Kudos to Demetri Martin for bringing some wackiness to The Tonight Show (he was paired with Shaq and decided to come out taller):
I'm always a big fan of talk show guests that try to do something different.
8/27/09
8/26/09
8/24/09
Don't forget to leave a tip
Watched an interview with Billy Crystal where he talked about the importance of leaving a tip.
The backstory: Years ago, Crystal killed one night in front of a famous manager and then asked the agent what he thought. The agent told him he was effective, but not good. He said Crystal's own personality was missing — he didn't leave a tip.
Interesting. My top priority is always laughs. Then, it's how much do I actually care about what I'm saying. But this "how much you is there in there?" thing is def a good factor to throw into the equation too.
Maybe it's even worth shifting priorities and going with something personal even if it's not getting huge laughs. I'm reluctant to do that (esp in shorter sets) but I can see how leaving an audience with a feeling, a piece of who you really are, can get you further than giving 'em laughs that are forgotten by the time they get home.
Plus, being memorable is key too. Anyone can get laughs. You're the only one that can deliver you.
The backstory: Years ago, Crystal killed one night in front of a famous manager and then asked the agent what he thought. The agent told him he was effective, but not good. He said Crystal's own personality was missing — he didn't leave a tip.
You didn't do anything personal or unexpected. There was no risk taking. A comedian's job is to take risks, and you're playing it too safe. Don't be afraid to fail. And don't ever forget, 'Leave that tip.'
Interesting. My top priority is always laughs. Then, it's how much do I actually care about what I'm saying. But this "how much you is there in there?" thing is def a good factor to throw into the equation too.
Maybe it's even worth shifting priorities and going with something personal even if it's not getting huge laughs. I'm reluctant to do that (esp in shorter sets) but I can see how leaving an audience with a feeling, a piece of who you really are, can get you further than giving 'em laughs that are forgotten by the time they get home.
Plus, being memorable is key too. Anyone can get laughs. You're the only one that can deliver you.
8/17/09
8/14/09
Polo shirts and glass houses
Note to comic on show I did the other night: Not a good idea to state that "anyone who wears a polo shirt is a douchebag" in one of your bits when BOTH hosts and the comic following you are wearing polo shirts. And also when you are wearing a jacket that looks like this. Since, y'know, people who live in glass houses shouldn't...
Actually, now that I think about it...anyone in any house shouldn't throw stones. It's just a rude thing to do. Even if it's not glass, you'll probably scuff up the walls. And who lives in a glass house anyway? Plants, I guess. But they rarely throw stones.
Actually, you know who does throw stones at glass houses? Billy Joel. What a bad ass.
Actually, now that I think about it...anyone in any house shouldn't throw stones. It's just a rude thing to do. Even if it's not glass, you'll probably scuff up the walls. And who lives in a glass house anyway? Plants, I guess. But they rarely throw stones.
Actually, you know who does throw stones at glass houses? Billy Joel. What a bad ass.
8/13/09
Upcoming shows: SNC, DTMT, etc.
Tonight (Thursday) I'll be performing at Evan Morgenstern's SNC show:
And on Friday I'll be on Blaine Perry and Pat Stango's Don't Touch Me There, which is always fun.
List of other upcoming shows.
SNC: Switzerland Neutral Comedy @ The Tank!!! w/John Mulaney!
The Tank, 354 W. 45th St btwn 8th and 9th (the 45th Street Theater)
Cost: $5
Come check out SNC’s last show at The Tank for now. What can I say? We’re like a rolling stone and moss gives us allergies. $5 admission with cheap booze and, as always, pretzels and cookies! This line up speaks for itself: Hosts: Jay Hoskins and Evan Morgenstern. Featuring: Ali Wong, Devin Sanchez, Rachel Axelrod, Daniel St. Germain, Ash Louis, Michael Lawrenece, Matt Ruby, Danny Rouhier, and special guest: John Mulaney!
And on Friday I'll be on Blaine Perry and Pat Stango's Don't Touch Me There, which is always fun.
List of other upcoming shows.
What it's like working at a comedy club
Here's a guest post from Dan Wilbur, a comedian who works in the Comix office. He has worked the past two summers with the head of PR, Kambri Crews, and currently is an assistant to Justin Gray, the head of promotions. As part of his job, he contributes to the Comix blog and Twitter account. Below, Dan writes about what it's like to be a comic working at a comedy club.
