Estonian comedian Ari Matti came into the last night at Laughs trailing his newfound bosom buddy Chase DuRousseau by half a point. Chase went up first and although he had a great set, he garnered a half point time penalty for finishing his performance eight seconds shy of the required minimum.
It was all the opening Ari needed as he came up next and smoked the room with his captivating tales of a somewhat inhibited Eastern European looking for companionship in sophisticated Barcelona and expensive Seattle. His win strengthened his case for a Green Card to stay in the States. It also strengthened the International in the title of the Seattle Comedy Competition. Last year’s winner, Danny Martinello, came from Toronto to compete. “Hopefully the word now spreads further in Europe,” remarked Producer Jon Fox, “You want to get a foothold in America? Start first in Seattle.”
Actually, this year’s event covered over a thousand miles of highways, byways and waterways. It journeyed as far east as Yakima, as far north as Mt. Vernon, as far south as Longview (despite a jackknifed semi that blocked I-5) and took three ferry rides west to Bainbridge, Vashon and Whidbey Islands. What a ride!
The final standings:
- Ari Matti, Tallin, Estonia
- Chase DuRousseau, New York City
- Timmy Booth, Seattle
- Rodger Lizaola, Seattle
- Mike Eshaq, Detroit
