Travis Lindsay is taking off

“I love the suddenness of standup,” says local jokester Lindsay, who’ll be a rare hometown headlining act at the comedy chain Yuk Yuk’s this weekend. Credit: Daniel Dominic

Travis Lindsay
Thu Sep 26, Sat Sep 28
Yuk Yuk’s, 1181 Hollis Street, 8pm
$12.18

Travis Lindsay is headlining this weekend at Yuk Yuk’s. But, before he takes the stage, the 27-year-old observational storyteller from Lower Sackville opens up about being self-conscious and superstitious.

The Coast: “You’re headlining at Yuk Yuk’s—that’s unusual for a local. Are you excited?”

Travis Lindsay: “Yeah, I am. It’s my first opportunity to headline a weekend at the club. It’s one of the few things left on my bucket list of living here and performing comedy. It’s one of the things I haven’t been able to do yet. So, yeah. I’m pretty excited for that.”

TC: “You’ve been doing stand up comedy for years. You’ve had success. You’ve won tons of awards. But what really keeps you going?”

TL: “Onstage is where I’m most comfortable—it’s where I feel the most like myself. I’ve always been offstage a fairly shy person. Like right now—phone calls scare the hell out of me. Just ’cause you can’t really see people’s reactions. I like the suddenness of stand up. Once you’re up there, you’re up there. I’ve always found it very peaceful when I’m onstage. When I’m off, I’m a lot more in my own head and always wondering what other people are thinking of me. I’m more self-conscious when I’m offstage—by far.”

TC: “Where is your favourite public bathroom? Bonus points if it’s in Halifax.”

TL: “Actually at the Westin where Yuk Yuk’s is. It’s not for any reason other than superstition. I use the same stall before every show—just to get my head right more than anything. I do have a weird thing with public restrooms where I don’t actually go in public. You gotta pee—you gotta pee. But I don’t use a public washroom for anything else.”

This interview has been edited for clarity.