Glen and I got free tickets to The Second City last night through Houseseats.ca. For those who haven’t heard of The Second City before, it’s a comedy club that originally opened in Chicago in 1959. Over the years it’s pumped out a heap of comedy legends such as John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. A Toronto version of the club opened in 1973 and produced John Candy, Eugene Levy, Martin Short and others. There are also travelling troupes from Second City and some even sail around on Norwegian cruise liners.

Glen and I went to the Chicago one last year during RSNA and had a great time. I knew there was one in Toronto but we hadn’t gotten our act together and made it down to see it. Hooray for free tickets!

I think it’s the second week of their new show, “We Can Be Heroes.” The place was packed. We got there at 7:15 and the doors opened soon after. We filed in, got a table (it’s cabaret style) to the left of the stage and near enough to enjoy but not so near that you worry you’re going to be asked to participate. The show started at 8 and it was a full house by the time the lights came down.

I was a bit worried we were in for a dud of a show during the opening number, a song about how anyone can be a hero, not because of the content, but because a few of the performances were off-key. Way off-key. But it didn’t go on forever and then the rest of the show continued on with some great laughs, a few social commentary moments where you laugh and then think you shouldn’t have, and then, after the two halves, a half-hour of improvisation.

I think the improv is my favourite because it usually involves the performers cracking up at their own jokes and the ridiculousness of the situations they find themselves in. It’s also easy laughter, friendly laughter.

My other favourite of the night was the “hipster or homeless” song.

We got out of there at about 10:15 and burst onto the streets clogged with humid air and departing Blue Jays fans leaving the Rogers Centre down the street. We were lucky though that we got on the train going south and it was relatively empty so we got a seat. Wasn’t until we went around the U and headed north that it got full. But I had a book to read (on my phone) so was fine.

Speaking of the book, it was the final of a trilogy by Hugh Howey. Called Dust, it was only released about a week ago. I’d torn through the other two books and had to wait for it to come out (and by then was reading Picture of Dorian Gray) before I could find out how this series ended. I don’t know what you’re like but if I find a book I really enjoy I can’t wait to finish it, even though I don’t want it to end. It’s strange. Consequently, books I love I finish in a couple of days. Others take weeks. I think he’s left the story open enough for a whole lot more books. Will just have to wait and see. If anyone’s interested, the first book is called Wool and the second is Shift.

Not much else happened yesterday. I went to the gym. I wrote a new chapter for a book I wrote last year (that felt good). Did some more editing work. Quiet day really. Thank god we went out in the evening or else it would have been one of those days where I didn’t leave the building.