When I first arrived at Comix I wanted to gain this vague understanding of “comedy” and “the business of comedy” which is what I learned tenfold. But I didn’t realize how much I didn’t know until I worked in the office. I didn’t realize how collaborative every single show is, whether it’s a headliner or a monthly show with an external producer. Literally every show (unlike a room you would just buy out) is the entire staff’s responsibility from the general manager down to the guy in charge of sending out Tweets. With any collaboration, there will be frustrations: ideas will get repeated, your idea might get lost in the mix, and occasionally the name of a show will stick that nobody really loves, but there’s more work to be done, so you move on. Working in a club teaches you that the business and creative aspect of comedy comes with constant upkeep. There’s always a show the next week, and there’s very little time to rest on your laurels even if the last headliner sold out the room.
One other thing I’ve learned on the business end of things is that careers are not linear. People have great months, people have terrible months. If a show consistently does poorly, it doesn’t mean that the club turns its back on that comic, it means (no matter how big the comic is), as a group, we need to come up with a different show or a different way of promoting a current show, so more people come. Also, a show can become stale no matter how good it is. If you’re pitching the same show to press outlets over and over, it becomes white noise at a certain point, even if everyone loves the show. “Five for $5” which used to be “Hot Comix” was great when it started, and even though we are doing the same thing we always do, we have to change that specific show to get people interested again. You should always be working on some project, but if it doesn’t pan out, move on and keep working. Having perspective is a valuable lesson I’ve learned from working at Comix.
I think everyone learns when they first arrive in New York how slow a process becoming a club comic is. I thought as soon as I got the job I would get a guest spot on a Comix showcase, then a huge comic would see me, and ask me to write for their new sitcom. Being around working comics is THE BEST PERK because you’re listening (daily) to a successful comic. It doesn’t hurt to know those people (in fact, networking is KEY to doing well in the comedy world, and going to other people’s shows is the easiest way to stay in touch) but humility is the most important part of listening to comics like that. Even if you despise the person, there’s a reason they’re working, and you better figure it out quick if you want to work that room too.
The least interesting part is meeting huge comedians in the middle of the day. It’s one thing to say, “Oh, I shouldn’t bother this comic right after his set,” but it’s an entirely different faux pas to grab the attention of a working comedian at noon on a Wednesday. That means he or she probably got five hours of sleep, and is there to work. (Side note, if you are the comedian coming in to the office to discuss something, smiling doesn’t hurt. We’re all at work too. Julian McCullough brightens my day whenever he comes in).
The question I get the most often is: “Are you getting a lot of stage time out of the job?” That was never the point. If I were onstage every night in front of people I barked in, I wouldn’t learn anything. I’d just be onstage in front of people who didn’t have other plans. Furthermore, Comix pays me in cold hard cash (or peanuts, depending on how you look at it), and if they paid me in stage time, what would be the incentive for getting better? It would be a horribly dishonest office if my coworkers kept encouraging everything I did onstage because they want me to do a spreadsheet for them. Work is work. You should get paid for it. That said, the only reason I have my current job is because I started working there for free. That’s how most comedic jobs start. But I love my job because I am supporting good live comedy, a universe that I hopefully will be a part of in the future. The better the club does, the more opportunities there are for live comedy to thrive.
The fun part of the job, and this is true with any job that does promotional work (i.e. you don’t have to work at a club for this to happen, but it helps to not work at Starbucks), is that you end up watching clips of people you’ve never heard of, you go places you would never go (I’ve been to The Daily Show front desk, tons of hotels, and to the office of an awesome gay bar), and anything cross-promotional usually yields free stuff (Burritos, movie passes, etc.). I also am required to NEVER wear a tie.
Lastly, I find that comedians are always afraid that if they only go from work to open mics and then to sleep they won’t have any material because they don’t have lives. They are correct. But the only way to get good is to inundate yourself for awhile, and then pick times when you live your personal life. I still find time to talk to non-comics (civilians) about non-comedic things on the daily. I always feel good about that since I spend most of my day working and thinking about comedy in general.
When I first arrived at Comix I wanted to gain this vague understanding of “comedy” and “the business of comedy” which is what I learned tenfold. But I didn’t realize how much I didn’t know until I worked in the office. I didn’t realize how collaborative every single show is, whether it’s a headliner or a monthly show with an external producer. Literally every show (unlike a room you would just buy out) is the entire staff’s responsibility from the general manager down to the guy in charge of sending out Tweets. With any collaboration, there will be frustrations: ideas will get repeated, your idea might get lost in the mix, and occasionally the name of a show will stick that nobody really loves, but there’s more work to be done, so you move on. Working in a club teaches you that the business and creative aspect of comedy comes with constant upkeep. There’s always a show the next week, and there’s very little time to rest on your laurels even if the last headliner sold out the room.
