Comedian Aries Spears is coming to town this week for an exclusive show at the Vancouver Playhouse.
Most will likely recognize Spears as one of the most iconic cast members of MAD TV back in its heyday, but he has also made several appearances in movies and standup specials and is the co-host of a podcast with fellow comedian Andy Steinberg called Spears & Steinberg.
Daily Hive caught up with Spears about what to expect from this week’s exclusive engagement in Vancouver. It’s the only Canadian show he’s doing on the final leg of his tour, although he did hit up some Canadian spots earlier in the year.
While Spears became famous thanks to MAD TV, he quickly escaped that show’s shadow. Instead, he stood out for his incredible comedy chops and was called by fans and critics alike as one of the best impressionists in the industry. Click here for an example, especially if you’re a fan of The Sopranos.
Spears spoke about some of his early influences in comedy, and his answers might surprise you.
“I’ve always been a student of the game and an avid movie watcher,” Spears said.
“Watching people in the past like Abbott and Costello and The Three Stooges, and some of the black performers like Pigmeat Markham and Mantam Moreland.”
He added that he started doing it at a young age. Spears actually started performing when he was just 14 years old.
In recent years, comedians have been increasingly scrutinized, especially regarding controversial jokes. Some blame cancel culture, while others believe that comedians have crossed lines. We asked Spears if this was difficult to navigate with his act.
“I always stay true to who I am. I started doing it when I was 14 and came up in the 80s. I’ve just been that raw, unfiltered comic. So I can’t imagine at my age and as love as I’ve been in it switching up my style.”
BC has an election this weekend, and Americans will be heading to the polls fairly soon; we asked Spears about the state of American politics.
“It’s a circus,” he said.
He referred to American politics as a comedic product and said that he appreciated it for the material.
It has been a minute since Spears was in Vancouver. You can click here for tickets to this week’s exclusive show, Thursday at 8 pm at the Vancouver Playhouse.