November 19, 2025 • 43 mins
Norm Murray speaks with award-winning and iconic Canadian Comedian, Ron James about his up-coming 11th stand-up special, “THE VIEW FROM HERE” – which can be seen live at the Bluma Appel Theatre in Toronto, or livestreamed on Friday Nov. 28 @ 7:30 p.m. Tickets at Ticketmaster.ca and Eventbrite.ca
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The views expressed in the following program are those of
the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of
Saga nine sixty AM or its management.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
I'm Nora Murray. You're listening to News Talk Saga nine sixty.
It is a great day here for us and for
me whenever I get to speak to our good old
friend Ron James, everybody, he's joining us on the air here.
How are you Ron?
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Just excellent?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Norm?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Thanks, I'm just back from a dozen dates criss crossing Atlanta, Canada.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Jeez.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
And I've been in the writing room for the last
two days banging out the final touches to my new
streaming special, stream which talking about. It's called The View
from Here. It's my perspective on the tectonic shift in
Canadian American relations. Now that the Tangerine Jeanie is at
(01:16):
the Helm, You've.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Got a lot to talk about. This is rons e
eleventh stand up special, Everybody, The View from Here. You
can see it live at the bloom Appel Theater in Toronto.
Now you know where that is. That's two blocks east
of Union Station in the Canadian Stage. So it's very
easy to find, easy to get to, and it's going
to be a great time. Plus it's live streamed. This
(01:39):
is a big event now for your information to the
live stream is going to be available for twenty four
hours after the start time of seven thirty pm. This
is Friday, November twenty eighth, so it's coming up in
a few days. Here, Friday November twenty eighth, seven point
thirty The view from here and you can get your
tickets at event bright or Ticketmaster if you want to
(01:59):
attend in person, which would be the best I think, Ron,
you must be really excited about it.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Oh yeah, there's nothing better than watching something live. But
my intention behind this actually besides playing in Toronto for
the first time in eight years. That's when I left
CBC and I went viral on Midas Touch. I don't
(02:24):
know if you're familiar with it, but it's the number
one news channel on YouTube. It's got about seven million viewers,
and I've gone viral a couple times over the last
few years making posts about what's been going on with
our next door neighbor and it's ramifications on us. I
started during COVID and then but somebody picked up a
(02:47):
clip of mine from my CFA nominated special called True
North and the reporter got ahold of it or through
research anyway, really took off. And I've since had an
interview with them with the gentleman that runs Might as Touch,
(03:07):
and he's relentless in terms of calling calling out the
uh the Orange mutant to task and Charlie Angus also
has his show on on Minus Touch and I'll be uh,
I'll be contributing a monthly perspective on our elbows Up
(03:30):
campaign and how we deal with a man who's launched
a punitive tariff war and threatened our own sovereignty. But
I mean, it's it's what's amazing about tackling this subject now,
is that every day there's a seismic amount of new
information that just explodes. Right, Yeah, you're writing all the time.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Yeah, I bet you are. It's a constant. I mean,
is it fair to say the worst thing that could
happen to a comedian such as your self? We're speaking
with Ron James, of course, Canadian's Canadian finest right here,
if Donald Trump was to step down or step away,
would that hurt your career? And I'm saying, well, you
(04:12):
got so much material, right.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
I mean, it's a great reason to hurt my career.
But long before Trump came into into office, I was
still selling out theaters. So I think comedians as a rule,
especially in Canada with only forty million people, we're constantly
adapting to the changing environment, you know. But one of
(04:36):
the things that's happened since since COVID, it's, you know,
it's the polarization of the political landscape, and we're once
it was just a different of opinions. Now it's different
facts and so it's but it's a challenge. But after
thirty five years in the business of stand up and
(04:58):
forty five at forty six January comedy, because I started
out with Second City in one ten Lombard Street in
those heady days of SETV, and you know, I was
in a great cast and it was a crucible really,
you know, because we wrote all the time, we improvised
every night, and I can utilize those skills that I
(05:23):
learned as a far thinner man in those early eighties.
And because like, it's all about the long haul, and
I think that's what's great. I'm sneaking up on sixty
eight now and after all these years in comedy, you've
(05:43):
earned your point of view and it's imperative that you
speak tooth to power and try to topple the apple cart.
And when you've got when you've got to dictator south
of the border threatening our own sovereignty, what better way
to exercise your credentials and your rebel voice than the
(06:07):
whole power to account.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
This is gonna be an amazing show. It's called The
View from Here. It's Ron james eleventh stand up special
and it's coming up Friday night, November twenty eighth, seven
thirty pm Eastern Time. It'll be live streamed. The best
is to see it in person. To see Ron in person,
of course. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
And you know, during COVID, I wrote a bestseller too
that was published by Penguin Random House called all Over
the Map, Brambles and Ruminations from the Canadian Road, And
it really is a love letter to the country that
I've traveled from coast to coast these last almost thirty years.
And I think if there's anything that I gleaned from
(06:49):
my travels and had windows on other worlds, it's that
we've got this generosity of spirit here. But when we're threatened,
oh man, elbows up campaign that started, we don't take
any guff and I mean, look what's happened with the
terriff issue, right, I mean, his tourism has taken a
(07:12):
nose dive, but fifty six billion dollars, hasn't it. And
you know they're wondering why. I mean, the restaurants are empty,
the hotels aren't full, and the hookers are going hungry
in Vegas, right.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
I mean, I uh, not that I don't ye truthfully,
but galvanized our if galvanized their patriotic mojo like never before.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
I mean, you know, even even secessionist Quebec is on board.
The last time Quebec was this patriotic was well never.
And but you know, you know I want Carney. I
posted this a while ago. I think Mark Kearney is
stick handling very deftly, this aberrant American id run amuck
(08:03):
in the Oval office. Think he's doing a great job.
But I wish he'd say whisper and is ear next
time he's there, that we're not all sentinel mules up here. Yeah,
no kidding, right, I mean, I just love going to
New York or taking a short cut through Maine when
I'm traveling Nova Scotia in the summertime. And not me
(08:23):
more man, you know, I mean, we don't want to
be disappeared. And given what I've said about the Tangerine
Jeanie on social media, all it's going to take is
one of Christy Nomes stormtroopers guarding the border to take
a look at my online feed, and I'd be pistol whipped,
(08:45):
black bagged and wake up the next morning cleaning latrines
in El Salvador.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
We've got Canada's number one comedian as far as I'm concerned.
And yes, the book from Penguin Random House is called
All Over the Math, Rambles and Ruminations from the Canadian Road,
which was one of the top ten nominations, by the way,
for the Stephen Leecock Award for Humor. How about that?
And on and on. We've spoken to Ron in the past.
You can find him on Facebook at Ron James Comedy.
(09:14):
Go check that out, and also on Instagram at ramblin
Ron James. We're talking about his big special coming up,
The View from Here November twenty eighth, Friday night, seven
thirty Eastern time, seven thirty Eastern time. Of course, that's
where we are, and it's in the Canadian stage. Just
a couple of blocks east of Union the Blooma Uphel Theater.
Get your tickets at event bright online or Ticketmaster if
(09:37):
you want to go in person. And the live stream
is even going to be available for twenty four hours
after the start time. So it's very very exciting. You know,
when you mentioned Donald Trump and the tourism and such,
I remember when he said they've got nothing that we need,
meaning Canadians in Canada when it's minerals, water, oil. But
(09:57):
one thing he didn't take into account ron as you
just pointed out, was people. People is something they need,
and the people are speaking loudly.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Well, you know what happened down there during COVID, and uh,
it's built into their uh their DNA, this notion of
American exceptionalism that I mean, ever since the Puritans landed
there in Massachusetts, they felt they were the chosen people.
And uh, every time America, you know, gets twitchy, they
(10:25):
decide to benefit another nation by bringing their democracy to them.
And uh, it's uh, you know, it's one of those
those things that uh uh that I don't I really
don't think they understand, because you know, Canadians are very
content with the fishing hole. We have here, thank you.
(10:47):
And uh it's uh, you know, this this threat that
he posed, as I say, really galvanize their patriotic mojo.
And it's uh, it's made us take a look at
our hells and step away from the dependence we have
on Lady Liberty and you know, and start expanding our
(11:09):
trade aspirations elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
We are speaking with Ron James, of course, consistently hailed
by audiences and critics from coast to coast to coast,
selling out theaters across Canada for many many years now
approaching his forty sixth year in comedy, starting with a
decade at North America's premieer bringing it down.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
In Second City back in the eighties, eighties, early eighties. Yeah,
that was great once t in Lombard Street, and I
mean we were scrawning young satirists in those days, brother,
just making three hundred and fifty bucks a week, you know,
eight shows a week for improvs. That's Monday to Thursday.
