2014.

From January through September of that year, Nahanee’s First Nation in British Columbia suffered 41 deaths.

Some of those deaths were from natural causes. Others were cancer related. And some others were due to suicide.

Nahanee decided to organize a comedy show for his First Nation to provide some temporary relief to community members.

About 85 people showed up for Nahanee’s inaugural event.

“I wouldn’t say it’s the best medicine, but it’s a damn good one,” Nahanee said of laughter, which he has now turned into a side career.

Nahanee continues to work as an outreach worker for Squamish Nation, assisting members of his community who are living on Vancouver’s streets.

And he operates Bubbas Comedy Show. His business has travelled to various First Nations bringing laughs throughout the province.

He’s also performed at various pubs, casinos, open mic nights, birthday parties and staff parties. And a regular gig is performing comedy monthly at the Kypriaki Mediterranean Grill, a Greek restaurant in North Vancouver.

And now, because of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions to performing live for audiences, Nahanee is gearing up for a bit of a different set.

Bubbas Comedy Show will livestream from the Presentation House Theatre in North Vancouver on Feb. 13.

Tickets for the show are available here. Depending on their ability to pay, viewers will have the option of purchasing a ticket for either $15 or $12.

Nahanee will be one of four comics performing during the event. The comedic material for the evening will focus on relationships, as it is being held the night before Valentine’s Day.

Another Indigenous comic, Beverley O’Neil, a member of Ktunaxa Nation in B.C., is also scheduled to perform a set.

O’Neil has previously performed in many other shows that Nahanee has produced in recent years.

A pair of non-Indigenous comics will also take part. They are Byron Bertram, who lives in Vancouver, and Justin Nichol, a resident of New Westminster, B.C.

Nahanee believes he continues to fulfil his original wish of lifting the spirits of those from his community.

“I think it’s helped out a lot,” he said. “Some of them do come to my shows when they can.”

He’s uncertain how many people might tune in for the Feb. 13 event.

“There is a need for it,” he said.

Nahanee realizes people in search of some laughs can get them for free by watching some high-profile comics on YouTube.

“But people that want to hear some local stuff and maybe different life experiences, they’ll come into it and watch us,” he said.

As for his nickname Bubbas, Nahanee explained he has had that since he was a young child. He said he drank from a baby bottle until he was three-and-a-half.

Instead of milk, however, his mother often filled his bottle with tea since it was cheaper.

Nahanee said he would go around his house saying ‘Where is my bubbas?’. His uncle then started calling him Bubbas, a nickname that has stuck with the now 48-year-old.

Though they have been unable to perform at live gigs because of the pandemic, both Nahanee and O’Neil do have some recent comedy experience in front of the camera.

They both performed virtually for participants of the Truth and Reconciliation Week hosted by Capilano University in North Vancouver this past October.

A camera operator and some university staff were allowed to be in the same room as the comics.

“You almost just focus on them,” Nahanee said, since it is impossible to see what type of reactions audience members are having to particular jokes.

As for O’Neil, she said many comics are well accustomed to playing in front of limited audiences.

“A lot of times open mics are where you get your practice time,” she said, adding those events tend to attract other up-and-coming comics. “So, this will be like an open mic night.”

The original goal was to have a night of comedy involving various newlyweds. But due to gathering restrictions, organizers decided to have a night of laughs with a relationship-themed evening.

O'Neil said she is only in a relationship now with her dog. But she'll have plenty of material.

“I’ve done enough stupid enough stuff,” she said.

Local Journalism Initiative Reporters are supported by a financial contribution made by the Government of Canada.