Year after year, Toronto’s JFL42 seems to live and die by the quality of its headliners. And full credit to the organizers of the annual comedy fest — they usually deliver a marquee roster of big names who can bring the funny. Heck, just this year, red hot incoming Daily Show host Trevor Noah, @midnight host and rising star Chris Hardwick and lovable veteran funnyman Patton Oswald will all be in town, playing to packed houses.
Dig a little deeper and you will find an army of comics who may be less recognizable, but can still draw a guffaw or two and can be seen in cozier confines and more personal surroundings. For, as in demand as some headliners may be, comedy is best served intimately in a dingy club rather than on a grand stage, a la the Sony Centre.
Thank goodness, then, for the ‘42’ part of JFL42, the recognition that the festival extends beyond its eight headlining acts and includes comedic professionals doing their thing across the city. Although there is more of a hit-or-miss risk factor attached to these less heralded names, you often get better bang for your buck with a diverse mix of comic talent who can still produce a pretty killer set.
Here are the best under-the-radar comics worth checking out over the 10-day festival:
Pat Thornton and Darcy Michael
These two under-appreciated Canuck talents will be pooling their stand-up skills into a trio of two-for-one sets at the Comedy Bar (September 24, 25 and 27). It will be interesting to see how they plan out what should surely be a multi-faceted show. Thornton is not only an accomplished stand-up comic, but he’s also a growing legend of sketch comedy. Michael, meanwhile, put himself firmly on the local comedy map with a run to the finals of the 2014 Sirius XM Canada Top Comic competition.
Iliza Shlesinger
This may well be the last opportunity to see Iliza Shlesinger at JFL42 without coughing up headliner-level cash. A rising star and former Last Comic Standing winner, Shlesinger has parlayed her recognition from the NBC reality show into a digital media onslaught that has included a No. 1 comedy album on iTunes and a hugely popular Netflix special called War Paint. She’s primed to attract a whole new audience for the upcoming TV season as she hosts TBS’ new relationship game show, Separation Anxiety.
Rory Scovel
A hot name in US comedy circles ever since Variety tagged him as one of their “10 Comics to Watch” in 2012, Rory Scovel has mostly taken the behind the scenes approach to earning his comedy bona fides in Hollywood. He’s written on critically acclaimed TV comedies like Modern Family, Inside Amy Schumer and The Eric Andre Show. His warped slacker stand-up voice, however, is entirely his own and certainly worth checking out. Scovel plays the Royal Theatre on September 24 at 8:45 p.m. and September 25 at 10:30 p.m., as well as the Garrison on September 24 at 11:00 p.m.
Jake and Amir
It’s hard to know what is real and what is an act when it comes to the bromantic partnership of College Humor superstars Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld. Through their web series and podcasts, they tackle topics that cover every facet of life in an off-beat, warped way. Through over 750 episodes, their web series has showcased the vain, delusional Jake and the over-eager and annoyingly needy Amir, with each playing the straight role on occasion. When they arrive at JFL for an October 1 podcast (Royal Theatre, 8:45 p.m.) and an October 2 Jake and Amir and Friends live show (Queen Elizabeth Theatre, 7:00 p.m.), no one is quite sure what to expect — themselves included.
