Image courtesy of Sled Island’s website.
Luba Magnus performed as a part of Sled Island Comedy, an event that took place during the festival on Saturday, 7pm at Vern’s.
TRANSCRIPT:
Luba Magnus
Luba Magnus
Brooklyn (CJSW)
Do you want to move a bit closer Luba? Let’s get cozy. Luba, thank you so much for talking to me. I appreciate you. Yeah. So you are from Halifax.
Luba Magnus
I’m from the- I’m from the Niagara region of Ontario, actually, Port Colborne, Ontario. And I lived in Toronto for a long time, but I moved to Halifax around three years ago.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
Why did you move to Halifax?
Luba Magnus
Quality of life?
Brooklyn (CJSW)
Is there more nature to talk about there? My dad’s from Scarborough, so intentionally. We’re not going there. Cut that out. Cut that out. Is there a comedy scene in Halifax? And if so, can you tell me anything about it?
Luba Magnus
There is a comedy scene. It’s growing, I think, kind of across the country. But yeah, and I really liked it there because it was simple. You have your people there who have been doing it quite a while, or new people. And people there just love comedy. You know, it’s just kind of, it’s its own little island. And they just, kind of, they just really love doing it. And I like being there for that.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
Nova Scotian’s are down for anything, I’ve learned. They’re ready and primed for anything you want. They are, not in a sex way. Sorry, guys.
Luba Magnus
I didn’t know how to answer that for a second.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
I meant like, they’re jovial people.
Luba Magnus
They are—they are jovial. And I’m so tired. I’m like, they’re jovial and it’s far away, and I’m very tired, but no, the people out there are so nice, and it’s a real like just all across the board community feeling that I found since I’ve moved out there, not just comedy, but just the people in general. They’re just really happy to share who they are and what they know and tell you literally everything about Nova Scotia. They’re like someone new to talk to. Here’s everything about our province, and yeah, we love clams and oysters and lobsters, but just always watch where you get your fish from, because you want, I don’t know sustainable seafood.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
You heard it here from Luba Magnus, sustainable seafood. I must comment on the sweater you are wearing. Did you win the Zoey Deschanel look alike contest?
Luba Magnus
That’s so nice of you here. Isabel has been soaking up all the compliments all night. I just bought this three hours ago from where there was a kind of a craft market. Oh, what’s it called? Sled Village? No, actually, oh, shoot, should I not promote a different like, it’s okay, near our hotel, there’s like a giant, like, Asian mall, Dragon-
Brooklyn (CJSW)
Dragon City Mall!
Luba Magnus
It’s tonight, and it was great. And I got the sweater for $35 it’s like a vintage thing. But I really was not ready for how cold it was gonna be today. It was, like, feels like, feels like two. And I was like, okay, that’s not what the shit. I’ve only ever been to Alberta twice, and both times I had to buy a sweater because it was unseasonably cold, but that first sweater that was, like, seven years ago still a staple in my closet. You guys do sweaters very well Alberta, and I’d like to thank you for, again, sustainable clothing that I’ll keep for a very long time.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
That’s what we’re all about here in Alberta, is sustainability and renewable energy.
Luba Magnus
Coming here, that’s all I’ve heard about Alberta, actually.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
What was the reason you came to Alberta the first time?
Luba Magnus
That was just on tour, yeah, just for fun. Yeah, that’s it. I heard that there’s some pretty good scenes here. So that was, I went to Edmonton first, and-
Brooklyn (CJSW)
I’m sorry.
Luba Magnus
Really? They were cool.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
No, it’s just like a Calgary thing is that you’re just supposed to, like, hate Edmonton.
Luba Magnus
There’s always someone, there’s always someone to hate, isn’t there? And in Nova Scotia, they hate-
Brooklyn (CJSW)
Yeah, who are your rivals in Halifax?
Luba Magnus
Well, Halifax and Dartmouth, you know, they always kind of make fun of each other, but I’m still so new, and I really like Dartmouth. It’s actually a very quaint and they have nice houses and a lot of great gardens. You know, have you ever been you’ve never been out?
Brooklyn (CJSW)
I’ve never been further east than the Toronto Pearson Airport.
Luba Magnus
Hey, okay, that’s cool. You should go.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
My brother just went with his girlfriend and they boiled lobsters and sent me a video. And I said, I don’t know if I care for that-boiling them alive.
Luba Magnus
No, that’s not actually. That’s a misconception. There’s very few seafood parties. There’s not-everyone’s not cooking seafood all the time. It is still expensive out there. But where was I going with this? Yeah, it’s just not an everyday you think you’re gonna have lobster every day. You absolutely don’t.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
Well, I don’t want to go anymore.
Luba Magnus
You can get lobster at the airport. This is not a joke. You can get lobster at the airport, and they’ll pack it up in like an ice so that you can bring it home with you. I don’t want to go on the record, I’m not sure, but yeah, you can get lobster at the airport.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
For my records. Which airport is this?
Luba Magnus
The Halifax airport?
Brooklyn (CJSW)
Shout out, Halifax airport. That’s beautiful. Thank you. Thank you for telling the people here. How about that? We also send you home with a live cow. If you come to Calgary, yeah, we’ll put you on the plane with a cow. They make real good pets. I have one.
Luba Magnus
I do believe that. Could it be a highland cow? Do I get a choice of cow? Because I’d love, do you know the highland cows? Okay, she’s like, obviously, I live in Alberta.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
Ours aren’t as cute or fluffy. They’re dairy cows. Yeah, bulls and dairy cows. Yeah.
