Arrggh! What a fucking annoying night. I show up at Mainstage's "writing circle" at 7, which ended up being me starting to talk about a premise and my beloved A.D.D. riddled Susan interrupting me before I could finish any part of my bit (it was the debate bit by the way). Finally she asks why I like politics and I say "It's because that's the place where people affect the world." She then asks why I should talk about it "because nobody gives a shit." "So you should talk about that. Find what you're passionate about." and in my head I was screaming "I WOULD'VE IF YOU LET ME FINISH!"
Then open mic. Bear in mind I was there before anyone else. SOMEHOW I end up going almost last. This might have been all right BUT the beloved host was not paying attention to anyone's time so people were going 10 minutes and up. Even though there were so few of us it ended up taking for-ev-er. Now later that night an improv group is coming in. Guess what, by the time I go up (two and a half hours later) I only get 3 minutes and everyone was dragged though the mud for so long no one gave a shit and I diiiiiiiieeeeeeed.
Then a headliner named Craig Something came up and performed an act of alchemy. He transformed that dead ass room before our eyes to a place where everyone was having a good time. The whole bit surrounded on how he made it and his dreams finally came true doing an open mic on a Tuesday at Mainstage. I'll spare you the details because he was amazing and it would lose something here... but at one point he said this is where you find your voice. Open mic is where you find your voice.
It turns out Susan was absolutely right. Her whole point was that I should come from a place where I was passionate. I haven't been doing that this entire time. When I was directing... I constantly told my actors to dive in the deep end, to invest themselves wholly and love every minute of it. Life's too short and there's no need to pussyfoot around. My friend Josh Lanza paid me the extraordinary compliment that I was very inspirational and a good leader. Why haven't I been able to translate that to comedy?
Because I've been speaking without a voice.
I can't find it if I don't try in the first place. I've been trying to be very safe with comedy as I get into it. Try to learn the rules before I break them. In doing that I've been holding myself back from what I'm really capable of. The people I admire in comedy ONLY speak with their voice. It's time to take this shit out a whole new door. Carpe Diem and so forth. I'll probably hit Comedy Underground tomorrow for 3 minutes of pleasure, I don't know how much of a voice I'll have by then, but I think Mainstage might be into some shit on Sunday. I'm excited. God I hate it when I'm wrong.
After all that an improv troupe went up. Improv is seriously the red-headed stepchild to stand-up. However, it seems like it could be a necessary skill so I'll probably do more. Sigh.
Lesson: Find your voice.
Backup Lesson: Listen to everyone who's been doing this longer than you... they're right/you're wrong.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Day 17: Back in the Game 6/18/07
Holy Shitballs has it really been 6 weeks? Yep, and I've been going out of my head for some comedy. My momentum was derailed by directing a play which took a lot of time and energy, leaving none of either for funny. There have been some seriously missed opportunities in the meantime. Oh well, the play was worth it (btw that's "As You Like It" by Bill Shakespeare on the Freemont Troll, info at www.workitproductions.com), but now I have to get back into the shit.
I went back to my roots and hit up Comedy Underground tonight. Nothing too amazing to talk about, a lot of people were good and I got to see some people I haven't seen in a bit. I was put up dead fucking last ('cept for Hennigan of course), but it wasn't nearly as tedious as it usually is. I tried brand new untested material we shall refer to as the "debate bit" which is a small part of a political set I'm attempting to put together. For a first run it went well, a lot of stuff landed (some accidentally), while a couple bits didn't... but to eek out any laughs that late in the night was good for me. I love politics and this seems like a good time for it so why not.
It should be mentioned that I almost pussed out on going tonight which could've easily put me back into the rut I had before I started. Taking a long break is dangerous for me because that's when I fall into bad habits. Was it not for my friend Jennifer calling me out on being a pussy tonight, the blog might've fallen into oblivion. I encourage all of my faithful readers to call me out when I'm being a pussy. Much love.
Lesson: Don't take six weeks off, try to get in there in between, stay in the game.