After the shows and everybody who was anybody came down
(11:50):
to watch a show. And so when you were a
you know, when you were an eager young comedian, and
you know, John Candy be sitting in the audience you
want to be on your game. Wow, and it was.
It was a real exciting time. Plus two, we thought
we were winning because we had fifty percent off the
bar Chargers. You know.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
And back in those years too, weren't some of the
biggest comedians of the day today touring at that time
and hitting the clubs and such. You got your Jay
Leno and people like that, maybe Jerry Seinfeld going around
and hitting Toronto.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Well, I remember when Robin Williams played the O'Keefe center, right,
and he did two shows there, but the two or
three anyway, he came and improvised with us every single night,
and then we all went out to a speakeasy afterwards
in the West End where you know there's probably Liberty Village. Now,
I mean, I sound like an old guy who's just
sent trip out of a block of ice or something.
(12:43):
You know, Williams came back todays. It was an exciting week.
It is, right, it was great. But you know, it's like,
but you need to have a reality check about fame
and Canada. You know, fame as an oxymoron here it
is like celebrity, right, you know, celebrity for me means
(13:08):
I'm drinking for free north of the tree Line.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yeah, do we not have?
Speaker 3 (13:12):
I mean I played, I played everywhere, and what's happened
is the uh. I went to LA for three years
in the early nineties, chasing a sitcom dream. We went
down into a series that we've created at Second City,
and it was canceled. And anyway, I hung in there
and ended up getting commercials and guest spots on sitcoms
and things. But it was the American dream that sired
(13:32):
my Canadian one. I didn't want to spend my life
waiting for the phone to ring as an actor, trying
to head out and either get a job or not
get a job. So I came back here and shipped
the Paradigm and became a stand up, wrote a one
man show about my time in La up and down
to Shaky Town, and started running my trap line if
you'll pardon the metaphor, around the chip of Lake Superior
(13:54):
in February, you know, staying at motel Highway Shag and Shacks.
Norman Bates wouldn't run. I remember they had complimentary coffee
at these motels. I took one ship and I thought,
dear God, if this coffee as a compliment. My wake
up call must be a kick in the nut.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
I remember that, and I remember reading about it too. Ron,
there was nineteen ninety three you wrote what would be
a life changing, critically acclaimed One Man's Show, Up and
Down in Shaky Town, One Man's Journey through the California Dream.
I mean you really, you know? Is there a star
system in Canada today? We used to say there wasn't.
There still isn't.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Well, there isn't. I don't think there is. I think
I think people work. I mean, if you're working, that's
the success. But as far as the trajectory is concerned
to you know, breathe a rarefied air of stars, No,
there's not. People are respected for their work. A lot
of people do good work, great work, But stars, I
(14:54):
don't know. You know, there's people who are recognizable all
the time, who have really put the the hours and
the years in in comedy. I mean, Rick Mercer's one
of them. Mark Critch is another one. You know, Graham
Green was one, God bless him, showed up everywhere. And
(15:14):
now the Trailer Park Boys. I guess you could call
those guys stars. But in the American sense, no, And
for me, anyway, I just wanted to work. Plus, I
had a family to feed, and I didn't want to
be dependent on somebody, somebody validating my worth as an
(15:37):
actor or a comedian. So I started booking my own gigs,
and you know, for the last thirty years, aside from
a spell with another booker or producer. Rather, I stayed
with Chantero for my live dates, and Lynn Harvey has
produced all my live shows and my series, all my
(15:59):
life specials rather in my series, so you know, just
to have the opportunity to work and write with good people.
I mean, I collaborate with Chris Finn, who wrote for
Rick Mercer for seventeen years, Paul Poe, who I've worked
with for ever since I had my series in two
thousand and nine, and now Thomas Conway's on board, and
(16:23):
you know, and to sit in a room and collaborate
with like minded individuals, it's great for your mental health,
you know. And we did shows from my living room
during COVID. We the christ and I wrote them and
it was it was great, It was excellent, and it
kept us active. It kept and I didn't want my
comedic muscle to acrophy, because it takes so long to
(16:47):
be proficient at this craft and to be comfortable in
your own skin on stage. So now when I'm on
the road, I mean, you have to stand out from
all the other competition, especially the big name is coming
up from America charging one hundred and fifty dollars a ticket,
you know. I mean I was on the other side
(17:07):
of Seinfeld about eight years ago in Saint John, Sydney
and Summerside, PI. Yeah, so he's still pulling like one
hundred and fifty bucks from a small market and my
tickets at the time, I think we're sixty. So I
give the audience about a two hour to a two
hour and fifteen minutes show without a break. So you
(17:29):
need the content for that.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Absolutely. I can't even imagine the constant writing and the
constant like are you a napkin writer in a restaurant?
Is that how you? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Yeah, everything. I keep a notepad all the time. But
you know what, years ago I went down to Gwelp,
I picked up my daughter at university and we went
to see Billy Conley at Hamilton Place. That must have
been and okay, so she would have been in second
year and she's thirty seven now, so that would have
been about I guess what Dean fifteen eighteen years ago,
(18:03):
Billy Conley was sixty four years old and he did
two hours and twenty minutes at Hamilton Place to what
sounded like a Glasswegian born crowd, and I remember thinking, oh, man,
if I can only do that time, but I'm his age,
and I am. And I met Billy Conley at Just
for Laughs years ago when I was doing a concert
(18:24):
performance there and I had seen him on TV during
some very lean moments in Los Angeles. I had a
lean time. I went into debt trying to land a gig,
and about eleven months I was at of work and
I saw his HBO special and it was transformative, and
I remember watching it thinking I want to learn to
(18:46):
fly like that. And I saw him at Just for
Laughs and I said, how did a Glasswegian welder become
an international stand up comedy sensation? And he pulled the
guitar from his teeth and there was fire in his
eyes and he said, that's a question about fame. To
hell with fame, Just sing your song. Just sing your song.
(19:09):
And that stayed with me, you know, because you're constantly
being asked if you ever play the States, and then
when you say, no, I'm doing well here, they'll look
at you like you've got a hairy ear growing out
of your forehead, and they'll say, oh, I guess you're
doing okay. But I just wanted to make a living here.
(19:34):
I wanted to embrace the virtues of people in place
and gets comedic mileage of the idiosyncracies and characteristics of
this country I love. And there you go run where
we are today.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Brother Ron James has done it all. That is for sure.
Invited to launch the premier season of CTV's Comedy Network
when Shaky Town was given its own ninety minutes special,
then so oh.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
There's a long one. There's an old one. Yeah. He
used to play that every New Year's Day for a
hangover cure.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
They did, They did, man, And I know you're a
voted Comedian of the Year the ccas many times years ago,
half a dozen times that just for laughs. The Halifax
and Winnipeg Comedy festivals you mentioned This hour has twenty
two minutes with Rick Mercer. You've done it all.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Rough wrote for them. I wrote to them for only
a few months. I wasn't there long enough to have
a Shower quite frankly, but it was a joy writing
for him. And after that, I had my own series
called Blackfly for two years on Global and that was
a real learning curve, you know. I you know, I
wanted to satirize current social and political trends in the
(20:47):
contact of the eight king century Canadian fur trade, so
it was fairly specific. I wanted to be Blackadder, but
Global at the time decided it would be better if
we made a Gilligan in a fort, and you know,
it went to hell in a hand card. But I
had a great cast. Colin Mockery was in the cast
and yeah, yeah, and so it was fun, you know.
(21:08):
But then I hit the road hard for seven years
and began blazing trail because no one had played soft
seaters prior to that, because the theaters didn't want to
book comedians, you know, And so I was able to
sneak in with Shaky Town. And then overtime everything changed
and now everybody and anybody is out there, and justifiably so,
(21:29):
I mean snowed in comedy toes you talk to, those
guys are doing a great job. But then I got
my first special from CBC in two thousand and three,
and then stayed on that network with the series and
other specials for fifteen years. So I had a nice run.
But you know, as I said earlier in our conversation,
(21:50):
it takes so long to be comfortable in your own
skin up there on stage and to be confident that
you can pull the funny from a blank page, right,
And Uh, that's why you're reluctant to let it go.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
That's why you know I'll be Uh, I'll be on
the road doing what I do and until I feel
it's time to go.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
How will you know? What will be the indicator? Though?
To Ron James, what do you think? Or it will
be somebody else deciding for you? What do you think?