One other thing I’ve learned on the business end of things is that careers are not linear. People have great months, people have terrible months. If a show consistently does poorly, it doesn’t mean that the club turns its back on that comic, it means (no matter how big the comic is), as a group, we need to come up with a different show or a different way of promoting a current show, so more people come. Also, a show can become stale no matter how good it is. If you’re pitching the same show to press outlets over and over, it becomes white noise at a certain point, even if everyone loves the show. “Five for $5” which used to be “Hot Comix” was great when it started, and even though we are doing the same thing we always do, we have to change that specific show to get people interested again. You should always be working on some project, but if it doesn’t pan out, move on and keep working. Having perspective is a valuable lesson I’ve learned from working at Comix.
I think everyone learns when they first arrive in New York how slow a process becoming a club comic is. I thought as soon as I got the job I would get a guest spot on a Comix showcase, then a huge comic would see me, and ask me to write for their new sitcom. Being around working comics is THE BEST PERK because you’re listening (daily) to a successful comic. It doesn’t hurt to know those people (in fact, networking is KEY to doing well in the comedy world, and going to other people’s shows is the easiest way to stay in touch) but humility is the most important part of listening to comics like that. Even if you despise the person, there’s a reason they’re working, and you better figure it out quick if you want to work that room too.
The least interesting part is meeting huge comedians in the middle of the day. It’s one thing to say, “Oh, I shouldn’t bother this comic right after his set,” but it’s an entirely different faux pas to grab the attention of a working comedian at noon on a Wednesday. That means he or she probably got five hours of sleep, and is there to work. (Side note, if you are the comedian coming in to the office to discuss something, smiling doesn’t hurt. We’re all at work too. Julian McCullough brightens my day whenever he comes in).
The question I get the most often is: “Are you getting a lot of stage time out of the job?” That was never the point. If I were onstage every night in front of people I barked in, I wouldn’t learn anything. I’d just be onstage in front of people who didn’t have other plans. Furthermore, Comix pays me in cold hard cash (or peanuts, depending on how you look at it), and if they paid me in stage time, what would be the incentive for getting better? It would be a horribly dishonest office if my coworkers kept encouraging everything I did onstage because they want me to do a spreadsheet for them. Work is work. You should get paid for it. That said, the only reason I have my current job is because I started working there for free. That’s how most comedic jobs start. But I love my job because I am supporting good live comedy, a universe that I hopefully will be a part of in the future. The better the club does, the more opportunities there are for live comedy to thrive.
The fun part of the job, and this is true with any job that does promotional work (i.e. you don’t have to work at a club for this to happen, but it helps to not work at Starbucks), is that you end up watching clips of people you’ve never heard of, you go places you would never go (I’ve been to The Daily Show front desk, tons of hotels, and to the office of an awesome gay bar), and anything cross-promotional usually yields free stuff (Burritos, movie passes, etc.). I also am required to NEVER wear a tie.
Lastly, I find that comedians are always afraid that if they only go from work to open mics and then to sleep they won’t have any material because they don’t have lives. They are correct. But the only way to get good is to inundate yourself for awhile, and then pick times when you live your personal life. I still find time to talk to non-comics (civilians) about non-comedic things on the daily. I always feel good about that since I spend most of my day working and thinking about comedy in general.
8/12/09
50/50 crowds
Everyone loves a hot crowd. They're juiced and laughs come easy. All you have to do is not fuck it up. Just ride the wave and keep it going. You can even throw in extra tags that normally wouldn't work and extend the laughs.
But the best crowd for getting better as a comic is a 50/50 crowd. A 50/50 crowd laughs at good jokes but gives you nothing on lame ones. They're either on the bus or off the bus on a joke-by-joke basis. It's tough to build momentum with a crowd like that, but at least you're working with a judge you can actually trust. There's a fairness there. When a bit does work, you know it's actually got legs.
50/50 crowds won't always give you the best set in the world. But they teach you more about what's funny than a hot crowd does.
