The Sunday Service have a weekly show in Vancouver, every Sunday, as luck would have it. As Jayden Pfeifer of the General Fools describes it, it was only when he went to one of these that he realized how appreciated they are there.
“It dawned on me that I never realized how in love with them Vancouver is. They have groupies. In the Vancouver comedy scene, they have groupies.”
Beyond that, the mayor even declared a Sunday Service Day in Vancouver. This cultish devotion is well-earned. The seven members are all freakishly talented, wherever they go.
Pfeifer remembers one scene they did that cemented their reputation in his mind.
“The first company they were up against got a really ridiculous suggestion, something like ‘space crab moon walk’, just something so dumb. They took it, whoever the other company was, and it was a really irreverent scene. It made no sense. They went out into the audience and talked to audience members at one point.
“The Sunday Service got on the stage and they had to use the same suggestion, because that was the challenge. They said, ‘OK, we’ll do That Scene: The Musical,’ and redid the entire scene but they did it all as a rock opera.”
Previously, the General Fools Festival had brought in a pair of Sunday Service members; this year, they’ve brought in six of the seven members. This includes Emmett Hall, who in addition to improvising words and stuff also scores scenes on piano and has been doing so for many of the groups at this festival.
Pfeifer’s admiration for the group is obvious — the word “masterful” comes up often when we’re talking about them — but bringing in these great improvisers also had the added benefit of bringing in some cool people. Same goes for Dad’s Garage and Rapid Fire, says Pfeifer.
“They’re kind of like our best pal companies. We’ve brought in other companies that are really important to us, but these three companies specifically, when you’re in another city with them, they’re the company you call for breakfast.
You can see the Sunday Service tonight, June 9 at Artesian on 13th at the final night of the General Fools Festival. For more information, go to the their website or check back on the Dog Blog.
