With a comedic style that swings between the silly and the dark, Kevin Banner has built a career on sharp storytelling, personal anecdotes, and the occasional dose of pure nonsense. Influenced by legendary comics like Norm Macdonald, Colin Quinn, and Dave Attell, as well as close friends in the industry, Banner has honed a stand-up act that prioritizes integrity and relentless laughter.
How would you describe your comedy style?
Jokes and stories pulled from my personal experiences with the occasional sprinkling of completely made-up nonsense. I oscillate between silly and dark but my intention is never to offend, just to get laughs.
Who are some of your influences?
My influences are mostly stand-up comedians but not exclusively. Some are comedians I looked up to when I was starting out, like Norm Macdonald, Colin Quinn and Dave Attell. There are also friends I made along the way like Phil Hanley, Chad Daniels and Ivan Decker who made me want to dig deeper and work harder on my act. Everybody I mentioned has a level of integrity that I aspire to and have used to guide choices I’ve made in my career. There are also non-comedy artists whose integrity and output I admired like Billy Joe Shaver, Bret Hart and Colter Wall.
Who was your favourite comedian growing up?
John Candy, Chris Farley and Norm Macdonald.
Who is your favourite comedian now?
Norm Macdonald is the greatest comedian of all time in my opinion. His 2011 special Me Doing Stand-Up is the best comedy special. His book Based On A True Story is the funniest thing I’ve ever read. He was the best anchor of the Weekend Update on SNL and the most must-watch guest on Late Night talk shows. I still listen to bootlegged Norm shows that people have uploaded to YouTube.
What is your pre-show ritual?
Depends on the show but usually it’s just yapping backstage with other comics and predicting how poorly I’m going to do.
What is your favourite place you have performed? Why?
Heckler’s comedy club in Victoria. I used to be the in-house emcee before I moved to Vancouver. I’ve performed there around 150 times in the last 15 years and I’ve rarely had a bad time. There’s a little bit of magic in that room and the owners have built a great audience over the years.
What is your favourite bit you have written and why were you proud of it?
I have a bit on my latest album Heavy Favourite about the hot topic debate of formula feeding a baby vs breastfeeding. There’s a dark twist in it that always catches the audience off guard and gets a great pop. The joke has gone viral on multiple social media platforms and has been viewed over 5 million times now, mostly because women sharing their stories in the comment sections about feeding their kids really boosted the algorithm. I guess I’m proud of the fact that joke has connected on some emotional level to so many people.
What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comics/comedians?
I used to learn about new comedians from podcasts, but now I’m a word-of-mouth guy. If enough of my comedian friends start talking about a newer comic I’ll check them out.
Tell us a joke about your city.
I’d rather not and you can’t make me! Can you? Oh crap. I’ll send you something the second Tuesday of next week.
Do you have anything to promote right now?
Watch my special Heavy Favourite on YouTube. Or listen to it wherever you listen to albums. Please. Or don’t. Whatever blows your hair back. I also have an album called Dreamboat from 2016 that I am proud of. Give that one a whirl while you’re at it.
Where can we follow you?
Please follow me on Instagram and YouTube – Heavy Favourite | Full Comedy Special
PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about?
Dave Harris is my favourite comedian to watch in Vancouver. I’ve never seen another comedian quite like him. He is so silly and so dark but so incredibly charming that the audience is with him every step of the way. He tells jokes that I could never get away with because quite frankly I’m not as likeable.
Also, Ivan Decker. If you’ve heard of me and you haven’t heard of him, you need to get your priorities straight. He has a Netflix special, a YouTube special and a Juno-winning album that are all fantastic.