But the best crowd for getting better as a comic is a 50/50 crowd. A 50/50 crowd laughs at good jokes but gives you nothing on lame ones. They're either on the bus or off the bus on a joke-by-joke basis. It's tough to build momentum with a crowd like that, but at least you're working with a judge you can actually trust. There's a fairness there. When a bit does work, you know it's actually got legs.
50/50 crowds won't always give you the best set in the world. But they teach you more about what's funny than a hot crowd does.
8/10/09
Rob Cantrell on his new album “Keep On the Grass”
Rob Cantrell's new album “Keep On the Grass” is now available. Here's a sample track: “Grapefruit” (MP3).
I love watching Rob do his hip-hop hippie thing onstage. I like how he punches certain phrases. And the subjects he talks about: weed, shrooms, the Beatles vs. the Stones, etc. How he can crush at both an urban show at a big club and also at a back of a bar alt room with a bunch of hipsters. How he'll just wander aloud onstage and stumble into epiphanies. He's one of those guys you can see do sets over and over and still not get tired of.
I asked Rob to answer a couple of questions about the record and how it came to be:
What was the most surprising thing about the whole process of recording/releasing the album?
The most surprising thing about recording an album is how much work there is. In the beginning I though you could knock it out one, two, three, press record BAM-Album. NOPE. First you have to find a good sounding room, clear it with the club owners, find a smart tech guy to mic it right, then there is editing, mastering, artwork, distribution, and spreading the word. A label and management can help with getting these things done, but at the end of the day it is your name on the ALBUM and you are going to have to deal with the feedback. My advice is to get your hands dirty in every detail of the process.
What's your favorite bit on the record? Why? How did you write it?
Stand Up Bits- There are two true stories that I really enjoy listening to. One story (The Bike Story-track 9) is a detailed story about wrecking an old school banana seat chopper bicycle when I was 7 and how it almost cut my dick off. It was one of those traumatic things that only close family knew about and laughed at, at the time it was hardcore brutal, but kids always fuck themselves up, some cousin gets a compound fracture jumping out a tree house with a cape, another puts a nail gun in his hip playing 'Outlaw of Josey Wails'. At first people would freak out, slowly I got better and better telling it. It is not the type of bit that will get you laid after the show, -doesn't matter because I am Married N Shit (track 20/music), but it does connect with people a little deeper than just a straight up joke. That is why I enjoy telling stories now and then.
The other is a story (track 15-The Tombs) about getting arrested in New York in the LES for smoking a joint with a professional violinist outside the Parkside Lounge. I spent a weekend in 'The Tombs', they would pick a night to bring people in for weed and scare them by putting them in the TOMBS. The bit most always kills because it is interesting and absurd. I enjoy it because I get to sing a Pink Floyd song in it.
I love comedy, music and weed. This is what KEEP ON THE GRASS is all about.
I've heard you talking about how other comics have a "herd mentality." What do you mean by that? Why do you think that's bad?
To keep it simple, go right when everybody is going left, break away from the pack and get fucking noticed. That how I see it. This type of thinking can lead to horrible bike accidents and getting arrested, but then again, you will have 20 minutes of original material for your new CD.
There will be an album release party for Rob's new record in Brooklyn on Sept. 4th, 8 PM at Coco66 at 66 Greenpoint Ave.
I love watching Rob do his hip-hop hippie thing onstage. I like how he punches certain phrases. And the subjects he talks about: weed, shrooms, the Beatles vs. the Stones, etc. How he can crush at both an urban show at a big club and also at a back of a bar alt room with a bunch of hipsters. How he'll just wander aloud onstage and stumble into epiphanies. He's one of those guys you can see do sets over and over and still not get tired of.
I asked Rob to answer a couple of questions about the record and how it came to be:
What was the most surprising thing about the whole process of recording/releasing the album?
The most surprising thing about recording an album is how much work there is. In the beginning I though you could knock it out one, two, three, press record BAM-Album. NOPE. First you have to find a good sounding room, clear it with the club owners, find a smart tech guy to mic it right, then there is editing, mastering, artwork, distribution, and spreading the word. A label and management can help with getting these things done, but at the end of the day it is your name on the ALBUM and you are going to have to deal with the feedback. My advice is to get your hands dirty in every detail of the process.
What's your favorite bit on the record? Why? How did you write it?
