1. Garet Seman
2. Nelson Mayer
3. Tyler Penner

Comedian Garet Seman has only been performing stand-up for two years, but is already gaining a reputation in the Winnipeg performing arts scene. He speaks humbly of his beginnings in comedy, quipping, “I wasn’t bitten by a radioactive comedian.”

He gained his first experience at the Caravan Comedy show at the Frame Gallery in 2012, hosted by the late, great local comedian Matty Rage. Seman also came in third in the 2013 edition of Rumors Comedy Club’s Funniest Person with a Day Job contest. Since then, Seman has performed in Thunder Bay, Calgary, Edmonton and Grand Forks, though he prefers his home country, as American audiences tend to be “a little more heckle-y.”

He describes his comedic style as “relatable,” one that he feels hardly differs from his off-stage persona.

“It’s a lot of one-liners,” Seman says. “I’m not overly dirty or profane, maybe a few swears. I do some relationship stuff, stuff about being fat and joining the gym.”

While touring part of Canada, opening for infamous Jackass member Bam Margera, a rowdy audience member climbed on-stage and attempted to punch Seman, an incident he admits was partially his fault.

“I was egging him on a little, but the beefy security guards put an end to that,” Seman says, while admitting he enjoys touring, but always prefers to do so with friends.

Despite the fact that Seman isn’t particularly offensive on-stage, his influences lean toward the dark and absurd. He notes such greats as Norm MacDonald, Doug Stanhope and Gilbert Gottfried as favourites.

Seman and fellow comic Nelson Mayer also have the distinguished honour of being the first two comedians set to release albums via local label Elephant Bell Records (The Secrets, New Renaissance, Civil Disobediants). Both albums are to be locally recorded in Summer 2015.

Part of the series: The Uniter 30

Published in Volume 69, Number 15 of The Uniter (January 7, 2015)