Comedy Boom: Steve Mackie Returns to The Capital

By Jeb Leroux

I’ve been a big fan of Fredericton comedy for some time and new contributor for the local stand up scene. I drink the beer, watch the show, laugh, and most of the time I stay quiet. I look forward to all shows. Comedy in Fredericton is great. I have been contacted from beyond to write articles and help the good guys – The Fredericton United Comedy Collective.

The good guys have been working hard for over three years, putting on shows and making people laugh. Saturday, March 21st. Steve Mackie is returning. The last time he was in Fredericton he co-headlined in this crazy triple headliner show with Brian Aylward and Merv Hartlen. It was a barn-burner. FUCC is bringing back Steve and just Steve. It’s going to be glorious.

I got a hold of Steve Mackie and asked him a few questions about life, food, and comedy.

First of all Steve, how are you doing?

Steve Mackie: I’m doing okay, I guess. I got fired from my business bundle job. They eventually found out that I wasn’t working that hard. I made 70K a year by drinking my beers till 4am then I ‘d roll out of bed around noon, hit the streets from 2-4pm. I was a business bundle beast. Now I’m pretty much on the same schedule, but instead of business bundles I’m grabbing a coffee at a hipster coffee shop and studying weirdos.

What’s keeping you busy these days?

I’ve been doing shows. Obsessed with making new material work. I’ve been putting in work at the gym, trying to balance out the rotten shit I do to my body. I’m at the gym for a solid hour a day, packing on that lean muscle tissue. When I get home, I’m on the beer train. I’ve been thinking about stopping the beer train for a solid month. I quit for four straight days here and there but a month would make me a ripped beast and then I would make a sexy Xmas calendar or something for 2015.

You recently recorded a comedy album titled I’m A Sensitive Person. How was the experience?

The shows were fun. The first show was a packed house and it went really well. I was kinda drunk for the second show. The album will be about 90% first show. I’ve had a lot of good people help me out, working for free at their own pace and I appreciate it. Everything is done now, just a matter of uploading with CD Baby or Tunecore.

Will there be copies available at the upcoming show in Fredericton?

The show is just five days away so it’ll likely just be available online. I will have CDs eventually, with prepaid burp cards where I burp into somebody’s ear for you with a burner.

You’ve been a staple of the Halifax comedy scene for a decade now. Who have been some of your favourite comedians that have came through town?

I’ve seen Stan Hope twice, Louis CK, Bill Burr, and Joe Rogan. I didn’t go see George Carlin when he came to town and it bother’s me to this day.

Do you like being “on the road”?

I like being on the road. I just hate those stupid ass hotel gyms. They don’t even have a squat rack. I need to blast my leg meat. I like walking around with sore legs and sore ass meat.

Weirdest gig?

Probably the one I did to raise money for homeless people. The crowd turned on me. They thought I was making fun of homeless people because I thought my experience about being foreclosed on was a similar misery.

What do you want Fredericton to bring to the show? Our audiences are the nicest.

I had this girlfriend that made sweet and sour meatballs for me. I’ve been trying to find her for years. Those meatballs, I’ll never forget them.

If you like to laugh, come support the local stand up scene. This Saturday’s show include Fredericton’s own, Trevor Muxworthy hosting, with opening supporting sets going to Jimmy MacKinley, Jason MacLeod, Kris Bone, Troy Haines. Check out FUCC on Facebook or on Twitter.