In this edition, we take a moment to highlight some of the up-and-coming stand-ups in Toronto that have decided to blaze their own trail. Follow me as I walk you through This Week In Comedy...

TUES SEPT 3 / CLASSY DRUNK / THE EMMET RAY / 924 COLLEGE / 730PM / FREE

Troy Stark, an up-and-coming stand-up, has just returned from a courageous stretch of shows across Canada. You'll also see Blayne Smith, a hilarious dude, who's joke about arguing with a guy on his street had me dying at Comedy Bar the last time I saw him. Oh, and Garrett Jamieson, one half of the owners of the LOT comedy club on Ossington, will also stop by. Dudes doing their own thing, working tirelessly to hone their craft, AND building their own audience? What's not to like?

SUN SEPT 1 / IAN BAGG / COMEDY BAR / 945 BLOOR W / 7PM & 9PM / $20

His resume is every comic's dream: Leno, Ferguson, Conan, Kilborn, Comedy Central, HBO...you get the idea. Why all the attention? Well, one of the reasons is because he's extremely quick on his feat, and the above clip is all the evidence you need for that. Notice how he's able to keep making fun of someone in the crowd while at the same time not being mean about it? Trust me, that's not easy to do.

Ian's shows are brought to you by Toronto's foremost comedy producer, Ian Atlas. Without Atlas' broad shoulders, we wouldn't have half of the big names coming to Toronto as we do right now. After the show, you'll see him helping Bagg sell merch (he's the curly-haired dude with the glasses). Tell him thanks!

SAT SEPT 7 / KEESHA BROWNIE / THE LOT / 100 OSSINGTON / 930PM / $15

Keesha Brownie's been hustling. Hard. Her flagship production, Joker's Corner, has been putting on shows in Toronto and Montreal for a minute. Earlier this year, she released her own DVD. Tonight, she'll keep the spotlight squarely on herself. It's hard to believe she got boo'd off the stage at the Nubian Show a few years back, but it just makes her hard work and determination that much more admirable.

About the Author: This is Michael Jagdeo, and I refuse to write about myself in the third-person. My blog, Diary of a Stand-up Comedian, walks you through the up's and down's (they're mostly down's, really) in my quest to become a killer comic in Toronto.