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James dishing up plate of comedy

For a man clinically anxious about travel, Chris James is sure excited about traveling 900 kilometres to Prince George. The standup comedian has a two-night gig at Nancy O's on July 16 and 17. It's his fourth appearance in P.G. in as many years.
Chris James
Chris James brings his standup comedy to act to Nancy O's July 16-17.

For a man clinically anxious about travel, Chris James is sure excited about traveling 900 kilometres to Prince George. The standup comedian has a two-night gig at Nancy O's on July 16 and 17. It's his fourth appearance in P.G. in as many years.

"I live close to the Skytrain station, so it's 20 minutes to the airport, an hour flight, and a short cab ride downtown. That's shorter than the drive home after work for most people in the Lower Mainland," he said.

And what's so darn exciting for him here? Is it a long-distance love interest? A long lost family member? Old chums from high school? Nope.

"It's the food at Nancy O's," he gushed. "When you're their entertainer, you get free meals, and their food is unbelievable. I can't wait to get there.

"Seriously, I do not like being on the road, in all honesty. P.G. is different, and so is (Vancouver) Island, but I toured with Yuk Yuks for awhile and I had to quit. But I would come to P.G. several times a year just for the food at Nancy O's. And it's a cool place, with the bands they get in, and the atmosphere, and the two dudes who own it (Garrett Fedorkiw and Eoin Foley) are really chill."

He said that he isn't the only comedian who thinks this.

"It's known in the comedy community that outside the Lower Mainland, the two places you want to go are Hecklers Bar & Grill in Victoria and Nancy O's in Prince George. For me, those aren't just the best two, they are the only two."

Standup comedy is hardly the career path for most who suffer from anxiety. A medical marijuana prescription helps him cope, but so does the creative outlet his act provides him. He has to write constantly and "bring the funny" in the live arena.

"It's hard to describe your own comedy without sounding like you're bragging or skipping over important stuff when you try to avoid sounding like you're bragging. But I would say I'm low-key. My style is really laid back. Part of that might be the marijuana, but I'm that way in my personality, so that's what comes out on stage. As a fan, I don't like comedians who are confrontational or aggressive, I don't like comedians who go after the audience with controversial stuff to rile them up. I'm a chill dude, too."

Prince George was the first place on the road James ever performed as a headliner.

"I probably wasn't ready, then, but I'm ready now," he said.

And this city has improved for him, as well. The first time he was on a P.G. bill was also the year of the biggest moth infestation in recent memory. It was almost a weather event, he remembered, so subsequent years were always better experiences for him and he was pleased to hear 2015 will be flutter-free as well.

There are jokes waiting to be mined from observational experiences like that, and that is where his passions for comedy are most comfortable.

"It would probably surprise you how much time it takes to come up with enough good material to make a 45-minute or hour set," he said. "It can easily take a year to work up a new act from scratch. And the really big names, they have writers helping them out, adding material to yours."

Wouldn't it be great, then, if he got to the level of hiring writers to assist his act? No, he emphatically denied.

"What I want the most is to be one of those writers, to help out one of the big acts, instead of being one of them," he said. But of course: less direct audience pressure, less travel.

He knows how to pick his moments. When he is done in Prince George, "right away, I'm off to Montreal for a spot I've got in the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival," he said. "Nancy O's is my last show before that, so I can really test my material."

On July 16 the Chris James show starts at 8:30 p.m. On July 17, the spotlight burns at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20, available at Nancy O's in advance, or at the door while supplies last.