Backup lesson: Friends who call you on your shit are an important commodity
I went back to my roots and hit up Comedy Underground tonight. Nothing too amazing to talk about, a lot of people were good and I got to see some people I haven't seen in a bit. I was put up dead fucking last ('cept for Hennigan of course), but it wasn't nearly as tedious as it usually is. I tried brand new untested material we shall refer to as the "debate bit" which is a small part of a political set I'm attempting to put together. For a first run it went well, a lot of stuff landed (some accidentally), while a couple bits didn't... but to eek out any laughs that late in the night was good for me. I love politics and this seems like a good time for it so why not.
It should be mentioned that I almost pussed out on going tonight which could've easily put me back into the rut I had before I started. Taking a long break is dangerous for me because that's when I fall into bad habits. Was it not for my friend Jennifer calling me out on being a pussy tonight, the blog might've fallen into oblivion. I encourage all of my faithful readers to call me out when I'm being a pussy. Much love.
Lesson: Don't take six weeks off, try to get in there in between, stay in the game.
Backup lesson: Friends who call you on your shit are an important commodity
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Day 16: Dwight Slayyyed 4/28/07
Second day of hosting for Dwight Slade. At 10 minutes to open no comics were there. Hmmm. Geoff showed up a minute later. It's not like we were worried that Dwight wouldn't show up, it was more a situation of... well what do we do if he doesn't. He did long story short. No guest. I did my "don't drink" bit to warm the crowd up. Didn't work. Tonight I recorded my set. When I listened back to it, I think I figured out why no one laughed... it wasn't that funny. Man, listening to your work is a painful but valuable learning experience. Now I know what worked and what didn't but it's hard to go back again and listen more than once. It's like watching an episode of 3's Company and being uncomfortably embarrassed for Jack Tripper, except you're Jack Tripper.
Nothing much to say about the first show out side that Geoff and Dwight were on FIRE! They killed, and it was a really small crowd, who were very cold due to my lack of warmth. But holy shit it was an amazing duo.
The second show, however, was another thing entirely...
The room was pretty darned empty. My friends showed up (I paid for my roommates to come because they were broke at the time and Dwight was too important not to see), which was nice, but something was in the air with this one. I was wondering what to go up with and Julie (one of the owners of Mainstage for you CIFTIF newbs) said, "Just go have fun and don't worry."
Bad-Great advice Julie!
I went up and threw some material out. I had developed this bit about Gay Marriage during the '04 election and used some of that, mind you completely untested, because Travis Simmons and I were talking politics earlier and I thought, why the fuck not? I transitioned it into my "Gays in Seattle" bit which is not very tested but always works fairly well. Point being I was just winging it without giving a fuck. The crowd seemed into it with an intellectual difference. (I tried recording it but I ran out of room on the recorder... bummer). Now I'm not saying that I set any kind of precedent with my opening set, nearly as much as I was privy to whatever energy was in the room that show, but it was strange and brilliant.
Travis Simmons, who I've met many times and who I think is really funny, did a guest set. I think he was a little drunk because a lot of his usual bits didn't have any of his normal follow through... and then he just started talking about the debates (which we were talking about 7 seconds before I went up on stage). No jokes, just talking and pontificating. Then he was done and walked off.
Geoff Brousseau went up and did his 25 minutes, but none of it resembled the stuff he did the last 3 shows. Also he talked about his girlfriend a lot. This was not new because he had a lot of bits about his girlfriend and she was there for a few shows, but here it was more like he was just talking to the audience without telling any bits. He had funny stuff, but for the most part he was pontificating. He didn't kill like he did the other shows, but he didn't lose the audience... it was like he didn't care if they laughed or not but he still wanted to work his stuff on them... hard to explain.
Then... Dwight.
Well, Dwight was tapped into what ever was going on in the room... but times 10. There were a lot of bits that he didn't do and really long areas where he was doing more philosophizing that doing bits. There was an uncompromising honesty about it that was incredible to watch. It was his funniest set of the weekend, but it was by far his most powerful. The audience liked him, I gotta clarify that the audience wasn't a bad audience, it was just small with a weird vibe. He talked about getting divorced and how he felt, then run it into a funny story. He talked about the Hollywood/Reality show mentality and really broke down these thoughts and ideas, things that fascinated him but few could really concern themselves with unless you were as curious and passionate a person. Something that Bill Hicks and Dwight Slade have in common, which I'm certain was a strong foundation to their friendship, and something I directly relate to and draw inspiration from, is that they are so passionately idealistic that the actual state of the world crushes their hopes for what could be and leaves them cynical. They aren't cynical because they're full of spite but because they are full of so much love and hope in a world full of shit.
