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Saanichton comic searching for votes

WATCH: “Vote early and vote often,” says local comedian.
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Miles Anderson is competing for Canada’s Top Comic and wants your vote.

Tim Collins/News staff

Local comedian Myles Anderson has a chance at fame and is looking for the help of Saanich Peninsula residents (and according to Anderson, everyone on Vancouver Island and around the world) to make his dream come true.

As a teenager in Shawnigan Lake, Anderson was the funny kid in class. It was a character trait that drove his teachers to distraction and frequently resulted in his being banished from the classroom to the hallway to refocus on schoolwork.

“That didn’t really work all that well,” recalled Anderson. “I would stand out there in the hallway and be thinking up new jokes, so it didn’t have the desired affect on my behaviour, I guess.”

https://vimeo.com/213461406/0e905a67b2

It’s not a surprise then that Anderson has now moved into a career as a stand-up comedian, a daunting and difficult career that Anderson has been pursuing for about five years, primarily with Rat Fish comedy in Victoria and at at clubs like Comedy Mix in Vancouver.

But now, Anderson has an opportunity to break out of the pack and make a name for himself as Canada’s Top Comic through SiriusXM’s annual quest for comedic talent.

To enter the contest, Anderson sent in a tape of his routine and, in June, was notified that he had won an audition in Vancouver. His performance there won him one of the top three spots of the night and qualified him to go on to the semi-finals.

“I made that and now it’s me and 17 other comedians from across the country competing on-line to gather votes, and hopefully win the competition. I need people to vote early and vote often,” explained Anderson with a chuckle.

“Winning would be huge and I know it would really launch my career to the next level.”

That belief appears to be quite justified.

Last year, Toronto comic Chris Robinson won the competition and claimed the $25,000 cash prize as well as bookings at Just For Laughs in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto. The prize also included professional TV taping of his sets and has launched his career in a way that otherwise may never have happened.

Anderson hopes he can experience the same success.

His comedy set is currently on-line at topcomic.siriusxm.ca where the public is invited watch all 18 comics in the competition and, should they find Anderson’s routine to be the one to make them laugh the most, they can cast their vote to have him named as Canada’s Top Comic.

Anderson has just completed his studies in classical piano at the University of Victoria and jokes that a fall-back career as a music teacher is always a possibility.

“Yeah, I thought about getting into work as a professional musician, but for one thing, unless you’re completely immersed in music and a professional as a teenager, you’re past your expiry date,” joked Anderson.

“And anyway, I find my mind wandering when I play, thinking up new jokes for my routine.”

For Anderson, it seems, that hasn’t changed since those days in the school middle school hallways.