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Canadian comic legend Derek Edwards in Cranbrook Friday

Edwards is a year and a half into his Alls I’m Saying tour
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Veteran Canadian comedian Derek Edwards will be in Cranbrook on Friday June 7, bringing his “Alls I’m Saying” tour to the Key City Theatre.

His tour’s been likened to “taking a ride in an open golf cart with a good friend and a six-pack.” It consists of hilarious observations of the world around and invokes deep belly laughs at everyday scenarios often taken for granted.

Edwards is now about a year and a half into the tour and is reaching the final stretches.

“I’ve had a year and a half touring it through Canada and I’m gettin’ the hang of it, it’s finally coming together,” Edwards said jestingly. He added that the tour has been “terrific” thus far, with a nice showing of people coming out, who are “courteous, and love to chuckle — which I’d say could be a fairly safe generalization of many Canadians.”

As far as putting together the material for the act, or answering the question of what can fans expect at the show, Edwards said it “includes everything.

“I can’t really describe it. It uses stimuli just from yesterday’s conversations. It’s fluid.”

Edwards said that he likes to practise “conflict avoidance” when coming up with his act, but explained that there are “some things you can’t ignore.”

“There’s certain things that are good to make fun of, the political climate to the south of us possibly,” he said. “That’s just stuff that comes at you. It comes at you and you have to grapple with it and it’s nice to twist it around and get a laugh out of it, instead of the chilling, spine curdling moments you get watching that lunatic.”

Originally from Timmins, Ont., and a comedian since around 1988, Edwards grew up with the “love of the satisfaction of a good laugh,” explaining that his first influences came from movies and T.V. shows like Second City T.V. (SCTV), watching people like John Candy, Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara.

“I mean some of it was American but a lot of influence to a fellow like me, was from my Canadian brethren, we’ve got so much funny we’ve been exporting to the United States all this time.”

So why is it that Canada produces so much comedic talent? Edwards supposed it has something to do with self importance.

“The less self importance you have, the more ironic you can be, the more you can be more detached, is a shot at being funnier,” he said.

“That’s why the Newfies are so hilarious, they are just so down to earth and with no airs whatsoever, and everybody will tell you they’re salt of the earth great folk but they’re friggin’ funny too. And I think it’s all because of this natural insecurity from not being high on your self.”

Over the course of his extensive career, Edwards has received numerous awards as well as accolades and acclaim from his contemporaries, including Rick Mercer saying, “Everyone Knows Derek is the funniest man in Canada.”

Throughout his career, Edwards has had a lot of experience performing with renowned Canadian institution Just For Laughs, including going across the country on their first-ever tour.

Some personal highlights from his career include meeting John Cleese at Just For Laughs, and having a young and up-and-coming Louis C.K. open for him in Vancouver — adding that it was one of the worst shows he’s ever had following him.

He also mentioned an anecdote of playing a rather hostile biker bar, saying it was an accomplishment simply to get of stage unscathed after taking their abuse right on the chin. He added that the rough crowds make the awesome audiences that he gets to meet on a regular basis all the more worth it.

Tickets are available here.