The audience kept talking back to him on stage, not heckling mind you, as much as chiming in. You could see it was irritating him (because that's a very irritating thing when you are on stage) and he fucked with them about it, but it said something about the state of the room. The were in a dialogue with him. Now in a dialogue you don't necessarily have to chime in, I'm just saying that's the level they engaged him on, which, while irritating, says something about how far he brought the audience into him.
There wasn't as much laughter at this show as the others, but there was something more profound happening. There was something that you just don't get to see at most comedy shows and in fact anywhere else... you got to see someone being who they are inside and out. In our day to day lives you only ever encounter the front that someone puts on. You get to see it with your friends, and only in the rarest occasion with somebody that you don't know,and certainly it's never on display. But for one night, unadvertised, for the precious few, you got to see into the heart and mind of a passionate and desperate man.
When I thanked the audience for coming I editorialized that art comes from an unfiltered truth and that I hoped the audience would one day realize how lucky they were to be there that night. I do.
At the end of the night I got a hold of Dwight's CDs and then I went up and said "All right, I'm going to do something incredibly gay... could you sign this?" and whipped out my copy of the Bill Hicks biography "American Scream" open to a picture of the two of them together when they were 15. Geoff was there and said "That's not gay, that's actually incredibly touching." (thanks Geoff). Dwight acquiesced and wrote "Always Believe" and signed it.
Always Believe. Simple. Elegant. Inspiring. It's a quote worthy of my Grandfather (Papa) Lindsay. So much in four syllables.
All. Ways. Be. Lieve (read: love; live; life).
Take this with you, you can have it too. You deserve it.
Can we ever really know the impact that we have on others. It's probably rare because we're so wrapped up in our own stupid shit that we can't see the world around us, let alone our effect on it. Well, I hope you get to read this Dwight because then, at least for a moment, you get a view of the impact you had on me. It's appreciated.
Lesson: Always Believe
Backup Lesson: Truth, uncompromising, will transcend and impact from any creative medium. "All but the Truth forget."
Nothing much to say about the first show out side that Geoff and Dwight were on FIRE! They killed, and it was a really small crowd, who were very cold due to my lack of warmth. But holy shit it was an amazing duo.
The second show, however, was another thing entirely...
The room was pretty darned empty. My friends showed up (I paid for my roommates to come because they were broke at the time and Dwight was too important not to see), which was nice, but something was in the air with this one. I was wondering what to go up with and Julie (one of the owners of Mainstage for you CIFTIF newbs) said, "Just go have fun and don't worry."
Bad-Great advice Julie!
I went up and threw some material out. I had developed this bit about Gay Marriage during the '04 election and used some of that, mind you completely untested, because Travis Simmons and I were talking politics earlier and I thought, why the fuck not? I transitioned it into my "Gays in Seattle" bit which is not very tested but always works fairly well. Point being I was just winging it without giving a fuck. The crowd seemed into it with an intellectual difference. (I tried recording it but I ran out of room on the recorder... bummer). Now I'm not saying that I set any kind of precedent with my opening set, nearly as much as I was privy to whatever energy was in the room that show, but it was strange and brilliant.
Travis Simmons, who I've met many times and who I think is really funny, did a guest set. I think he was a little drunk because a lot of his usual bits didn't have any of his normal follow through... and then he just started talking about the debates (which we were talking about 7 seconds before I went up on stage). No jokes, just talking and pontificating. Then he was done and walked off.
Geoff Brousseau went up and did his 25 minutes, but none of it resembled the stuff he did the last 3 shows. Also he talked about his girlfriend a lot. This was not new because he had a lot of bits about his girlfriend and she was there for a few shows, but here it was more like he was just talking to the audience without telling any bits. He had funny stuff, but for the most part he was pontificating. He didn't kill like he did the other shows, but he didn't lose the audience... it was like he didn't care if they laughed or not but he still wanted to work his stuff on them... hard to explain.