Speaker 3 (22:22):
That's a really good question, But you know, I think
it's probably going to boil down to I'm done driving
on black ice roads covered in depth fine snow, right, yeah,
and being stuck in blizzards. A Yet he wouldn't wander. Yeah,
I mean, I've got a tour of the Canadian West
(22:43):
in late April and early May, and see that's when
they get older snow exactly right.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Yeah. I want to ask you, I mean, you have
traveled to more points in Canada than anybody I can
think of, and I know and I know you love
it East, west, north, south, everywhere in between, literally small towns,
big cities, So drop me some names as to your favorites.
And I know you're from down east, so that's going
to be I don't know if I should include that
(23:10):
or not, because there's nothing like that.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
Please go down so I can.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Go through all of them. And I'm going to apologize
upfront for leaving people out. I don't know how long
your reach is, but I wrapped my Atlantic Canada tour
up in Saint John's, Newpoundland, so absolutely there going backwards.
I have to say on this tour, the sold Oat
shows in Moncton and Fredericton in New Brunswick beautiful theaters
(23:34):
about seven hundred theaters, and Freddie as they call Frederickton
always comes out large. And it was one of those
performances both shows in monked and Freddie where you could
play an eyebrow in the audience would break up. And
then of course Halifax and Liverpool. Nova Scotia is a
theater about four hundred and fifty and it's the only
(23:54):
place there in Halifax where I can do the unique
South shore accent, and it's got to go to sixty
kilometer radius. And I got a parka and uh, I
started in Sydney, and I was born in Cape Breton,
so I'm able to I'm able to channel my roots
there and we camped there in the summertime in the highlands,
(24:17):
and then moving from there. I don't play Quebec, there's
the language thing. And uh, but Ontario, my gosh, Ontario
is just wonderful to play from from east to west
and north and south. I've been everywhere. I mean the
good one. Oh boy, let me see. Uh, I love playing.
(24:38):
I love playing. Huntsville is a good room up north
uh SIUs, Saint Marie is always great, as is North Bay. Oh,
gosh down South Burlington, Hamilton, Oh, beautiful, beautiful rooms. And
going further west, Guelph has always been a stop for me.
I love it. Oh in Peterborough. Can't forg at Peterborough
(25:01):
and some of these places. I shot all my specials too,
and we always have great shows at the Christler Center
in Windsor up in thunder Bay. And let me see,
blah blah, I haven't played Mississaugan in a long time. Yeah,
And I was always a fan of the Winter Garden,
but the prices are so high to rent. So that's
why I'm here where I am now in Winnipeg. That
(25:23):
I mean, you played, you know, the Burton Cummings Theater, Saskatoon.
It's the Broadway and moose Jaws are smoking hot room too.
And then from there you go into Alberta, and Alberta's
vast and I've always had good shows there, although you know,
with the political polarities these days and my position on
(25:45):
the side of oh, I don't know, science.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Yeah, how about that? In the West?
Speaker 3 (25:49):
I come on, man, I mean, I used to feel
Red Deer it's the six hundred and eighty seater or
the Memorial and I always and I got when I
was fifty, my daughter gave me a birthday card with
a picture of Carol Channing and justin Timberlake on the front,
and she did you goofy pictures And inside was a
goofier picture of me with my ice crossed and the
(26:10):
captain on the front said, sure they're famous, And on
the inside it said, but did they get sick? So
though shows out of Red Deer, isn't that a great? Yeah? Yeah?
And I don't get those numbers anymore. But you have
to be true to yourself up on stage, and it's uh,
you know, with Daniel Smith, then you're not a Conservative party.
(26:32):
I mean, I think she's the personification of treason myself.
I mean, a day after the Orange Mutant got elected,
she was down at Barrel Lago ready to give a
a A twice impeached coo inciding convicted, fellon the keys
to Canada's back door, right, and it was broken by
(26:52):
Kevin O'Leary. Y right, the dragon's den, shark tank, blind,
the stoke, a midnight boater.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
Mister, oh that's mid that was his wife, I believe anyway,
whoever the.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
You know, and he's so prostate at the altar a man,
and he could sell cold to the devil of them
and fattening his wallet. And Wayne Gretsky could shovel it. Oh, buddy, one,
two three, I have no look. In any other day
they'd be fighting over a thin Hudson Bay blanket and
a rancid seal flipper on a sinking ice flow in
(27:30):
Hudson Bay.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
What about?
Speaker 3 (27:34):
And so I'm not pulling those punches right, And when
I'm on stage in Calgary, where I shot my second
special for the CBC. Look, I'm a Canadian. I'm a
Canadian comedian with a political point of view, and keeping
Canada together is my imperative. And when you have mag
(27:55):
of Maples who've drunk the the kool aid of the
trumpet scene, that stands in direct opposition to everything I
believe in. And not all of Alberta's like that. You know,
when you you know you've got a separation between urban
and rural, which is about actually that's about eight hundred
(28:18):
years of separation actually, so but you know you've got
to do what you do. But everything's changed. It's been
a dramatic shift, one hundred and eighty degree shift. I mean,
and I said in my book, you know, Alberta built
me a home in Toronto in the beaches, and it
was exciting to play there. You know, when oil was
(28:40):
four hundred and twenty one bucks a barrel door in
the oughts these every time a car blew up in Bagdad,
there were two new trucks and every Alberta's driveway. It
was amazing. But now, I mean, you'll behind You'll be
behind a truck at a stop sign in Grand Prairie.
Some souped up truck flying an f Carney flag with
a set of fake testicles swinging off the back bumper.
(29:04):
You see a set effect nuts and a bumper. You
can be certain there's a real dick behind the wheel.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Oh man, it is going to be a great night Friday,
November twenty eighth, that is for sure. With Ron James's
eleventh stand up special, it's The View from Here. Get
your tickets a ticket Master or event bright where you
can also watch it live streaming. If you have a
link to the live stream, it's going to be available
for viewing twenty four hours after the start time at
(29:33):
seven thirty pm on the twenty eighth of November. The
View from Here is the name of the special. Now,
before I let you go, I have two quick things
I wanted to ask you about. First of all, do
you get across the north how about none of it
in Northwest Territories?
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Been with it? Okay, I've not been to Nunavu, but
I have been into the Yukon. I played the Yukon
and the Northwest Territories and I've actually rad aft it
down A river in the Northwest Territory is called the
Firth and we ended up at the Beaufort Sea so
(30:09):
close to Alaska fifteen years ago. We could actually hear
Sarah Palin practicing the alphabet. Yeah that's an old joke,
but I really miss her. She was such a sneazy target.
But you know what, don norm, Yeah, that's exactly where
the porcupine herd travels into Alaska to calve in the spring.
(30:33):
And that's where Trump is putting his road through in
Alaskan wildlife refuge. Can you believe that?
Speaker 5 (30:40):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (30:40):
No, he's He's a reprehensible human being. And I hope
the exposure of the Epstein files brings this monster down.
And you know, I mean he's made cruelty currency and
kindness worthless. And uh, you know, you start asking. And
(31:01):
when we were growing up, buddy, I mean, everybody wanted
to be an American man. I mean they were, they were. Yeah,
it is hard to fathom. I mean, a country that
was once a beacon of rational thought has traded it
all in for interrational twak, right, we but you know,
(31:25):
I mean.
Speaker 5 (31:26):
Look at look at Sunday night growing up on CBCTV,
the beach.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
Combers coming on to think Walt Disney was over, That's right,
and in the heavy days of Camelot, when JFK and
Jackie were the sexy young stars who personified the magnanimous
post war character of America. Up in Canada, we had
(31:53):
squirrely old John diefen Baker and Olive stepping over cow
pies at a track in esther Hazy, Saskatchewan.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
That's right, right, right, you know what.
Speaker 3 (32:06):
They were already in color when we were black and white.
You are cold.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Nobody, nobody knows Canada like Ron James. You just have
to know. This man does not just fly in and
fly out. He's there.
Speaker 3 (32:21):
You live right, you run, you drive in a snowstorm
and a blizzard like you're saying, and you you are there.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
You partake in the local culture of the lay of
the land wherever you go. And that's amazing. You have
known Canada and continue to know it like nobody did you.
And I think you know who I think of, uh
when I think of a political humor and such in
the United States, is George Carlin? Did you ever have?
Speaker 3 (32:49):
Well, that's a good company to put me in, buddy.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Because I thought he also, like you, n incredibly intelligent
and knew the landscape of it all. And knew how
to put it in this incredible vocabulary like you do. Well.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
I like the way. Pardon me, I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
You chance to have a chance to meet him?
