A Short History of Bowser & Blue
George Bowser and Rick Blue write and perform music and comedy ... even during a pandemic.
You can see their July 1st, 2020 live Canada Day special on YouTube, and, with Terry Mosher and Josh Freed, they created 'The Four Anglos - Surviving the COVID Apocalypse,' which was presented in November and December 2021.
Also in 2021, they released their latest CD, on CD Baby and Spotify, entitled 'Hindsight'.
In 2022 they were invited for the fourth year to headline at the Fifty-five Plus Lifestyle show in Ottawa and then continued to create and perform material both new and old in for North Hatley's Piggery Theatre, The Otterburn Park Legion, The Hudson Village Theatre and the annual Westmount Rotary Club Christmas baskets fundraiser.
They have played in theatres and concert halls in countless towns and cities, and from 2007 until 2016 they were featured in the Canadian Snowbird Extravaganza concert series, in Florida, Texas, and Arizona as well as all across Canada. They often also perform at special events such as fundraisers, annual dinners, awards galas, and corporate gatherings wherever they are held.
They have appeared frequently at the Just for Laughs comedy festival, and they can often be seen on CBC television and the Comedy Channel in shows compiled from those appearances. Their Christmas CTV special 'Two Nuts Roasting on an Open Fire' was nominated for a Gemini award.
They have written and performed in many theatre shows, their Musical, 'Last Night at the Gayety', ran for six weeks at Montreal's Centaur Theatre. 'Schwartz's - The Musical', inspired by Bill Brownstein's best-selling book about the Montreal delicatessen, ran for nine sold-out weeks. Other previous triumphs included 'The Paris of America' and the smash cabaret hits 'Blokes' and 'Blokes Deux".
"Schwartz's the Musical brings deli story to stage"
Comedy duo Bowser & Blue (George Bowser and Rick Blue) have turned a satirical eye to the long lineups outside the Saint-Laurent Boulevard deli and the strange cast of characters that go through it.
CBC News - Posted: Mar 29, 2011 5:14 PM EDT
CBC News Story"The idea is that Toronto is where the business deals are made - over your head and without consultation - so it's an easy place to situate a bad guy because everybody goes 'Oh yeah, it's all about the money,'" Bowser said.
"Four anglos: Josh Freed, Bowser and Blue, Aislin create COVID show"
Terry Mosher, from left, Josh Freed, Ellen David, George Bowser, Rick Blue, at Th��tre Lac-Brome. Their show Four Anglos Surviving the COVID Apocalypse opens there this weekend. PHOTO BY COURTESY OF ELLEN DAVID.
Brendan Kelly, Montreal Gazette, Oct 29, 2021
Montreal Gazette StoryCollaborative works, such as those written and performed with film-maker and humorist Josh Freed, and award-winning cartoonist Terry Mosher (Aislin) such as 'The 25th Century Belongs to Canada' and 'The 4 Anglos of the Apocalypse' (a comic perspective on the last 30 years of politics in Quebec) were well received by both audiences and critics alike. Inspired by those successes they also collaborated with Aislin to produce 'The Illustrated Canadian Songbook', published with a companion CD and a forward by Prime Minister Paul Martin.
Colorectal Surgeons around the world are all familiar with their now classic anthem 'Working Where the Sun Don't Shine', which was first heard on the CBC's 'Madly Off in All Directions' and is currently logging well over two million views on YouTube.
They have thirteen CDs on their own 'You Guys' label, and four on Montreal's Justin Time label. They have recorded with Supertramp's Rick Davies, and both recorded and opened for Katrina and the Waves during their 'Walking On Sunshine' tours of Canada and the USA. Others who have contributed their talents include the late Blair and Gary MacLean, Canada's legendary "MacLean and MacLean."
They provided the music for the NFB animated film 'Scant Sanity' by John Weldon, and for the TV show 'Misguided Angels'. The instrumental guitar music for that show, 'Red Guitars' can often be heard in the auditorium between shows at their concerts.
Having been creating and performing music and comedy together since 1979, when they played their first show at Montreal's 'Irish Lancer' Pub, Bowser and Blue have no plans to slow down or stop.
Jonathan Wener
The Fraser Institute of Canada
Bowser & Blue were sensational as always! The audience loved the show and enjoyed them enormously both as satirists and musicians. They managed to put a smile on everyone's face … The evening was a great success!
Mission Old Brewery
Let's end homelessness
Bowser and Blue were totally entertaining. Their jokes and musical repertoire are up to date and refreshing. We would highly recommend them to any organization who wants to cheer up their audience.
Jay Cameron
Canadian Jewelers - 24 Karat Club
I thought Bowser & Blue were brilliant. They engaged the audience and tailored their song list appropriately... I would recommend them to anyone.
Jim Mustard
Iroquois Matilda Lions Club
What an amazing performance ... they are better every time we see them. Thank you for making our 65th Anniversary such a memorable occasion.
Elsa Bolam
Elsa Bolam - Founder of Geordie Productions
Rick and George are the funniest! As they once said at the top of one of their Centaur shows, they can't actually change anything, but they can take the pain away for a while. And laughter is definitely the best medicine. Thanks, guys, for some wonderful laughs!
Jed Kahane
Director, CTV Montreal
The entire time we worked with them, from opening note to the closing bars, was everything we'd hoped for. I have no hesitation in recommending them for songwriting and live performances, to anyone who will lend an ear.
Mutsumi Takahashi
Anchor for CTV News Montreal
It’s nice to know there are some things we can always count on in life. Traffic detours. Airport delays. Bureaucratic red tape. And when we need a laugh: Bowser and Blue.
Robert Wood
Executive Director, PHTCC
Sensational as always... They put on a great show. I am always impressed at how they update their act to incorporate recent events.