Then... Dwight.
Well, Dwight was tapped into what ever was going on in the room... but times 10. There were a lot of bits that he didn't do and really long areas where he was doing more philosophizing that doing bits. There was an uncompromising honesty about it that was incredible to watch. It was his funniest set of the weekend, but it was by far his most powerful. The audience liked him, I gotta clarify that the audience wasn't a bad audience, it was just small with a weird vibe. He talked about getting divorced and how he felt, then run it into a funny story. He talked about the Hollywood/Reality show mentality and really broke down these thoughts and ideas, things that fascinated him but few could really concern themselves with unless you were as curious and passionate a person. Something that Bill Hicks and Dwight Slade have in common, which I'm certain was a strong foundation to their friendship, and something I directly relate to and draw inspiration from, is that they are so passionately idealistic that the actual state of the world crushes their hopes for what could be and leaves them cynical. They aren't cynical because they're full of spite but because they are full of so much love and hope in a world full of shit.
The audience kept talking back to him on stage, not heckling mind you, as much as chiming in. You could see it was irritating him (because that's a very irritating thing when you are on stage) and he fucked with them about it, but it said something about the state of the room. The were in a dialogue with him. Now in a dialogue you don't necessarily have to chime in, I'm just saying that's the level they engaged him on, which, while irritating, says something about how far he brought the audience into him.
There wasn't as much laughter at this show as the others, but there was something more profound happening. There was something that you just don't get to see at most comedy shows and in fact anywhere else... you got to see someone being who they are inside and out. In our day to day lives you only ever encounter the front that someone puts on. You get to see it with your friends, and only in the rarest occasion with somebody that you don't know,and certainly it's never on display. But for one night, unadvertised, for the precious few, you got to see into the heart and mind of a passionate and desperate man.
When I thanked the audience for coming I editorialized that art comes from an unfiltered truth and that I hoped the audience would one day realize how lucky they were to be there that night. I do.
At the end of the night I got a hold of Dwight's CDs and then I went up and said "All right, I'm going to do something incredibly gay... could you sign this?" and whipped out my copy of the Bill Hicks biography "American Scream" open to a picture of the two of them together when they were 15. Geoff was there and said "That's not gay, that's actually incredibly touching." (thanks Geoff). Dwight acquiesced and wrote "Always Believe" and signed it.
Always Believe. Simple. Elegant. Inspiring. It's a quote worthy of my Grandfather (Papa) Lindsay. So much in four syllables.
All. Ways. Be. Lieve (read: love; live; life).
Take this with you, you can have it too. You deserve it.
Can we ever really know the impact that we have on others. It's probably rare because we're so wrapped up in our own stupid shit that we can't see the world around us, let alone our effect on it. Well, I hope you get to read this Dwight because then, at least for a moment, you get a view of the impact you had on me. It's appreciated.
Lesson: Always Believe
Backup Lesson: Truth, uncompromising, will transcend and impact from any creative medium. "All but the Truth forget."
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Day 15: My Date With Dwight Slade 4/27/07
Well, not really a date with Mr. Slade, but I got to host for him.
You know the background: Me is a huge Bill Hicks fan. Dwight Slade is old friend/former comedy partner of the late Bill Hicks. This is a big night for me.
However it occurred to me that I haven't really seen or heard Mr. Slade's stand-up before. I knew his reputation and I knew he won the Seattle International Comedy Competition... I just hadn't heard him yet. Thank you Internet. I was able to brush up and get to know his stuff before I met him. Guess what? He was really funny. What I saw was cynical yet poignant, which is what Bill Hicks is as well. However he had his own humor and you couldn't call him a Bill Hicks rip-off (like some other people named Dennis Leary who made a career off of stealing an entire album of material from him).
So yakity schmakity I get to meet him. Nice guy, a little quiet, but in a nice way. He had his son with him. I tried not to geek out and just see what kind of info he wanted to put out, nothing big. I do my first set of two.