Speaker 3 (33:08):
Oh No, I never did meet Carlin. No, no, but
his work inspired me, of course. I mean I was
at the right page when seven words you Can't Say
on TV came out right and we played it and
played it and played it. But I mean, one of
the things that we might have in common it is
a love of language, and I love the way words
(33:31):
trip off the tongue and tickle the ear as well
as the funny bone. But you know, if you're going
to have a long and literative run, you have to
land on a strong joke or it just seem self
indulgent in the way to get there. What was great
about George is he was an authentic rebel voice at
(33:52):
a time America needed it. And you know, I don't
think he would have suffered guys like Joe Rogan. I
don't think he would have suffered these those testosterone fueled
broligarchs and uh this, you know now, I think that
(34:16):
I think that Tarlan was the real deal. And he uh,
you know, he he kind of I mean, he was
a star, but he disdained the spotlight right now. He
he honored the true dictates of the craft. And he
uh he was the best, and that's why he's quoted
(34:39):
all the time still.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
And uh i, uh.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
I would have loved him, and I didn't. Don Rickles, though,
hosted my first gala at j just for last okay, well,
and uh I was doing a bit in those days
about he said camping. Camping's fun in the daytime. As
soon as the sun goes down, every that each meat
wakes up, though. But I was safe. I was safe.
I can't beside some Germans. God bless him with their acts.
(35:08):
God bless them with the acts. I don't scare anything,
eat but believe in the house up Thundrouse and I
was just leaving. But leave in the house. I don't
care where you are, hiking the cab trail or rafting
the belly of the Grand Canyon. You here, eat, leaving
the house and you're making a bee line for Switzerland.
You and the kids run for the border with the
von Trapp family. I'll hould them off. Hi on the
hill is a little Vito hut. Come on, people, get
(35:30):
testing with me. Teasing the Germans. But come on, uh,
my father had noofie jokes told about him his entire life.
He never once invaded Czechoslovakia. Anyway, Don Reckles posted my
night and he was backstays when I was doing my
set and an agent in Toronto's backstage because when of
his clients was on too, and he looked at.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
Me, he goes.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Rickles was roaring. He loved your set, Rickle. Reckles comes
up to me and he said, and he's I'm in
front of him. He was one of my heroes, Rickles.
I still watch stuff. I still watch his stuff. If
you want to get a good laugh, look at Rickles
being lauded at the Apollo Theater. He's about ninety years old.
(36:11):
Letterman is there? The Nero's there, Seinfels there, John John.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
Stamos, pardon me, John Stamos, Jesus, he was his friend?
I thought, no, wasn't was he?
Speaker 1 (36:26):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (36:27):
I don't know, John, Uh, Jesus, what's the matter with me?
See I'm like the eight John Stewart. Oh yeah, anyway,
they're dying. They're dying. He's killing, he's killing. So anyway,
Rickles comes up to me and he grabs me by
the face, right, and he looks like a turtle. Rickles
looks like a turtle up close, and he looked at
(36:48):
my bad. He grabs my teeth and goes, that was
a great set, kid. Wow. I never got my first
break until I was thirty eight years old in Kelly's
Heroes and he's smiling and he said, how old are you?
I said, the smile morpse from a shit eating grin
to a frown. He slaps my cheek. He goes, I'm sorry,
(37:09):
you're finished, and he walked away. But hold it. So
he's down at the end of the hall. So I'm awestruck, right,
So I say, okay, I'm gonna have to go down
and get his autographed. So I've got my poster, I
still haven't, and I go into his dressing room and
he writes, Funny is as Funny does, and you are okay, going,
(37:31):
oh my gosh, what an amazing time. Six months later,
I'm stuck in a primal blizzard driving to Prince George
that Yetti wouldn't wonder and that was my soul collateral
that I made a withdrawal on my soul's collateral. That night,
as I white knuckled my way to a gig in
(37:53):
Prince George, knowing that someone like Don Rickles knew that
I belonged on this road and he told me so.
And that matters. And that's the difference between fame and
following your bliss, know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (38:14):
Ron, You are a joy to listen to. Your stories
are legendary. I could go on for hours. The specialist
called the view from here. It's coming up Friday, November
twenty eighth. That's next Friday, seven thirty pm in the
Canadian Stage is the Bloom uphel Theater in Toronto. The
Canadian Stage two blocks east of Union Station. Right there
(38:34):
you can live stream. It's being live streamed and it
will be available for twenty four hours after the start
time of that night of seven thirty. But go in person. Honestly,
that's the best gay.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Yeah, you know what, there's a numbilical relationship between the
performer and the audience and stand up. I mean, that's
that's the holy note, brother. Yeah, that's where the audience
and the comedian work in tandem. The laughs actor is
adhesive to the narrative and we're both in it together.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
Can you tell us a little bit about what we
can expect on the view from here in a nutshell,
I mean, what are we walking into here?
Speaker 3 (39:15):
Well, I'm taking a look at I mean, it's one
Canadian's perspective on the shift of the psychic paradigm since
the American experiment blew up in the lab last year
and out marched to Tangerine Jeanie. So I take a
look at that. Yeah, And let's face it, in any
other world besides that dystopian shit show of a democracy
(39:38):
in our next door neighbor's house, Trump would be sedated
and have his day pass revoked by Mental Home orderly.
He would, he would, you know, I mean the Secret
Service is about he, you know, six months away from
having to chew his food, and I think he's a
week away from running across the White House lawn and
(39:59):
his under man I felt. But as much as the
view from here is one Canadian's view across the fence,
it's also a view of a sixty eight year old
dude who's been in the game for a long time,
and you know, who has reflections on the past, reflections
on the present, things he's learned, things he's curious about,
(40:22):
and as he's trying to connect the dots in the
chaos we're all walking through so people can process the
trauma of our daily marks. Who life's bright fury in
the language of lasts, and that's what it is. And
I'll land on all kinds of subjects. Man, you know,
come on, I'm a boomer. Mortality is the new reality.
(40:44):
It is so. I mean, look, my generation is just
fifteen years away from roaming the home and or led
Zeppelin ones. He's just to sing along away from taking
a stairway to heaven. Oh man, I mean, it's a
wake up call proof anymore. So I talk about the
days of your you know, I will talk about the
days of your both you know, and you know. The
(41:06):
legalization of marijuana. Look, I'm no pothhead, but I never
turned it down. I mean I'm from a time where
a hashtag was something you got from getting too close
to the hash nine.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
Oh right, I look forward to it. I can't wait
the view from here. November twenty eighth, Friday Night, seven
point thirty. Get your tickets at event right dot ca
and also Ticketmaster of course to get seats while the
seats are still available at the Bluema Uphel Theater. It's
his eleventh stand up special. I want to let you
get back to making your gingerbread house run.
Speaker 3 (41:39):
Oh no, I'm not making that. I just got that.
My daughters and I'm a girlfriend are planning that. I'm
just going to be the foreman. Man.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
Okay, you're telling you what you know.
Speaker 3 (41:49):
What gingerbread is. I want to make the gingerbread host
from nineteen forty four, The Invasion of Italy. That's the
one I want. I want the one at the Battle
of Ortona. Put a wine bottles in a corner. So
if I bust my house, it's authentic. Yeah, it's authentic.
It was mortared by the Jerry's up in the big
free line. See I'm showing my showing my age now,
(42:12):
I just dropped the big Freed line.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
Man.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Oh boy, so many gratuitous Hollywood references in my act r.
Speaker 2 (42:20):
I know, it's amazing. It's the best. You're the best man.
I can't wait for Friday Night the View from here
and we will see you then and see you on
the live stream as well. Ron James Comedy is where
he is on Facebook, Ron James Comedy and on Instagram.
Rambling Ron James and make sure you look for his
book as well. For sure. Like we talked about, well,
(42:40):
you and I talked about your book. We talked about
during COVID when You're going from your living room too,
which was we did hilarious.
Speaker 3 (42:48):
Maybe Heather Reisman has moved it from how to Build
a Balsa Wood Aircraft. Maybe she's moved it off that
shelf and put it with easy access by the smelly
candles or something. Penguin Ran found it founded over by
the candles than.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
A black penguin. Penguin Random House has got the book.
It's called All Over the Map, Rambles and Ruminations from
the Canadian Road. And if there's anybody who knows the
Canadian Road, it's Ron James. Ron with a pleasure as always,
and we'll see you Friday night and we'll talk to
you again.