Stand Up Bits- There are two true stories that I really enjoy listening to. One story (The Bike Story-track 9) is a detailed story about wrecking an old school banana seat chopper bicycle when I was 7 and how it almost cut my dick off. It was one of those traumatic things that only close family knew about and laughed at, at the time it was hardcore brutal, but kids always fuck themselves up, some cousin gets a compound fracture jumping out a tree house with a cape, another puts a nail gun in his hip playing 'Outlaw of Josey Wails'. At first people would freak out, slowly I got better and better telling it. It is not the type of bit that will get you laid after the show, -doesn't matter because I am Married N Shit (track 20/music), but it does connect with people a little deeper than just a straight up joke. That is why I enjoy telling stories now and then.
The other is a story (track 15-The Tombs) about getting arrested in New York in the LES for smoking a joint with a professional violinist outside the Parkside Lounge. I spent a weekend in 'The Tombs', they would pick a night to bring people in for weed and scare them by putting them in the TOMBS. The bit most always kills because it is interesting and absurd. I enjoy it because I get to sing a Pink Floyd song in it.
I love comedy, music and weed. This is what KEEP ON THE GRASS is all about.
I've heard you talking about how other comics have a "herd mentality." What do you mean by that? Why do you think that's bad?
To keep it simple, go right when everybody is going left, break away from the pack and get fucking noticed. That how I see it. This type of thinking can lead to horrible bike accidents and getting arrested, but then again, you will have 20 minutes of original material for your new CD.
There will be an album release party for Rob's new record in Brooklyn on Sept. 4th, 8 PM at Coco66 at 66 Greenpoint Ave.
8/6/09
Setting up your own tour
Speaking of getting out of town, a reader wrote in asking for advice on getting road gigs. Aalap Patel, one of the co-producers of New Young Comedians, recently did a weeklong minitour in California so I asked him how it all happened. Here's Aalap on the tour:
I recently had the honor of going on my first comedy tour, performing about 7 shows over 5-6 days, in and around LA as part of the "Like These Guys Standup Comedy Tour". I have to give a hearty thanks to John Wells and Nick Rutherford, two comics who have roots in the west coast and were kind enough to invite me to tour with them. I also want to thank my close friend Matteson Perry, who completed our lineup and helped me tune my jokes up, night after night.
It was an amazing experience; we did a variety of shows, at famous venues like Mbar, at small theaters like The Empty Space Theatre in Bakersfield and at Moorpark College, and out of the way places like The Ranch in San Miguel (A honkey-tonk and steakhouse). We had audiences as large as 200 and each show felt like a new challenge. Even when staying for 2 shows at the same venue, like we did in Bakersfield, our later show had a very different audience than our early show.
It was one of the milestones of my young comedy career, and I was very sad to see it end. But one of the most valuable lessons I picked up from this tour is that we, as comics, can get out there and tour without having to go through the traditional gatekeepers (comedy club bookers, managers, NACA). I picked John's brain about how he set this tour up and in the end it sounded like a straightforward process.
Unless you have credits or connections with club bookers, it makes sense to target venues where you have inside connections (colleges, bars, etc.) or a bit of an installed fan base in the form of friends and family who will not only attend the show but might be of assistance in getting some seats filled. The first thing to do is create a press packet that features information about the tour, about each comedian, links to videos, and a flyer that can be used to promote each show. You want the venue to understand what you're offering and that it's of value. The artwork on the flyer and in the whole packet should be consistent and of a high quality, their decision is affected by your presentation as well as your comedy.
After booking your first few gigs, thinking geographically about where else you can go and what sort of venues are open to you and fill up a series of dates in the days leading up to your larger shows. Once the gigs and dates are set, you still have promotional work to do. Some venues handle this for you, others are only interested in getting money off the bar and rely on you to fill the place. You want to contact as many media sources as you can; newspapers, radio stations, websites, and blogs, and get as much free or cheap promotion as possible. We used facebook as a supplement for each show but as you can see from the links we got some interviews and ads into various local papers.
Just make sure you put on the best show you can, because you always want to have a chance to go back next year. Good luck.
Related: Aalap also wrote a post on how to get a crowd to come out to your comedy show a little while back.
I recently had the honor of going on my first comedy tour, performing about 7 shows over 5-6 days, in and around LA as part of the "Like These Guys Standup Comedy Tour". I have to give a hearty thanks to John Wells and Nick Rutherford, two comics who have roots in the west coast and were kind enough to invite me to tour with them. I also want to thank my close friend Matteson Perry, who completed our lineup and helped me tune my jokes up, night after night.