Luba Magnus
I love a dairy cow or a no. You know what I was thinking of, a Jersey cow, which actually isn’t a dairy cow, is that? See, I did grow up in a small town in Ontario. We also have cows shut out. I just think jersey and then associate that with milk. But that was wrong.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
This isn’t a cow. Sensor centered show so bovine-bovine statistics are not part of this. On stage, you played a little song for us. So can I ask, what came first? Music or comedy? Did you always play guitar or?
Luba Magnus
That’s actually a really good question. It wasn’t music. I’m classically trained in piano and voice, I know. But then I stopped for a really long time. I can’t really sing anymore. I wanted to go to university for piano, and I wanted to go to Dow, that’s the Halifax university. But they did shout out, Dalhousie, yeah. But so I was supposed to move there a very long time ago, but they didn’t take me. I bought I choked. And so I was supposed to move to Halifax then, but never happens. Then I tried again, and with guitar, honestly and doing this, I just because I keep choking when it comes to music. And so the more I did this, the less you know it was almost like exposure therapy. Is what you saw. You thought you saw a funny, stupid song that was actually me getting through past trauma.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
That was a prescription you saw. You seem so confident. What is it about music that makes you nervous?
Luba Magnus
I don’t know. If you knew, you wouldn’t be nervous. I don’t even think it’s the music part. I think once you know, I flubbed, and then in my mind, I’m just like, I’m always going to be I’m always going to choke when it comes to music. So then, yeah, that’s, that’s, and isn’t that? What are all our brains are doing all the time? You know it’s true, social anxiety. You’re like, oh, everyone hates me. And that’s never true, but never convinced of it. So then, yeah, so that’s, hey, let’s all go to therapy.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
Isn’t that what this is? I’m, I mean, I’m billing you actually $200 not covered by insurance because I’m not licensed. So, yeah, no, don’t worry, you can e-transfer. Yeah, we can work it out. Do you find that people respond really well to the musical comedy, like, when you bring out the guitar, do people go-
Luba Magnus
That’s a great question, yes, and no, the audiences, yes. Comedians, no.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
Tea, what’s that about?
Luba Magnus
I’ve had some comedians come up to me because before, I didn’t used to sing, I’ll just use the guitar while I do one liners. We only had 10 minutes tonight, folks. But I had one comedian come to my face. He’s like, Yeah, whenever I see guitar, it’s a red flag. And another comedian was like, so why do you use your guitar? Is that like a shield? You know? Because technically it is, you know, at the time, it helped me, you know, with my stage presence and stuff like that, and there’s nothing wrong with that. People have a crutch to help them heal and get through stuff. If you’re using an instrument, if you’re using a prop, I think it’s stupid to look down upon. You know, comedians for using extra elements when actually, audiences fucking love it.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
They eat it up every time. I’ve seen some bits that if there wasn’t a guitar, and they just said that out loud, I’m like, I don’t know if I’d be as entertained, but because you’re singing it to me, give me. Give me. Give me. I mean, I loved it. I loved your-
Luba Magnus
No one hates Weird Al, No one hates Weird Al, so like, why?
Brooklyn (CJSW)
Adam Sandler made a career off of badly playing guitar. And you play guitar quite well. So if he can do it.
Luba Magnus
Well, you heard the only, I think, six chords that I know so I know those very well. Yeah, thank you.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
I mean, you nailed it. I had one more question to ask you, and it like literally jumped-oh, the fun facts about nature. Why is that your stick? How did that come about?
Luba Magnus
I love nature.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
So wholesome.
Luba Magnus
That’s the whole statement, end of question. No, I think, especially, like a lot of people, during COVID, I started, you know, diving into these interests more. I actually, literally during COVID, was walking down College Street in Ontario, and there was a socropia moth. I’ll tell you how to spell that later, so you get it right for your article. But it’s like, the size of my whole hand in downtown Toronto. And it’s like, what is this? And then you can just, like, research about this moth. And then I just started, like, hyper, focusing on all the little things that I saw around me. And so on my social media like that helped me it, helped it lock into my brain the information that I was learning. If I was like, Oh, what’s this plan? Then I’ll learn about it. Make a video. And then, if anyone here has Bell Five TV1, there’s now a show called nature’s cool, where I talk to you about nature and I talk to other nature experts. So, oh, it’s also on my YouTube. Don’t, don’t mention the Bell Five thing actually.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
Hey, check out Lubas YouTube, Luba Magnus YouTube.
Luba Magnus
If you go onto my YouTube, you can see this really special show called nature’s cool, and there’s an episode about like fungi and berries and wildflowers. And we talk about why it’s all important, and why it’s important to preserve, but also to eat and all kinds of fun stuff. So nature’s cool.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
Thank you for doing the Lord’s work. I watched a bit of it feels like Bill Nye for grown ups.
Luba Magnus
Oh my god, that was the goal, that was the pitch document. It was Bill Nye, Joe Para, and you’re too young for this, but there used to be a show called Camp Caribou.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
It rings a bell.
Luba Magnus
Really? Oh, it’s the best it was. Go look it up on YouTube. It’s very nostalgic.
Brooklyn (CJSW)
Well, thank you for doing the important work, which is keeping us curious, keeping us learning as adults. And thank you so much for your time. Luba, I really appreciate it. Yeah. So nice and fun. Thank you for listening and watching and laughing. Yay!