Speaker 3 (43:18):
Take care, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
I'm Noram Murray. You're listening to News Talk SAGA nine
sixty The View from Here starring Ron James. We'll be
back right after this
Speaker 1 (43:35):
Stream US live at SAGA nine six am dot C
The views expressed in the following program are those of
the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of
Saga nine sixty AM or its management.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
I'm Nora Murray. You're listening to News Talk Saga nine sixty.
It is a great day here for us and for
me whenever I get to speak to our good old
friend Ron James, everybody, he's joining us on the air here.
How are you Ron?
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Just excellent?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Norm?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Thanks, I'm just back from a dozen dates criss crossing Atlanta, Canada.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Jeez.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
And I've been in the writing room for the last
two days banging out the final touches to my new
streaming special, stream which talking about. It's called The View
from Here. It's my perspective on the tectonic shift in
Canadian American relations. Now that the Tangerine Jeanie is at
(01:16):
the Helm, You've.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Got a lot to talk about. This is rons e
eleventh stand up special, Everybody, The View from Here. You
can see it live at the bloom Appel Theater in Toronto.
Now you know where that is. That's two blocks east
of Union Station in the Canadian Stage. So it's very
easy to find, easy to get to, and it's going
to be a great time. Plus it's live streamed. This
(01:39):
is a big event now for your information to the
live stream is going to be available for twenty four
hours after the start time of seven thirty pm. This
is Friday, November twenty eighth, so it's coming up in
a few days. Here, Friday November twenty eighth, seven point
thirty The view from here and you can get your
tickets at event bright or Ticketmaster if you want to
(01:59):
attend in person, which would be the best I think, Ron,
you must be really excited about it.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Oh yeah, there's nothing better than watching something live. But
my intention behind this actually besides playing in Toronto for
the first time in eight years. That's when I left
CBC and I went viral on Midas Touch. I don't
(02:24):
know if you're familiar with it, but it's the number
one news channel on YouTube. It's got about seven million viewers,
and I've gone viral a couple times over the last
few years making posts about what's been going on with
our next door neighbor and it's ramifications on us. I
started during COVID and then but somebody picked up a
(02:47):
clip of mine from my CFA nominated special called True
North and the reporter got ahold of it or through
research anyway, really took off. And I've since had an
interview with them with the gentleman that runs Might as Touch,
(03:07):
and he's relentless in terms of calling calling out the
uh the Orange mutant to task and Charlie Angus also
has his show on on Minus Touch and I'll be uh,
I'll be contributing a monthly perspective on our elbows Up
(03:30):
campaign and how we deal with a man who's launched
a punitive tariff war and threatened our own sovereignty. But
I mean, it's it's what's amazing about tackling this subject now,
is that every day there's a seismic amount of new
information that just explodes. Right, Yeah, you're writing all the time.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Yeah, I bet you are. It's a constant. I mean,
is it fair to say the worst thing that could
happen to a comedian such as your self? We're speaking
with Ron James, of course, Canadian's Canadian finest right here,
if Donald Trump was to step down or step away,
would that hurt your career? And I'm saying, well, you
(04:12):
got so much material, right.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
I mean, it's a great reason to hurt my career.
But long before Trump came into into office, I was
still selling out theaters. So I think comedians as a rule,
especially in Canada with only forty million people, we're constantly
adapting to the changing environment, you know. But one of
(04:36):
the things that's happened since since COVID, it's, you know,
it's the polarization of the political landscape, and we're once
it was just a different of opinions. Now it's different
facts and so it's but it's a challenge. But after
thirty five years in the business of stand up and
(04:58):
forty five at forty six January comedy, because I started
out with Second City in one ten Lombard Street in
those heady days of SETV, and you know, I was
in a great cast and it was a crucible really,
you know, because we wrote all the time, we improvised
every night, and I can utilize those skills that I
(05:23):
learned as a far thinner man in those early eighties.
And because like, it's all about the long haul, and
I think that's what's great. I'm sneaking up on sixty
eight now and after all these years in comedy, you've
(05:43):
earned your point of view and it's imperative that you
speak tooth to power and try to topple the apple cart.
And when you've got when you've got to dictator south
of the border threatening our own sovereignty, what better way
to exercise your credentials and your rebel voice than the
(06:07):
whole power to account.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
This is gonna be an amazing show. It's called The
View from Here. It's Ron james eleventh stand up special
and it's coming up Friday night, November twenty eighth, seven
thirty pm Eastern Time. It'll be live streamed. The best
is to see it in person. To see Ron in person,
of course. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
And you know, during COVID, I wrote a bestseller too
that was published by Penguin Random House called all Over
the Map, Brambles and Ruminations from the Canadian Road, And
it really is a love letter to the country that
I've traveled from coast to coast these last almost thirty years.
And I think if there's anything that I gleaned from
(06:49):
my travels and had windows on other worlds, it's that
we've got this generosity of spirit here. But when we're threatened,
oh man, elbows up campaign that started, we don't take
any guff and I mean, look what's happened with the
terriff issue, right, I mean, his tourism has taken a
(07:12):
nose dive, but fifty six billion dollars, hasn't it. And
you know they're wondering why. I mean, the restaurants are empty,
the hotels aren't full, and the hookers are going hungry
in Vegas, right.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
I mean, I uh, not that I don't ye truthfully,
but galvanized our if galvanized their patriotic mojo like never before.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
I mean, you know, even even secessionist Quebec is on board.
The last time Quebec was this patriotic was well never.
And but you know, you know I want Carney. I
posted this a while ago. I think Mark Kearney is
stick handling very deftly, this aberrant American id run amuck
(08:03):
in the Oval office. Think he's doing a great job.
But I wish he'd say whisper and is ear next
time he's there, that we're not all sentinel mules up here. Yeah,
no kidding, right, I mean, I just love going to
New York or taking a short cut through Maine when
I'm traveling Nova Scotia in the summertime. And not me
(08:23):
more man, you know, I mean, we don't want to
be disappeared. And given what I've said about the Tangerine
Jeanie on social media, all it's going to take is
one of Christy Nomes stormtroopers guarding the border to take
a look at my online feed, and I'd be pistol whipped,
(08:45):
black bagged and wake up the next morning cleaning latrines
in El Salvador.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
We've got Canada's number one comedian as far as I'm concerned.
And yes, the book from Penguin Random House is called
All Over the Math, Rambles and Ruminations from the Canadian Road,
which was one of the top ten nominations, by the way,
for the Stephen Leecock Award for Humor. How about that?
And on and on. We've spoken to Ron in the past.
You can find him on Facebook at Ron James Comedy.
(09:14):
Go check that out, and also on Instagram at ramblin
Ron James. We're talking about his big special coming up,
The View from Here November twenty eighth, Friday night, seven
thirty Eastern time, seven thirty Eastern time. Of course, that's
where we are, and it's in the Canadian stage. Just
a couple of blocks east of Union the Blooma Uphel Theater.
Get your tickets at event bright online or Ticketmaster if
(09:37):
you want to go in person. And the live stream
is even going to be available for twenty four hours
after the start time. So it's very very exciting. You know,
when you mentioned Donald Trump and the tourism and such,
I remember when he said they've got nothing that we need,
meaning Canadians in Canada when it's minerals, water, oil. But
(09:57):
one thing he didn't take into account ron as you
just pointed out, was people. People is something they need,
and the people are speaking loudly.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Well, you know what happened down there during COVID, and uh,
it's built into their uh their DNA, this notion of
American exceptionalism that I mean, ever since the Puritans landed
there in Massachusetts, they felt they were the chosen people.
And uh, every time America, you know, gets twitchy, they
(10:25):
decide to benefit another nation by bringing their democracy to them.
And uh, it's uh, you know, it's one of those
those things that uh uh that I don't I really
don't think they understand, because you know, Canadians are very
content with the fishing hole. We have here, thank you.
(10:47):
And uh it's uh, you know, this this threat that
he posed, as I say, really galvanize their patriotic mojo.
And it's uh, it's made us take a look at
our hells and step away from the dependence we have
on Lady Liberty and you know, and start expanding our
(11:09):
trade aspirations elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
We are speaking with Ron James, of course, consistently hailed
by audiences and critics from coast to coast to coast,
selling out theaters across Canada for many many years now
approaching his forty sixth year in comedy, starting with a
decade at North America's premieer bringing it down.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
In Second City back in the eighties, eighties, early eighties. Yeah,
that was great once t in Lombard Street, and I
mean we were scrawning young satirists in those days, brother,
just making three hundred and fifty bucks a week, you know,
eight shows a week for improvs. That's Monday to Thursday.