I had friends in the Audience, which Mainstage always likes, so I did some of my good stuff. I pull out the "style" bit and run it into the "cocaine" bit. People laughed, I was loved. Brought on a guest (blanking on his name), he was funny. The feature set was a guy named Geoff Brousseau who was hilarious and a really nice guy. Dwight is next. He asked when I first met him if I have any Toby McGuire material (it's been mentioned ad nauseum that I look and sound exactly like him... I like to think I have more personality though, or at least, any at all). So I did my Toby McGuire impression. People loved it, you'll have to see it. Then I bring out Dwight.
Words can't explain. He was amazing. Yes, cynical, yes, poignant, but a fucking pro at that. He killed the entire time even when he fucked with the audience for not getting him. It was commentary as well as comedy, which is one of the reasons I love Bill Hicks (again Slade was not a copycat). I love comedians who have something to say, not just jokes. Jokes are good, don't get me wrong, but I want to see a point of view and for God's sake some passion as well, even if it's the passion of anger.
More of the same for the second show of the night, with the exception that I bombed my set. I did the same material, but I shouldn't have. It occurred to me that knowing your audience is just as much a process of elimination as much as knowing the right material. I didn't know what they'd go for. They were really pretty so then I realized that I should've gone with "Cheesecake Factory" bit. Geoff and Dwight killed the second show as well. It was an awesome night of comedy.
Lesson: Just because you can't stand an aspect of your self that everyone likes to point out, doesn't mean you shouldn't use it in a comedy bit.
Backup lesson: Don't just know what your audience will like, know what they wont like.
You know the background: Me is a huge Bill Hicks fan. Dwight Slade is old friend/former comedy partner of the late Bill Hicks. This is a big night for me.
However it occurred to me that I haven't really seen or heard Mr. Slade's stand-up before. I knew his reputation and I knew he won the Seattle International Comedy Competition... I just hadn't heard him yet. Thank you Internet. I was able to brush up and get to know his stuff before I met him. Guess what? He was really funny. What I saw was cynical yet poignant, which is what Bill Hicks is as well. However he had his own humor and you couldn't call him a Bill Hicks rip-off (like some other people named Dennis Leary who made a career off of stealing an entire album of material from him).
So yakity schmakity I get to meet him. Nice guy, a little quiet, but in a nice way. He had his son with him. I tried not to geek out and just see what kind of info he wanted to put out, nothing big. I do my first set of two.
I had friends in the Audience, which Mainstage always likes, so I did some of my good stuff. I pull out the "style" bit and run it into the "cocaine" bit. People laughed, I was loved. Brought on a guest (blanking on his name), he was funny. The feature set was a guy named Geoff Brousseau who was hilarious and a really nice guy. Dwight is next. He asked when I first met him if I have any Toby McGuire material (it's been mentioned ad nauseum that I look and sound exactly like him... I like to think I have more personality though, or at least, any at all). So I did my Toby McGuire impression. People loved it, you'll have to see it. Then I bring out Dwight.
Words can't explain. He was amazing. Yes, cynical, yes, poignant, but a fucking pro at that. He killed the entire time even when he fucked with the audience for not getting him. It was commentary as well as comedy, which is one of the reasons I love Bill Hicks (again Slade was not a copycat). I love comedians who have something to say, not just jokes. Jokes are good, don't get me wrong, but I want to see a point of view and for God's sake some passion as well, even if it's the passion of anger.
More of the same for the second show of the night, with the exception that I bombed my set. I did the same material, but I shouldn't have. It occurred to me that knowing your audience is just as much a process of elimination as much as knowing the right material. I didn't know what they'd go for. They were really pretty so then I realized that I should've gone with "Cheesecake Factory" bit. Geoff and Dwight killed the second show as well. It was an awesome night of comedy.
Lesson: Just because you can't stand an aspect of your self that everyone likes to point out, doesn't mean you shouldn't use it in a comedy bit.
Backup lesson: Don't just know what your audience will like, know what they wont like.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Day 14: Imagine a Clever Title 4/22/07
Honestly... nothing much to report.
