Bowser and Blue


George Bowser and Rick Blue, better known as Bowser and Blue, are a musical duo from Montreal who write and perform comedic songs. Their material ranges from absurdist humor to pointed political and cultural satire.

History

Elger spent the 1960s performing folk music in coffee houses, and played in two bands: Mantis, and The [British North American Act]. He met singer/songwriter George Bowser, also a long-time member of the Montreal music scene, and they began performing as a duo in 1978. Their first gig was at Montreal's Irish Lancer pub, but comedy clubs were becoming very popular and the duo discovered their comedic talent early in the 1980s. They then went on a North American tour as the opening band for Katrina and the Waves; that tour introduced them to the college market. In 1986, they were signed to Justin Time Records and released their first album, Bowser & Blue, which featured contributions from Katrina and the Waves members Kimberley Rew, Alex Cooper and Vince de la Cruz, as well as Supertramp frontman Rick Davies.
In 1988, they appeared on Just For Laughs, and began appearing weekly, and performing political satire, on the CTV Television Network show Fighting Back. Their specific appeal was the humorous defense of English-speaking Quebecers, at a time when Quebec nationalism was at its peak. They also began regularly entertaining snowbirds in the US, They began staging theatrical shows, notably at Montreal's Centaur Theatre and, from 2007 to 2012, headlined the Canadian Snowbird Extravaganza concert series.
In 1991, they formed their own label, You Guys Publishing. Their 1997 national Christmas special A Bowser and Blue Comedy Christmas: Two Nuts Roasting On An Open Fire, garnered a nomination for Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series at the Gemini Awards of 1998.
They continue to perform and travel extensively across Canada and, on July 1, 2020, performed a Canada Day Virtual Covid Concert during the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2021, with Josh Freed, Terry Mosher and Ellen David, they created the show Four Anglos Surviving the COVID Apocalypse. In 2022, they released the album Hindsight, which addresses aspects of the pandemic.

Discography

AlbumsBowser & Blue, Justin TimeIs It In Yet?, Justin TimeThe Lovely & Talented Bowser & Blue, Justin TimeWestmount Rhodesians, Justin Time
  • Bowser & Blue Live, You GuysBowser & Blue At The Comedy Nest, You GuysMontréal Souvenirs, You GuysTroubadors, You GuysCrackpots, You GuysBowser and Blue 20th Anniversary, You Guys We're All Here..., You Guys Red Guitars: Music for Misguided Angels, You GuysShe Wants Me, You GuysThe Illustrated Canadian Songbook
  • Pull My Finger, You GuysNo Ordinary Dummies, You GuysLive At The Cock And Bull Pub, You Guys
  • Schwartz's The Musical, You Guys
  • Openly Grey, You Guys
  • Hindsight, You Guys
DVDsWe're All Here..., You Guys
  • Humor for Boomers, You Guys
  • Bowser & Blue Tube, You Guys
Singles
  • "It Ain't Easy Being White" / "Polka Dot Undies"
  • "Rappin' Rambo" / "Writing My Name in the Snow"
  • "The BP Song"
  • "Everything Is Cheaper in the States"
  • "The Senator's Song"
  • "Snow Is a Four-Letter Word"
  • "That's Progress"

Television specials

Blokes, CFCF-DT, CBC NewsworldLa Fête Carrée , CFCF-DTSomething Bowser, Something Blue, CFCF-DTFull Frontal Unity, CTV Television Network – nationalA Bowser and Blue Comedy Christmas: Two Nuts Roasting on an Open Fire, CTV Television NetworkTwo Smart Fellers, CFCF-DTWe're All Here , CFCF-DTShe Wants Me , CFCF-DT

Theatre shows

Blokes, Centaur Theatre, MontréalThe Best of Bowser and Blue, The Piggery Theatre, North Hatley, QuébecBlokes Deux, Centaur TheatreSomething Bowser, Something Blue, Theatre Lac-Brome, Lac-Brome, QuébecTroubadours Through Time, Centaur TheatreMainly Montréal,, Centaur TheatreLa Fête Carrée Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, MontréalTwo Smart Fellers, Theatre Lac-BromeWe're All Here , Theatre Lac-BromeA Pile of Hits, Theatre Lac-BromeThe Two and Only, Hudson Village Theatre, Hudson, QuebecThe Paris of America, Centaur TheatreThe 4 Anglos of the Apocalypse, Theatre Lac-Brome and Centaur TheatreDown Our Way, and Up Yours, Theatre Lac-BromeThe 25th Century Belongs to Canada, Theatre Lac-Brome and Centaur TheatreSchwartz's: The Musical, Centaur TheatreThe Last Night at the Gayety, Centaur Theatre
  • Not Necessarily a Christmas Show, BLVD Bar & Grill, ChâteauguayFour Anglos Surviving the COVID Apocalypse, Théâtre Lac-Brome, St Jax Montréal