The Current - Where these Saskatoon comedians find their funny

Episode Date: November 27, 2024

Some of Saskatoon’s biggest comedy stars share where they find their funny. Dakota Ray Hebert looks back at growing up in a trailer park for her new comedy album Trailer Treasure; and viral social media star Farideh lands some laughs about women’s health and being a (sometimes under-appreciated) mother. 

In 2017, it felt like drugs were everywhere in the news, so I started a podcast called On Drugs. We covered a lot of ground over two seasons, but there are still so many more stories to tell. I'm Jeff Turner, and I'm back with Season 3 of On Drugs. And this time, it's going to get personal. I don't know who Sober Jeff is. I don't even know if I like that guy.

On Drugs is available now wherever you get your podcasts. This is a CBC Podcast. Hello, I'm Matt Galloway, and this is The Current Podcast. Our next guest here on stage at the Broadway Theatre is a rising comedy star in Saskatoon. She was part of Just for Laughs' New Face of Comedy showcase last year. You've seen her on the CBC comedy Run the Burbs. She's the proprietor of a brand new comedy club and gallery here in town called The Art Bar. We're lucky to have her.

Please welcome to the stage Dakota Ray Hebert. Thank you so much for having me. How do we do it? How's it going? I'm really great. I'm better than having you here. This is really good. I'm super excited to have you here.

Tell me about, you have this comedy album coming out. It's called Trailer Treasure. Uh-huh, Trailer Treasure. What's that all about? It's about growing up in the trailer park in Meadow Lake. What, what? My first album is called I'll Give You an Indian Act. Oh, oh. Thank you, yes. my first album is called I'll Give You an Indian Act thank you

a little bit spicy I was mad and then I was like okay I recorded it in the can done I'm taking a break I'm not funny anymore and then Just for Laughs called and they were like can you headline in Toronto at Just for Laughs in and they were like, can you headline in Toronto at Just for

Laughs in Toronto this September? And I said, absolutely. I had to write a whole hour. And that's kind of what Trailer Treasure is. It's a story of how, like, it's how I got out of the trailer park, went back in and got out again and into the big city of Saskatoon and just been given her, you know. That's the best answer. What was it like growing up in the trailer park? It was fun. I mean, it has its pros, it has its cons. It's like a community within a small community. What I used to do is it's Clark Crescent, but I used to add an E to the end of Clark so it looked fancy. used to do is it's Clark Crescent but I used to add an e to the end of Clark so it looked fancy yeah uh it was it was fun it was just like you know just growing up in any small town of Saskatchewan lots of bike riding around um how do you how do you think that shapes the comedy

that you do now um it's I think uh in a relatable sense I there was a moment in time like an identity crisis where I wanted to be like the big name comedy stars who can can reach to a lot of people in big cities they have that kind of broader comedy um and that's what I was trying to do but then I realized I can do that by by touching on on my origins touching on small towns and then it's also kind of funny too when you're like oh has this ever happened to you and it hasn't um so and and I think Saskatchewanians are just inherently really funny people. Like, we're funny people, and we're kind of funny people. What is that about, though?

I mean, there's some really funny people that come out of this province. Because it gets to, like, minus 50, man. And we get snowed into our houses, and we get weird. We make our own vocabulary. We say things like bunny hug and we say things like gitch and we say things like Vico, you know, we make up our own language and that's kind of, you know, I'm down with it. You now have a place where people can come and showcase their funny. Yeah. Tell me, tell me a little bit about the art bar. So art bar is actually my sweetheart's vision.

I just kind of hijacked it. But it was this dream that he'd had to have a place where we could showcase all kinds of art. And it's been really exciting. We don't even have a sign up. So it kind of seems like a speakeasy. But it's all legit. You seem very insistent in saying that's very one of our we have to have food that we prepare in the venue in order to get our tavern light liquor license and it's

literally called the slga compliant meal it's a hungry man we put in a microwave. It's $15. Dakota Ray Haber has got a brand new comedy album called Trailer Treasure. So we've had some great people here with us on stage. We're going to crank things up. Our next guest is a big star here in Saskatoon and beyond.

Please put your hands together. Maybe you want to dance as well for Faraday. Thank you. Morning sickness, endometriosis, menopause, migraines, PCOS. What's happening to your body? We don't know because we've never really studied the female body. Female body.

Say it's all in my head, but the research is quite spotty. We've never really studied the female body. How are you? I'm so good. People who are listening can't see what you did. Oh, I... And what you're wearing. It's sunglasses, but it's like your full face. My husband says it makes me look like a security camera. It's a good look.