Showed up to Mainstage... 4 people there. Supposedly 10 min showcases so I went. Rumors of filming so I was going to do my more tested material. No film, no idea with the 10 min but by the time we got started there was no one there so, fuck it 10 minutes. I did my newer "Don't drink" into "Don't do drugs" instead. They're getting there, but they need to be tidied up. Honestly I could've done a lot more of that before I even put them up. No rewards for the lazy, clearly. For what it's worth I timed the set perfectly, but I could really cut down up to 3 minutes to compact the funny. Anyhoo, Joehole and I hung for a bit but we had to cut out early to hit up a birthday party. We both felt guilty leaving the open mic early, but a lot of people started showing up (probably from the Underground) so it probably didn't matter. Still.
Need more discipline.
It's occurring to me how fucked for comedy I'm going to be in the coming months with directing "As You Like It". I'll try to get one night a week in, but that's going to be about it. Fuck. After the show I'm going to need to get out there A LOT more, and I feel like I need more material. There's a lot of shit I haven't tested yet. I could conceivably dedicate this time to that. Hitting the open mics with new stuff and trying to give it a little polish for operation "club saturation".
Buy the ticket, take the ride.
Lesson: Get your shit in order before you put it up.
Backup lesson: A.B.C.= Always Be Comedying
Showed up to Mainstage... 4 people there. Supposedly 10 min showcases so I went. Rumors of filming so I was going to do my more tested material. No film, no idea with the 10 min but by the time we got started there was no one there so, fuck it 10 minutes. I did my newer "Don't drink" into "Don't do drugs" instead. They're getting there, but they need to be tidied up. Honestly I could've done a lot more of that before I even put them up. No rewards for the lazy, clearly. For what it's worth I timed the set perfectly, but I could really cut down up to 3 minutes to compact the funny. Anyhoo, Joehole and I hung for a bit but we had to cut out early to hit up a birthday party. We both felt guilty leaving the open mic early, but a lot of people started showing up (probably from the Underground) so it probably didn't matter. Still.
Need more discipline.
It's occurring to me how fucked for comedy I'm going to be in the coming months with directing "As You Like It". I'll try to get one night a week in, but that's going to be about it. Fuck. After the show I'm going to need to get out there A LOT more, and I feel like I need more material. There's a lot of shit I haven't tested yet. I could conceivably dedicate this time to that. Hitting the open mics with new stuff and trying to give it a little polish for operation "club saturation".
Buy the ticket, take the ride.
Lesson: Get your shit in order before you put it up.
Backup lesson: A.B.C.= Always Be Comedying
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Day 13: Bombs Awaaaaaayyyyy 4/17/07
(in a sing-songy tune)
I bombed, I bombed, I totally fucking bombed, I bombed, I bombed, nobody thought I was funny, 'cause I wasn't, 'cause I bombed, 'cause I sucked, so I should quit comedy forever, crawl into a hole and fucking bomb by myself forever until I die...
(back to normal)
Hmm... yeah I bombed. OH MY GOD it was so stupid. See here's the thing, it was "Fight for Feature" tonight, an opportunity to get a feature set, a guest set, or host for Emo Phillips when he plays here this weekend. Gee, you think I'd use material that I've worked and know well. NO! Genius McSmartsalot here decided to surprise everyone with brand new untested material.
No body laughed.
I felt like I was in the vacuum of space for 5 solid minutes.
OK it wasn't that bad, but lord it wasn't good. Some things landed slightly, but it was not in the majority. The thing that kills me is what a bad idea it was to do that. I should've known better, but I got cocky and I paid the price. Of course I didn't get one of the slots and it would've been fucked up if I did. John Sanders did great and landed the feature which is awesome. David Cope who always cracks my shit up landed host. A guy who is really funny who's name I'm spacing got the guest spot. Losing doesn't get me because if I won then something would've been fucked up, but me not allowing my self to even be a contender makes me slap myself on the forehead with a Jensenian "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"
Oh, and what a great night to fucking record myself. Brilliant, I finally do it, and this is the night. How smart am I.
So I get home and put it on in front of my roommates because I like to compound pain in order that I might learn a lesson somewhere. Here's the thing... it wasn't that bad. Mind you it wasn't great but there was a lot to work with, as opposed to me trashing the whole set. The roommates and friends had good feedback and they laughed, so I think it was a combo of the untestedness (my fault) plus the room (part chaos, part my fault for choosing safer material to work with).