After the shows and everybody who was anybody came down
(11:50):
to watch a show. And so when you were a
you know, when you were an eager young comedian, and
you know, John Candy be sitting in the audience you
want to be on your game. Wow, and it was.
It was a real exciting time. Plus two, we thought
we were winning because we had fifty percent off the
bar Chargers. You know.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
And back in those years too, weren't some of the
biggest comedians of the day today touring at that time
and hitting the clubs and such. You got your Jay
Leno and people like that, maybe Jerry Seinfeld going around
and hitting Toronto.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Well, I remember when Robin Williams played the O'Keefe center, right,
and he did two shows there, but the two or
three anyway, he came and improvised with us every single night,
and then we all went out to a speakeasy afterwards
in the West End where you know there's probably Liberty Village. Now,
I mean, I sound like an old guy who's just
sent trip out of a block of ice or something.
(12:43):
You know, Williams came back todays. It was an exciting week.
It is, right, it was great. But you know, it's like,
but you need to have a reality check about fame
and Canada. You know, fame as an oxymoron here it
is like celebrity, right, you know, celebrity for me means
(13:08):
I'm drinking for free north of the tree Line.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Yeah, do we not have?
Speaker 3 (13:12):
I mean I played, I played everywhere, and what's happened
is the uh. I went to LA for three years
in the early nineties, chasing a sitcom dream. We went
down into a series that we've created at Second City,
and it was canceled. And anyway, I hung in there
and ended up getting commercials and guest spots on sitcoms
and things. But it was the American dream that sired
(13:32):
my Canadian one. I didn't want to spend my life
waiting for the phone to ring as an actor, trying
to head out and either get a job or not
get a job. So I came back here and shipped
the Paradigm and became a stand up, wrote a one
man show about my time in La up and down
to Shaky Town, and started running my trap line if
you'll pardon the metaphor, around the chip of Lake Superior
(13:54):
in February, you know, staying at motel Highway Shag and Shacks.
Norman Bates wouldn't run. I remember they had complimentary coffee
at these motels. I took one ship and I thought,
dear God, if this coffee as a compliment. My wake
up call must be a kick in the nut.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
I remember that, and I remember reading about it too. Ron,
there was nineteen ninety three you wrote what would be
a life changing, critically acclaimed One Man's Show, Up and
Down in Shaky Town, One Man's Journey through the California Dream.
I mean you really, you know? Is there a star
system in Canada today? We used to say there wasn't.
There still isn't.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Well, there isn't. I don't think there is. I think
I think people work. I mean, if you're working, that's
the success. But as far as the trajectory is concerned
to you know, breathe a rarefied air of stars, No,
there's not. People are respected for their work. A lot
of people do good work, great work, But stars, I
(14:54):
don't know. You know, there's people who are recognizable all
the time, who have really put the the hours and
the years in in comedy. I mean, Rick Mercer's one
of them. Mark Critch is another one. You know, Graham
Green was one, God bless him, showed up everywhere. And
(15:14):
now the Trailer Park Boys. I guess you could call
those guys stars. But in the American sense, no, And
for me, anyway, I just wanted to work. Plus, I
had a family to feed, and I didn't want to
be dependent on somebody, somebody validating my worth as an
(15:37):
actor or a comedian. So I started booking my own gigs,
and you know, for the last thirty years, aside from
a spell with another booker or producer. Rather, I stayed
with Chantero for my live dates, and Lynn Harvey has
produced all my live shows and my series, all my
(15:59):
life specials rather in my series, so you know, just
to have the opportunity to work and write with good people.
I mean, I collaborate with Chris Finn, who wrote for
Rick Mercer for seventeen years, Paul Poe, who I've worked
with for ever since I had my series in two
thousand and nine, and now Thomas Conway's on board, and
(16:23):
you know, and to sit in a room and collaborate
with like minded individuals, it's great for your mental health,
you know. And we did shows from my living room
during COVID. We the christ and I wrote them and
it was it was great, It was excellent, and it
kept us active. It kept and I didn't want my
comedic muscle to acrophy, because it takes so long to
(16:47):
be proficient at this craft and to be comfortable in
your own skin on stage. So now when I'm on
the road, I mean, you have to stand out from
all the other competition, especially the big name is coming
up from America charging one hundred and fifty dollars a ticket,
you know. I mean I was on the other side
(17:07):
of Seinfeld about eight years ago in Saint John, Sydney
and Summerside, PI. Yeah, so he's still pulling like one
hundred and fifty bucks from a small market and my
tickets at the time, I think we're sixty. So I
give the audience about a two hour to a two
hour and fifteen minutes show without a break. So you
(17:29):
need the content for that.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Absolutely. I can't even imagine the constant writing and the
constant like are you a napkin writer in a restaurant?
Is that how you? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (17:38):
Yeah, everything. I keep a notepad all the time. But
you know what, years ago I went down to Gwelp,
I picked up my daughter at university and we went
to see Billy Conley at Hamilton Place. That must have
been and okay, so she would have been in second
year and she's thirty seven now, so that would have
been about I guess what Dean fifteen eighteen years ago,
(18:03):
Billy Conley was sixty four years old and he did
two hours and twenty minutes at Hamilton Place to what
sounded like a Glasswegian born crowd, and I remember thinking, oh, man,
if I can only do that time, but I'm his age,
and I am. And I met Billy Conley at Just
for Laughs years ago when I was doing a concert
(18:24):
performance there and I had seen him on TV during
some very lean moments in Los Angeles. I had a
lean time. I went into debt trying to land a gig,
and about eleven months I was at of work and
I saw his HBO special and it was transformative, and
I remember watching it thinking I want to learn to
(18:46):
fly like that. And I saw him at Just for
Laughs and I said, how did a Glasswegian welder become
an international stand up comedy sensation? And he pulled the
guitar from his teeth and there was fire in his
eyes and he said, that's a question about fame. To
hell with fame, Just sing your song. Just sing your song.
(19:09):
And that stayed with me, you know, because you're constantly
being asked if you ever play the States, and then
when you say, no, I'm doing well here, they'll look
at you like you've got a hairy ear growing out
of your forehead, and they'll say, oh, I guess you're
doing okay. But I just wanted to make a living here.
(19:34):
I wanted to embrace the virtues of people in place
and gets comedic mileage of the idiosyncracies and characteristics of
this country I love. And there you go run where
we are today.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Brother Ron James has done it all. That is for sure.
Invited to launch the premier season of CTV's Comedy Network
when Shaky Town was given its own ninety minutes special,
then so oh.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
There's a long one. There's an old one. Yeah. He
used to play that every New Year's Day for a
hangover cure.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
They did, They did, man, And I know you're a
voted Comedian of the Year the ccas many times years ago,
half a dozen times that just for laughs. The Halifax
and Winnipeg Comedy festivals you mentioned This hour has twenty
two minutes with Rick Mercer. You've done it all.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Rough wrote for them. I wrote to them for only
a few months. I wasn't there long enough to have
a Shower quite frankly, but it was a joy writing
for him. And after that, I had my own series
called Blackfly for two years on Global and that was
a real learning curve, you know. I you know, I
wanted to satirize current social and political trends in the
(20:47):
contact of the eight king century Canadian fur trade, so
it was fairly specific. I wanted to be Blackadder, but
Global at the time decided it would be better if
we made a Gilligan in a fort, and you know,
it went to hell in a hand card. But I
had a great cast. Colin Mockery was in the cast
and yeah, yeah, and so it was fun, you know.
(21:08):
But then I hit the road hard for seven years
and began blazing trail because no one had played soft
seaters prior to that, because the theaters didn't want to
book comedians, you know, And so I was able to
sneak in with Shaky Town. And then overtime everything changed
and now everybody and anybody is out there, and justifiably so,
(21:29):
I mean snowed in comedy toes you talk to, those
guys are doing a great job. But then I got
my first special from CBC in two thousand and three,
and then stayed on that network with the series and
other specials for fifteen years. So I had a nice run.
But you know, as I said earlier in our conversation,
(21:50):
it takes so long to be comfortable in your own
skin up there on stage and to be confident that
you can pull the funny from a blank page, right,
And Uh, that's why you're reluctant to let it go.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
That's why you know I'll be Uh, I'll be on
the road doing what I do and until I feel
it's time to go.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
How will you know? What will be the indicator? Though?
To Ron James, what do you think? Or it will
be somebody else deciding for you? What do you think?