Thank you. That tune, I mean, what is it? Three million views on TikTok? Yeah, and 17 million on Instagram. What is it like to be a viral star on the internet? I don't know anything about these things. Well, I would say a little overwhelming, honestly. You know, like Maria Shriver posted it and was like,

this should be a White House song for the Women's Health Initiative. And I was like, I just put my phone down. And I was like, I don't even know how to feel about that. The tune is called Female Body. Tell me about it. The song is about, the punchline is basically I list many conditions that affect women and then i'm like because they've never really studied the female body and uh i don't know if it's funny it's just true uh and it's basically like um the research is like they didn't really actually have to include

women in research studies until 1993 so personally what happened to me is that I needed to take my husband to the hospital and he was he was having a hard time grabbing stuff. He kind of had a hard time going up the stairs. I was like we have to go to the hospital. He's like no I don't think so. I was like we will. And I personally I was preparing for him to be treated like a woman. And I thought... And which is? They're not going to believe you. He's going to send them home. But Matt, you know, it's like,

when he walked through those doors, it's like he had Beyonce's wind machine on him. All those nurses were like, he looks like our son. They, like, got him an emergency bed. Hundreds of people are waiting. All of them women. And they're like, we know exactly all the tests to run.

We're so glad you're here. At that point, I'm like, leave him alone. He's fine. It's a mistake. What kind of treatment is it? And then I was like, oh, they just know what to do with his body. And that's one of the inspirations for Female Body. Are you surprised that it has become i mean that not just maria shriver but that that many people have leaned into this understood what the message is of the

tune um great question i you know usually with my songs i'll have an idea of like oh this one's gonna hit and then it bombs and then there's ones that are a surprise. But I have also learned that, like, it seems like comedy is also about, like, pressing a rage button. And I know that I have lots of friends with endometriosis who have, like, had to advocate for themselves and not been heard.

Not believed. Yeah, exactly. Or friends with migraines. And so I just, I kind of thought in my heart, like, this is something I know women are talking to each other about, that they're angry. So I'll give them a banger. And you did. Yeah. And you never felt like you had to leave and go somewhere else to do your music? I mean, people, one of the things that we've heard is that people will go and then come back. Yeah, you know, I was like,

I am never going to live in this place. As soon as I can get out of here, I'm out of here. This winter is not for me. And then I had the chance to tour the world. I toured all over Canada. I toured all over the US, Europe and New Zealand and Australia.

And I was like, there isn't a place better. Firstly, everybody's from somewhere. But then I was like, there, there isn't a place better. Firstly, every everybody's from somewhere, but then I was like the people, my mom, like, I'm just, I'm not going to leave my mom. What is it like when the phone rings and it's, um, good morning America or the today show on the other line? You know, I'm, I'm so grateful. Like one of the things about living in Saskatchewan is that there are new opportunities that are available because of the internet so then you're like what is happening why is good morning America calling me because I just put a video on my phone

and I think that's one of the things that like lets me allow to keep staying is that my career isn't limited by my location anymore because we have an airport and we have the internet what else do you need what else you need just my mom done um you write a lot about motherhood as well yeah what drives you crazy about being a mom wow well i mean i think it is a journey through chaos. It's limitless. But yeah, I did. Somebody asked me, what's the most annoying part about being a mom? And I was like, the most annoying part is that strangers approach my husband in public when he's just pushing a stroller to tell him how amazing he is. Literally, I have a job where i wish for applause where are my strangers approaching me that sets up this next tune that you're going to play yeah it's a sorry it was my first viral hit

matt it's called such a good dad and it's really about all the all the applause my husband gets and i want to tell you he is such a good dad. You're saying that seriously? That is serious, but also... And we learned this right away. When my husband first... When we first had our baby, he took off two months. And he strapped that baby to him in his little baby Bjorn carrier.

And he went out in the neighborhood. And you know, because it's a community. He came home and he was like, I am a god, he's like, strangers, women are approaching me, but like, oh my god, look at that man, my baby daddy wouldn't do that, and like, look at you, and he's like, this is incredible, so we started laughing about this together, about this truth, that I'll be like, you realize, if somebody's like, in the grocery store, being like, you're such an amazing dad, I'm like, you realize, if somebody's in the grocery store, being like, you're such an amazing

dad. I'm like, you realize, ain't no mom being approached in a grocery store. You're out with your child in a grocery store? You are so amazing. What a mom. Alright, let's hear it. Performing live

at the Broadway Theater, this is from her album, The Motherlode. It's Faraday, and yes, you are such a good dad. I did the cooking and the cleaning and the groceries and the laundry, fed the cat and the dog, and someone stole my pocket. Got a gift for your mother, but she probably won't like paid a bill wiped it but broke up a couple

times then i just about lost my mind because we both took the kids to the park and someone said to you you are such a good dad you are such a good dad i woke at 5 a.m. to screaming in the hallway. There was barf in the bed, so another load of laundry. Our kid was crying, so we talked about our feelings. You were sleeping. That's cool. But then you got up and your mom came over and she said, You are such a good dad you are such a good dad yes

i did the bath time story time the pee time the snack time i said go to bed just about a million times then i sat down to write this song and you said, Did you notice I'm of the Lord? You are such a good dad. You are such a good dad. Such a good dad. You are such a good dad. Yeah.

Such a good dad. You are such a good dad. Yeah. Such a good dad. Thank you. Thank you very much. That's fantastic. Faraday. Yes, indeed, she is on the internets. You can find her on Instagram and TikTok. Her handle is ilovetharaday.