brownstein: relax — globe-trotting comic russell peters isn't slowing down
he brings his relax: it’s not that serious world tour to montreal on friday, while musing about how nice it would be to move back north of the u.s. border.
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it’s been 35 years, and russell peters keeps spinning around the comedy carousel. peters is on the canadian leg of his curiously titled relax: it’s not that serious world tour, which brings him to the bell centre friday, following a gig in moncton on thursday and prior to one in ottawa on saturday.
it’s worth noting that peters came up with the tour title prior to last month’s u.s. election. and let’s just say that all things considered, he, too, yearns to relax.
that entails thoughts of moving. not necessarily back to his hometown of brampton, ont., but perhaps somewhere else north of the u.s. border.
“i really wish i could go back home again, but i’ve got those two kids i have to worry about and their two mothers,” peters says in a phone interview from a tour stop in albuquerque, n.m., where he’s fighting off a sinus infection.
brampton’s gift to the comedy world isn’t kidding. he has a 14-year-old daughter from his first marriage, a five-year-old son from another relationship and now two stepchildren, 29 and 31, from his coupling with his second wife, ali peters, whom he married in 2022.
so peters remains ensconced in l.a., largely for financial reasons, when not touring the comedy universe.
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he allows that the u.s. presidential election result may have been unsettling, but from his glass-half-full perspective “it does make for some good comedy, and it’s only four years,” he says with a sigh.
earlier this year, peters, 54, wrapped his act your age world tour, in which he did over 350 shows in 23 countries. he’ll be doing a similar number of gigs on the relax tour.
these two tours would constitute quite the load for comics half his age, but he’s not complaining. too many of his contemporaries have not been as fortunate.
“i like to look on the bright side: next year i get to do those freedom 55 commercials,” he cracks, conceding there won’t be freedom from work then or for many more years to come.
after 35 years in the trade, peters has little to prove. he has broken box office records in this country as well as in the u.s., the u.k. and australia. like few other north americans in the game, he has had no difficulty bringing his act around the world. no less than forbes magazine has cited him as one of the most successful wits on the planet, and he was named one of rolling stone’s 50 best standup comics of all time.
peters has done montreal’s just for laughs fest over a dozen times, including his last visit in 2023 when he hosted four galas — a first for any anglo jfl mc.
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peters tries to stay away from too much politics on stage, which suits his audiences fine — all the more so since it’s the political volatility in the countries he visits that often keeps those patrons on edge. he seeks to “relax” his throngs with tales of his indian immigrant family dealing with culture shock of sorts in canada.
the trick is coming up with 90 minutes of new shtick before every tour.
“it’s a challenge, but the fear is that one day ai could replace us all,” he says. “that keeps you on your toes.”
peters has an excellent understanding of global affairs from his tour travels. he is concerned about the rise of dictatorial male types more consumed with trying to assert macho tendencies than following democracy.
“it’s fascinating to watch how the world has shifted. in three to five years, india will be a superpower. it will be interesting to see what happens with other third world countries and what that will mean in america,” he notes.
“the plan for me is also to go to the middle east on this current tour — if it’s still there, that is.”
his audiences reflect the gamut of nationalities and ideologies, yet somehow peters avoids triggering fallout while also avoiding being overly cautious.
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“it’s actually simple: you have to speak your truth. you’ve got to be human. i’m an atheist and i think it’s all messed up, religion and everything. everybody is fighting over whose imaginary friends say what. nobody can prove any of this, except that you’re all killing each other. that’s all i know.
“i’m saying all this stuff now on tour, but when i go to the middle east, i’ll definitely have to write a new bit there,” he muses.
that won’t be the case for the next u.s. portion of his tour.
“i was just in florida. it actually went quite well. i didn’t like trump or kamala, so i could talk s— about both of them. if you don’t pick a side there, you’ll do well.”
peters expects little friction on the canadian leg of his tour. it wraps dec. 14 in toronto, where he will be doing the scotiabank arena for the ninth time. he’s hoping torontonians have a few bucks left after taylor swift’s shows.
“taylor swift is literally an entire economy. i don’t get it. her music is not meant for someone like me. but i could retire if people also paid thousands to see me.
“this is the world i live in now: taylor swift and me, not so swift.”
many might disagree. peters has, after all, been swift enough to have survived 35 years in a business that eats its old and often its young.
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at a glance
russell peters performs friday, dec. 6 at 8 p.m. at the bell centre. for tickets and more information, see evenko.ca or ticketmaster.ca.
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