Meet Dion Owen, our comedian for this week! Growing up, he found admiration in the raw, rebellious style of Bill Hicks and the incisive wit of George Carlin. Recently, he has added a distinctive element to his performances: creating improvised songs on the spot, which have quickly become crowd favourites. As a comedian, Dion draws inspiration from a rich tapestry of influences spanning his childhood and career.
How would you describe your comedy style?
I’d say I’m silly, irreverent and aspiring to be interesting. Feels like I’m dangerously close to being myself. Recently I’ve added improvised songs. Where I get some information about an audience member. Then sing a song about them while playing chords on the keyboard.
Despite my best efforts, the songs have become crowd favourites in my one-hour shows and sometimes overshadow the bits I’ve toiled and refined over years of work.
Who are some of your influences?
90s Just for Laughs and Comedy Now specials were extremely helpful in my formative years. Literally 100’s of incredible comics were on every night. As a kid, I listened to a lot of The Arrogant Worms as well.
Monty Python and Peter Sellers were some of my dad’s favourites and so were also huge in shaping my early humour.
The creators of Calvin and Hobbes and South Park. Bill Waterson especially is in my books (or cartoons) the most admirable artist to ever live. Matt Parker and Trey Stone are also incredible. They cover such a range of mediums. It’s boggling. They embody a fearlessness for the funny that I aspire to.
Then there are some local Montreal veterans like David Pryde, Joey Elias and Heidi Foss. Getting to see them live and watch their process. While bothering them with cloying compliments and questions helped me immensely. Recently had a similar experience with the epitome of Canadian Jon Dore.
Who was your favourite comedian growing up?
The first comedian I really admired was Bill Hicks. He was punk rock and raw. Ranting about the injustices of the world while getting the occasional punch line in. George Carlin would follow right behind.
Who is your favourite comedian now?
Norm MacDonald and oddly only posthumously (his posthumousing not mine, I am currently still alive!). He is by far my favourite comedian. Hilarious with a charm and wisdom uniquely his own. His early brush with death gave him a perspective I haven’t seen other comics pull off.
I had the fortune of working with Rich Hall at the Glasgow Comedy Festival. Afterwards, I went to his show. He did 45 minutes of killer stand-up. Then 45 minutes with a full band. Best live show I’ve seen. The songs were hilarious and heartfelt. Opened my eyes to the possibilities and changed how I perform.
What is your pre-show ritual?
It used to panic. Have a few drinks then fight the nearest donkey. Because early performances are terrifying.
My new routine isn’t as fun but less damaging to the local donkey populations.
I meditate then stand in a relaxed pose with a wide body stance. I do this because a TED talk said it would reduce stress, thanks Amy Cuddy. (Remember TED talk?! They used to be great, not a corporate shill selling you Beanstalk Boner Pills for you Brain™.)
Then I really get into the zone by setting up my camera and Rode mics.
It’s always been my dream (and the dream of every child). To create nice palatable short-form videos. Endlessly pumping them out in a vain attempt to appease the all-mighty algorithm, “ALL HAIL ALGORITHM. CONTROLLER OF EVERYTHING KNOWER OF NOTHING!” “Oh mighty ALGO hear my prayers. Bless this video with virality. May it be set forth to the huddled masses yearning to be free of thought. Automatons blessedly basking blankly in the righteous light of phone screens. Let me through the vessel of empty content. Sell tickets. Not directly… obviously. But via a subsidiary company of yours. Through the hallowed body of the ALGO the exalted transaction portal, (check bio for links). Let the sanctified corporate entities and the divine right of banks be tithed a 42% cut. (gross sales of course). Bestowed in each transaction the blood of the algorithm, data. In a modern form of miraculous conception, keystroke harvesting. See in thy wisdom to bestow upon us consumer goods oh ya AND gambling websites. Let it be things we don’t need and after a short dopamine spike, we may jettison them into the sacred tradition of landfill. Praise be to the ALGO!”
Ooops sorry about the got a little off track….
My pre-show ritual… Right, ya, ummm so then I drink some water. Put in my Loop ear plugs in (my tinnitus is bad from loud venues) and just as I get on stage, I start the timer on my watch. Once on stage. My eyes frantically dart around the room. Desperately scanning the audience for a disgruntled donkey with an ire of retribution in his gaze…
What is your favourite place you have performed? Why?
A bike shop called Recycle Cycle (shout out Dom and the crew). It’s an amazing space for comedy where we could seat 80 people. The acoustics are oddly excellent and it has a cool DIY feel yet also bizarrely “professional”. The green room is the mechanic section in the back of the shop. With its own garage door side entrance. I love it so much I recorded my first album there.
Another favourite is the whole of the Edinburgh Fringe but I especially love The Counting House. The festival is crazy, there are sooooooo many venues. Literally, 5000 shows a day. You can perform in venues ranging from gorgeous theatres to horse trailers (last year I was in the horse trailer). One year I did 96 sets in 24 days. Without this festival, I wouldn’t be a comedian.
What is your favourite bit you have written and why were you proud of it?
I have a rant about the money system that honestly still doesn’t work. But one day it will be one of my signature bits as it’s the summation of my Sociology degree.
Currently, I have a joke about the French Revolution. It doesn’t get the biggest laugh but definitely one of my favourites. I’m proud of it because it’s funny (sometimes the audience reaction would suggest otherwise). It also has a tinge of provocativeness while taking a needless swipe at the French. What more could you want in a bit?
What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comics/comedians?
Live comedy all the way. For instance, I just got back from Australia. I randomly popped into a little venue in Kiama which just happened to have a comedy show that night. So I hung out and a comic I had never heard of named Luke Heggie was doing a new material night. He was great. His new stuff was better than 90% of most people’s polished stuff.
Live comedy is truly the best. Something is lost in translation, especially through the medium of video. Like if you watch Dave Merheje on TV he’s good, but live he’s one of the best comics on the planet. Nothing beats in person. Low ceilings and a bunch of strangers crammed too close together in the darkness.
Tell us a joke about your city.
I am actually originally from Williams Lake BC, so you might recognize me from trying to stab you.
Do you have anything to promote right now?
I have an album coming out called Dion Owen – Live at the Bike Shop. It will be up on YouTube in March. That’s right I’m big time, I have a YouTube account.
Also, I have shows coming up in Montreal, Ottawa, the EU and the UK and I’ll be back at the Edinburgh Fringe in August with two shows for the whole month at The Counting House.
Where can we follow you?
The best method is my website (you can sign up for my mailing list!). Or follow me on the not evil at all platform (and downfall of humanity) @cyclopathcomedy on Instagram
PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about?
I would be remiss if I didn’t shout out Jonathan Burrello, who is one of the most talented multi-medium artists in Montreal. We’re lucky to have that smarty pants in our city.
Also because I clearly am not abiding by “brevity being the sole of wit” would love to plug Eric Spicely, a former MMA fighter who’s working his butt off and doing weird and unique things.
Thanks for reading if you made it through all my musings on comedy. I would like to shout you out.
Ya YOU that’s right. Nobody is doing a better job of being you, then you. Ain’t going to be any more yous. So be nice to yourself. Life’s hard enough without the mean internal dialogue. We’d never let other people talk about us like this, so why do we let ourselves? Keep up the good work. We’re going to need you. Unless…. unless of course…. unless…….. you’re Wayne Gretzky?!?!? If you are then Wayne. I want you to know. You’re a sell-out and a drunk. You’ve let not only your country down but all of humanity. Shame on you. From this point on you will be referred to as the Not-So-Great One.