Speaker 3 (22:22):
That's a really good question, But you know, I think
it's probably going to boil down to I'm done driving
on black ice roads covered in depth fine snow, right, yeah,
and being stuck in blizzards. A Yet he wouldn't wander. Yeah,
I mean, I've got a tour of the Canadian West
(22:43):
in late April and early May, and see that's when
they get older snow exactly right.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Yeah. I want to ask you, I mean, you have
traveled to more points in Canada than anybody I can
think of, and I know and I know you love
it East, west, north, south, everywhere in between, literally small towns,
big cities, So drop me some names as to your favorites.
And I know you're from down east, so that's going
to be I don't know if I should include that
(23:10):
or not, because there's nothing like that.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
Please go down so I can.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Go through all of them. And I'm going to apologize
upfront for leaving people out. I don't know how long
your reach is, but I wrapped my Atlantic Canada tour
up in Saint John's, Newpoundland, so absolutely there going backwards.
I have to say on this tour, the sold Oat
shows in Moncton and Fredericton in New Brunswick beautiful theaters
(23:34):
about seven hundred theaters, and Freddie as they call Frederickton
always comes out large. And it was one of those
performances both shows in monked and Freddie where you could
play an eyebrow in the audience would break up. And
then of course Halifax and Liverpool. Nova Scotia is a
theater about four hundred and fifty and it's the only
(23:54):
place there in Halifax where I can do the unique
South shore accent, and it's got to go to sixty
kilometer radius. And I got a parka and uh, I
started in Sydney, and I was born in Cape Breton,
so I'm able to I'm able to channel my roots
there and we camped there in the summertime in the highlands,
(24:17):
and then moving from there. I don't play Quebec, there's
the language thing. And uh, but Ontario, my gosh, Ontario
is just wonderful to play from from east to west
and north and south. I've been everywhere. I mean the
good one. Oh boy, let me see. Uh, I love playing.
(24:38):
I love playing. Huntsville is a good room up north
uh SIUs, Saint Marie is always great, as is North Bay. Oh,
gosh down South Burlington, Hamilton, Oh, beautiful, beautiful rooms. And
going further west, Guelph has always been a stop for me.
I love it. Oh in Peterborough. Can't forg at Peterborough
(25:01):
and some of these places. I shot all my specials too,
and we always have great shows at the Christler Center
in Windsor up in thunder Bay. And let me see,
blah blah, I haven't played Mississaugan in a long time. Yeah,
And I was always a fan of the Winter Garden,
but the prices are so high to rent. So that's
why I'm here where I am now in Winnipeg. That
(25:23):
I mean, you played, you know, the Burton Cummings Theater, Saskatoon.
It's the Broadway and moose Jaws are smoking hot room too.
And then from there you go into Alberta, and Alberta's
vast and I've always had good shows there, although you know,
with the political polarities these days and my position on
(25:45):
the side of oh, I don't know, science.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Yeah, how about that? In the West?
Speaker 3 (25:49):
I come on, man, I mean, I used to feel
Red Deer it's the six hundred and eighty seater or
the Memorial and I always and I got when I
was fifty, my daughter gave me a birthday card with
a picture of Carol Channing and justin Timberlake on the front,
and she did you goofy pictures And inside was a
goofier picture of me with my ice crossed and the
(26:10):
captain on the front said, sure they're famous, And on
the inside it said, but did they get sick? So
though shows out of Red Deer, isn't that a great? Yeah? Yeah?
And I don't get those numbers anymore. But you have
to be true to yourself up on stage, and it's uh,
you know, with Daniel Smith, then you're not a Conservative party.
(26:32):
I mean, I think she's the personification of treason myself.
I mean, a day after the Orange Mutant got elected,
she was down at Barrel Lago ready to give a
a A twice impeached coo inciding convicted, fellon the keys
to Canada's back door, right, and it was broken by
(26:52):
Kevin O'Leary. Y right, the dragon's den, shark tank, blind,
the stoke, a midnight boater.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
Mister, oh that's mid that was his wife, I believe anyway,
whoever the.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
You know, and he's so prostate at the altar a man,
and he could sell cold to the devil of them
and fattening his wallet. And Wayne Gretsky could shovel it. Oh, buddy, one,
two three, I have no look. In any other day
they'd be fighting over a thin Hudson Bay blanket and
a rancid seal flipper on a sinking ice flow in
(27:30):
Hudson Bay.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
What about?
Speaker 3 (27:34):
And so I'm not pulling those punches right, And when
I'm on stage in Calgary, where I shot my second
special for the CBC. Look, I'm a Canadian. I'm a
Canadian comedian with a political point of view, and keeping
Canada together is my imperative. And when you have mag
(27:55):
of Maples who've drunk the the kool aid of the
trumpet scene, that stands in direct opposition to everything I
believe in. And not all of Alberta's like that. You know,
when you you know you've got a separation between urban
and rural, which is about actually that's about eight hundred
(28:18):
years of separation actually, so but you know you've got
to do what you do. But everything's changed. It's been
a dramatic shift, one hundred and eighty degree shift. I mean,
and I said in my book, you know, Alberta built
me a home in Toronto in the beaches, and it
was exciting to play there. You know, when oil was
(28:40):
four hundred and twenty one bucks a barrel door in
the oughts these every time a car blew up in Bagdad,
there were two new trucks and every Alberta's driveway. It
was amazing. But now, I mean, you'll behind You'll be
behind a truck at a stop sign in Grand Prairie.
Some souped up truck flying an f Carney flag with
a set of fake testicles swinging off the back bumper.
(29:04):
You see a set effect nuts and a bumper. You
can be certain there's a real dick behind the wheel.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Oh man, it is going to be a great night Friday,
November twenty eighth, that is for sure. With Ron James's
eleventh stand up special, it's The View from Here. Get
your tickets a ticket Master or event bright where you
can also watch it live streaming. If you have a
link to the live stream, it's going to be available
for viewing twenty four hours after the start time at
(29:33):
seven thirty pm on the twenty eighth of November. The
View from Here is the name of the special. Now,
before I let you go, I have two quick things
I wanted to ask you about. First of all, do
you get across the north how about none of it
in Northwest Territories?
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Been with it? Okay, I've not been to Nunavu, but
I have been into the Yukon. I played the Yukon
and the Northwest Territories and I've actually rad aft it
down A river in the Northwest Territory is called the
Firth and we ended up at the Beaufort Sea so
(30:09):
close to Alaska fifteen years ago. We could actually hear
Sarah Palin practicing the alphabet. Yeah that's an old joke,
but I really miss her. She was such a sneazy target.
But you know what, don norm, Yeah, that's exactly where
the porcupine herd travels into Alaska to calve in the spring.
(30:33):
And that's where Trump is putting his road through in
Alaskan wildlife refuge. Can you believe that?
Speaker 5 (30:40):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (30:40):
No, he's He's a reprehensible human being. And I hope
the exposure of the Epstein files brings this monster down.
And you know, I mean he's made cruelty currency and
kindness worthless. And uh, you know, you start asking. And
(31:01):
when we were growing up, buddy, I mean, everybody wanted
to be an American man. I mean they were, they were. Yeah,
it is hard to fathom. I mean, a country that
was once a beacon of rational thought has traded it
all in for interrational twak, right, we but you know,
(31:25):
I mean.
Speaker 5 (31:26):
Look at look at Sunday night growing up on CBCTV,
the beach.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
Combers coming on to think Walt Disney was over, That's right,
and in the heavy days of Camelot, when JFK and
Jackie were the sexy young stars who personified the magnanimous
post war character of America. Up in Canada, we had
(31:53):
squirrely old John diefen Baker and Olive stepping over cow
pies at a track in esther Hazy, Saskatchewan.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
That's right, right, right, you know what.
Speaker 3 (32:06):
They were already in color when we were black and white.
You are cold.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Nobody, nobody knows Canada like Ron James. You just have
to know. This man does not just fly in and
fly out. He's there.
Speaker 3 (32:21):
You live right, you run, you drive in a snowstorm
and a blizzard like you're saying, and you you are there.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
You partake in the local culture of the lay of
the land wherever you go. And that's amazing. You have
known Canada and continue to know it like nobody did you.
And I think you know who I think of, uh
when I think of a political humor and such in
the United States, is George Carlin? Did you ever have?
Speaker 3 (32:49):
Well, that's a good company to put me in, buddy.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Because I thought he also, like you, n incredibly intelligent
and knew the landscape of it all. And knew how
to put it in this incredible vocabulary like you do. Well.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
I like the way. Pardon me, I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
You chance to have a chance to meet him?