For the record the set tonight was another part of "Don't Drink" bit which will be known as "Don't Do Drugs" bit. I think the two belong together which would help the build up.
So no Emo Phillips set for me. Fine. I deserve it. Sunday Mainstage is having 10 minute promotional sets which will be my longest time yet (on purpose that is). Fuck it, pulling out my big guns. Next weekend Dwight Slade. What do I have to complain about?
Lesson: Do not compete with untested material, no matter HOW good you think it is.
Backup lesson: Record each and every set.
ps now that I'm recording I'm going to look into getting mp3s onto this blog... we'll see how that goes.
I bombed, I bombed, I totally fucking bombed, I bombed, I bombed, nobody thought I was funny, 'cause I wasn't, 'cause I bombed, 'cause I sucked, so I should quit comedy forever, crawl into a hole and fucking bomb by myself forever until I die...
(back to normal)
Hmm... yeah I bombed. OH MY GOD it was so stupid. See here's the thing, it was "Fight for Feature" tonight, an opportunity to get a feature set, a guest set, or host for Emo Phillips when he plays here this weekend. Gee, you think I'd use material that I've worked and know well. NO! Genius McSmartsalot here decided to surprise everyone with brand new untested material.
No body laughed.
I felt like I was in the vacuum of space for 5 solid minutes.
OK it wasn't that bad, but lord it wasn't good. Some things landed slightly, but it was not in the majority. The thing that kills me is what a bad idea it was to do that. I should've known better, but I got cocky and I paid the price. Of course I didn't get one of the slots and it would've been fucked up if I did. John Sanders did great and landed the feature which is awesome. David Cope who always cracks my shit up landed host. A guy who is really funny who's name I'm spacing got the guest spot. Losing doesn't get me because if I won then something would've been fucked up, but me not allowing my self to even be a contender makes me slap myself on the forehead with a Jensenian "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"
Oh, and what a great night to fucking record myself. Brilliant, I finally do it, and this is the night. How smart am I.
So I get home and put it on in front of my roommates because I like to compound pain in order that I might learn a lesson somewhere. Here's the thing... it wasn't that bad. Mind you it wasn't great but there was a lot to work with, as opposed to me trashing the whole set. The roommates and friends had good feedback and they laughed, so I think it was a combo of the untestedness (my fault) plus the room (part chaos, part my fault for choosing safer material to work with).
For the record the set tonight was another part of "Don't Drink" bit which will be known as "Don't Do Drugs" bit. I think the two belong together which would help the build up.
So no Emo Phillips set for me. Fine. I deserve it. Sunday Mainstage is having 10 minute promotional sets which will be my longest time yet (on purpose that is). Fuck it, pulling out my big guns. Next weekend Dwight Slade. What do I have to complain about?
Lesson: Do not compete with untested material, no matter HOW good you think it is.
Backup lesson: Record each and every set.
ps now that I'm recording I'm going to look into getting mp3s onto this blog... we'll see how that goes.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Day 12: Who's Set is it Anyway? 4/14/07
I have had yet to do a guest set and Julie said I could show up at the Mainstage anytime they have a headliner, so why not give it a shot? I texted Julie to see if there were any spots available to which she replied "yup". There were two sets tonight and I was going to see if I could hit up both, but then a buddy asked if I wanted to see a movie so I skipped the first show. I texted Julie to let her know I'd come in for the second show. After the movie I got a text message from her "we're taping the 8 o'clock show".
FUCKSHITPISS!!!
I forgot that she mentioned she was taping it for records and a show. I got there around 9 which was an hour into that show, the headliner however was going to do some improv with the other comics so I jumped in. There was a bunch of us up there and Ron Osborne (the headliner) asked the audience to name a product and we were to come up with the worst slogan for it. I did one or two that were OK but not amazing. Fun times though.
The 2nd show started and I was going to be the first guest set. I was going to bring out my 80s bit because I haven't worked it in awhile. I watched Justin (the host) do his opening and the crowd was tough. I was pumped up because I had an energy drink right before I went up... bad idea. When I got onto stage I was trying to rev up the crowd and they were barely having it. I went into an abbreviated cocaine bit which they were into (shocker), and then the 80s bit. My brain was buzzing from the caffeine so I ended up dropping one bit all together and fucking up the punch line of another. My closer for 80s bit went well though... not a bad set, but it was rough going.