Speaker 3 (33:08):
Oh No, I never did meet Carlin. No, no, but
his work inspired me, of course. I mean I was
at the right page when seven words you Can't Say
on TV came out right and we played it and
played it and played it. But I mean, one of
the things that we might have in common it is
a love of language, and I love the way words
(33:31):
trip off the tongue and tickle the ear as well
as the funny bone. But you know, if you're going
to have a long and literative run, you have to
land on a strong joke or it just seem self
indulgent in the way to get there. What was great
about George is he was an authentic rebel voice at
(33:52):
a time America needed it. And you know, I don't
think he would have suffered guys like Joe Rogan. I
don't think he would have suffered these those testosterone fueled
broligarchs and uh this, you know now, I think that
(34:16):
I think that Tarlan was the real deal. And he uh,
you know, he he kind of I mean, he was
a star, but he disdained the spotlight right now. He
he honored the true dictates of the craft. And he
uh he was the best, and that's why he's quoted
(34:39):
all the time still.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
And uh i, uh.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
I would have loved him, and I didn't. Don Rickles, though,
hosted my first gala at j just for last okay, well,
and uh I was doing a bit in those days
about he said camping. Camping's fun in the daytime. As
soon as the sun goes down, every that each meat
wakes up, though. But I was safe. I was safe.
I can't beside some Germans. God bless him with their acts.
(35:08):
God bless them with the acts. I don't scare anything,
eat but believe in the house up Thundrouse and I
was just leaving. But leave in the house. I don't
care where you are, hiking the cab trail or rafting
the belly of the Grand Canyon. You here, eat, leaving
the house and you're making a bee line for Switzerland.
You and the kids run for the border with the
von Trapp family. I'll hould them off. Hi on the
hill is a little Vito hut. Come on, people, get
(35:30):
testing with me. Teasing the Germans. But come on, uh,
my father had noofie jokes told about him his entire life.
He never once invaded Czechoslovakia. Anyway, Don Reckles posted my
night and he was backstays when I was doing my
set and an agent in Toronto's backstage because when of
his clients was on too, and he looked at.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
Me, he goes.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Rickles was roaring. He loved your set, Rickle. Reckles comes
up to me and he said, and he's I'm in
front of him. He was one of my heroes, Rickles.
I still watch stuff. I still watch his stuff. If
you want to get a good laugh, look at Rickles
being lauded at the Apollo Theater. He's about ninety years old.
(36:11):
Letterman is there? The Nero's there, Seinfels there, John John.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
Stamos, pardon me, John Stamos, Jesus, he was his friend?
I thought, no, wasn't was he?
Speaker 1 (36:26):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (36:27):
I don't know, John, Uh, Jesus, what's the matter with me?
See I'm like the eight John Stewart. Oh yeah, anyway,
they're dying. They're dying. He's killing, he's killing. So anyway,
Rickles comes up to me and he grabs me by
the face, right, and he looks like a turtle. Rickles
looks like a turtle up close, and he looked at
(36:48):
my bad. He grabs my teeth and goes, that was
a great set, kid. Wow. I never got my first
break until I was thirty eight years old in Kelly's
Heroes and he's smiling and he said, how old are you?
I said, the smile morpse from a shit eating grin
to a frown. He slaps my cheek. He goes, I'm sorry,
(37:09):
you're finished, and he walked away. But hold it. So
he's down at the end of the hall. So I'm awestruck, right,
So I say, okay, I'm gonna have to go down
and get his autographed. So I've got my poster, I
still haven't, and I go into his dressing room and
he writes, Funny is as Funny does, and you are okay, going,
(37:31):
oh my gosh, what an amazing time. Six months later,
I'm stuck in a primal blizzard driving to Prince George
that Yetti wouldn't wonder and that was my soul collateral
that I made a withdrawal on my soul's collateral. That night,
as I white knuckled my way to a gig in
(37:53):
Prince George, knowing that someone like Don Rickles knew that
I belonged on this road and he told me so.
And that matters. And that's the difference between fame and
following your bliss, know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (38:14):
Ron, You are a joy to listen to. Your stories
are legendary. I could go on for hours. The specialist
called the view from here. It's coming up Friday, November
twenty eighth. That's next Friday, seven thirty pm in the
Canadian Stage is the Bloom uphel Theater in Toronto. The
Canadian Stage two blocks east of Union Station. Right there
(38:34):
you can live stream. It's being live streamed and it
will be available for twenty four hours after the start
time of that night of seven thirty. But go in person. Honestly,
that's the best gay.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Yeah, you know what, there's a numbilical relationship between the
performer and the audience and stand up. I mean, that's
that's the holy note, brother. Yeah, that's where the audience
and the comedian work in tandem. The laughs actor is
adhesive to the narrative and we're both in it together.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
Can you tell us a little bit about what we
can expect on the view from here in a nutshell,
I mean, what are we walking into here?
Speaker 3 (39:15):
Well, I'm taking a look at I mean, it's one
Canadian's perspective on the shift of the psychic paradigm since
the American experiment blew up in the lab last year
and out marched to Tangerine Jeanie. So I take a
look at that. Yeah, And let's face it, in any
other world besides that dystopian shit show of a democracy
(39:38):
in our next door neighbor's house, Trump would be sedated
and have his day pass revoked by Mental Home orderly.
He would, he would, you know, I mean the Secret
Service is about he, you know, six months away from
having to chew his food, and I think he's a
week away from running across the White House lawn and
(39:59):
his under man I felt. But as much as the
view from here is one Canadian's view across the fence,
it's also a view of a sixty eight year old
dude who's been in the game for a long time,
and you know, who has reflections on the past, reflections
on the present, things he's learned, things he's curious about,
(40:22):
and as he's trying to connect the dots in the
chaos we're all walking through so people can process the
trauma of our daily marks. Who life's bright fury in
the language of lasts, and that's what it is. And
I'll land on all kinds of subjects. Man, you know,
come on, I'm a boomer. Mortality is the new reality.
(40:44):
It is so. I mean, look, my generation is just
fifteen years away from roaming the home and or led
Zeppelin ones. He's just to sing along away from taking
a stairway to heaven. Oh man, I mean, it's a
wake up call proof anymore. So I talk about the
days of your you know, I will talk about the
days of your both you know, and you know. The
(41:06):
legalization of marijuana. Look, I'm no pothhead, but I never
turned it down. I mean I'm from a time where
a hashtag was something you got from getting too close
to the hash nine.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
Oh right, I look forward to it. I can't wait
the view from here. November twenty eighth, Friday Night, seven
point thirty. Get your tickets at event right dot ca
and also Ticketmaster of course to get seats while the
seats are still available at the Bluema Uphel Theater. It's
his eleventh stand up special. I want to let you
get back to making your gingerbread house run.
Speaker 3 (41:39):
Oh no, I'm not making that. I just got that.
My daughters and I'm a girlfriend are planning that. I'm
just going to be the foreman. Man.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
Okay, you're telling you what you know.
Speaker 3 (41:49):
What gingerbread is. I want to make the gingerbread host
from nineteen forty four, The Invasion of Italy. That's the
one I want. I want the one at the Battle
of Ortona. Put a wine bottles in a corner. So
if I bust my house, it's authentic. Yeah, it's authentic.
It was mortared by the Jerry's up in the big
free line. See I'm showing my showing my age now,
(42:12):
I just dropped the big Freed line.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
Man.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Oh boy, so many gratuitous Hollywood references in my act r.
Speaker 2 (42:20):
I know, it's amazing. It's the best. You're the best man.
I can't wait for Friday Night the View from here
and we will see you then and see you on
the live stream as well. Ron James Comedy is where
he is on Facebook, Ron James Comedy and on Instagram.
Rambling Ron James and make sure you look for his
book as well. For sure. Like we talked about, well,
(42:40):
you and I talked about your book. We talked about
during COVID when You're going from your living room too,
which was we did hilarious.
Speaker 3 (42:48):
Maybe Heather Reisman has moved it from how to Build
a Balsa Wood Aircraft. Maybe she's moved it off that
shelf and put it with easy access by the smelly
candles or something. Penguin Ran found it founded over by
the candles than.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
A black penguin. Penguin Random House has got the book.
It's called All Over the Map, Rambles and Ruminations from
the Canadian Road. And if there's anybody who knows the
Canadian Road, it's Ron James. Ron with a pleasure as always,
and we'll see you Friday night and we'll talk to
you again.
Speaker 3 (43:18):
Take care, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
I'm Noram Murray. You're listening to News Talk SAGA nine
sixty The View from Here starring Ron James. We'll be
back right after this
Speaker 1 (43:35):
Stream US live at SAGA nine six am dot C
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