When Ron Osborne went up again he was having a hard time with the audience. You could tell he had a lot of good tricks up his sleeve for such occasions (I'm realizing how much you need them as a comedian) but they were hit and miss. He was really funny from where I was standing though. He brought us up again for some improv. This time he asked the audience to name a profession and we had to act out the worst employer for it. Someone called out hooker and I went up to the microphone and pretended to cry while I pulled my zipper down. My other glory moment was when someone said "sewer worker" and I walked up to the mic and did a sassy gay voice and said "This place is a fucking MESS!" The crowning moment came from Travis Simmons when we did the product slogans again and some one yelled "Tampon" and he said "Now with real lemon juice".
I hung out afterwards with the people working in the VIP room and shot the shit with them. Susan who books a couple of clubs offered for me and Justin to split a feature set (Remember: Headliner=45 min, Feature=30 min, Guest=5 min, and Host=7min+bringing up the comics) giving us 15 minutes apiece. Nice, but I'm going to be busy directing a show for awhile so I don't know when I'll be able to do it. Later I mentioned to Susan that I grew up in Medford,OR and she mentioned that she books for Ground Zero, a club in Medford.
AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!
Me performing in Medford. Hell yeah. I'm going to see if I can make that happen by the end of Summer. That would be fucking fantastic. Oh God, so many conspiracies running around in my brain. Holy Shit I love it.
Lesson: Improv is a great tool for comedy. It keeps you thinking on your feet. Do it more often.
Back up lesson: Maybe energy drinks before your set is not such a good idea.
FUCKSHITPISS!!!
I forgot that she mentioned she was taping it for records and a show. I got there around 9 which was an hour into that show, the headliner however was going to do some improv with the other comics so I jumped in. There was a bunch of us up there and Ron Osborne (the headliner) asked the audience to name a product and we were to come up with the worst slogan for it. I did one or two that were OK but not amazing. Fun times though.
The 2nd show started and I was going to be the first guest set. I was going to bring out my 80s bit because I haven't worked it in awhile. I watched Justin (the host) do his opening and the crowd was tough. I was pumped up because I had an energy drink right before I went up... bad idea. When I got onto stage I was trying to rev up the crowd and they were barely having it. I went into an abbreviated cocaine bit which they were into (shocker), and then the 80s bit. My brain was buzzing from the caffeine so I ended up dropping one bit all together and fucking up the punch line of another. My closer for 80s bit went well though... not a bad set, but it was rough going.
When Ron Osborne went up again he was having a hard time with the audience. You could tell he had a lot of good tricks up his sleeve for such occasions (I'm realizing how much you need them as a comedian) but they were hit and miss. He was really funny from where I was standing though. He brought us up again for some improv. This time he asked the audience to name a profession and we had to act out the worst employer for it. Someone called out hooker and I went up to the microphone and pretended to cry while I pulled my zipper down. My other glory moment was when someone said "sewer worker" and I walked up to the mic and did a sassy gay voice and said "This place is a fucking MESS!" The crowning moment came from Travis Simmons when we did the product slogans again and some one yelled "Tampon" and he said "Now with real lemon juice".
I hung out afterwards with the people working in the VIP room and shot the shit with them. Susan who books a couple of clubs offered for me and Justin to split a feature set (Remember: Headliner=45 min, Feature=30 min, Guest=5 min, and Host=7min+bringing up the comics) giving us 15 minutes apiece. Nice, but I'm going to be busy directing a show for awhile so I don't know when I'll be able to do it. Later I mentioned to Susan that I grew up in Medford,OR and she mentioned that she books for Ground Zero, a club in Medford.
AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!
Me performing in Medford. Hell yeah. I'm going to see if I can make that happen by the end of Summer. That would be fucking fantastic. Oh God, so many conspiracies running around in my brain. Holy Shit I love it.
Lesson: Improv is a great tool for comedy. It keeps you thinking on your feet. Do it more often.
Back up lesson: Maybe energy drinks before your set is not such a good idea.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