It was an amazing experience; we did a variety of shows, at famous venues like Mbar, at small theaters like The Empty Space Theatre in Bakersfield and at Moorpark College, and out of the way places like The Ranch in San Miguel (A honkey-tonk and steakhouse). We had audiences as large as 200 and each show felt like a new challenge. Even when staying for 2 shows at the same venue, like we did in Bakersfield, our later show had a very different audience than our early show.
It was one of the milestones of my young comedy career, and I was very sad to see it end. But one of the most valuable lessons I picked up from this tour is that we, as comics, can get out there and tour without having to go through the traditional gatekeepers (comedy club bookers, managers, NACA). I picked John's brain about how he set this tour up and in the end it sounded like a straightforward process.
Unless you have credits or connections with club bookers, it makes sense to target venues where you have inside connections (colleges, bars, etc.) or a bit of an installed fan base in the form of friends and family who will not only attend the show but might be of assistance in getting some seats filled. The first thing to do is create a press packet that features information about the tour, about each comedian, links to videos, and a flyer that can be used to promote each show. You want the venue to understand what you're offering and that it's of value. The artwork on the flyer and in the whole packet should be consistent and of a high quality, their decision is affected by your presentation as well as your comedy.
After booking your first few gigs, thinking geographically about where else you can go and what sort of venues are open to you and fill up a series of dates in the days leading up to your larger shows. Once the gigs and dates are set, you still have promotional work to do. Some venues handle this for you, others are only interested in getting money off the bar and rely on you to fill the place. You want to contact as many media sources as you can; newspapers, radio stations, websites, and blogs, and get as much free or cheap promotion as possible. We used facebook as a supplement for each show but as you can see from the links we got some interviews and ads into various local papers.
Just make sure you put on the best show you can, because you always want to have a chance to go back next year. Good luck.
Related: Aalap also wrote a post on how to get a crowd to come out to your comedy show a little while back.
8/5/09
Getting out of NYC to perform
I did Dave Walk's final Comic vs. Audience show in Philly on Monday night and had a great time. Packed house, long set, great reaction, got to meet/hang with other comics, etc. (Thanks Dave!)
In fact, nearly every time I get out of NYC and do shows in other places (Boston, D.C., Chicago), it goes great. It makes a lot of the shows I do here pale in comparison. Stage time is currency in NYC and it's tough to get. And when ya do get it, it's often for a relatively small or unenthusiastic crowd compared to other cities. (Note: That may be because I do good shows when I go to other places instead of taking whatever I can get which is what I do here.)
It'd be a no-brainer to do more of these out of town shows if I was making real cash at 'em. But it's usually just a few bucks, if anything. And there's the time and money you spend getting there too. Spending money to do a show is something I really hate out of principle.
But then again, if I'm not booked on a real show, I'll sometimes pay $5 to do a shitty mic in NYC. If I'm willing to pay $5 to do a lame mic in front of unenthusiastic comics and a few civilians, how much is it worth to me to do a great show in front of 60+ real audience members who are totally on board?
For the Philly show it was a $20 bus ride and two hours each way (I came back the same night). I wouldn't do it all the time, but once in a while seems worth it.
Boston is a longer trip (around 4 hours) which means either finding a place to stay or sucking it up with an early AM return trip. I did it once last year and had a great time. Going back end of August to do a few shows and to perform at The Boston Comedy Festival. But I'm still iffy on making the trip often because of the time/$ thing.
I travel pretty frequently to Chicago and D.C. anyway so I try to get up whenever I'm in those places. Adding shows on to a trip I'm already taking is great. It's the whole idea of paying to perform in another town that bugs me. But maybe it's something ya gotta do for a bit just to get out there and have other people see ya.
In fact, nearly every time I get out of NYC and do shows in other places (Boston, D.C., Chicago), it goes great. It makes a lot of the shows I do here pale in comparison. Stage time is currency in NYC and it's tough to get. And when ya do get it, it's often for a relatively small or unenthusiastic crowd compared to other cities. (Note: That may be because I do good shows when I go to other places instead of taking whatever I can get which is what I do here.)
It'd be a no-brainer to do more of these out of town shows if I was making real cash at 'em. But it's usually just a few bucks, if anything. And there's the time and money you spend getting there too. Spending money to do a show is something I really hate out of principle.
But then again, if I'm not booked on a real show, I'll sometimes pay $5 to do a shitty mic in NYC. If I'm willing to pay $5 to do a lame mic in front of unenthusiastic comics and a few civilians, how much is it worth to me to do a great show in front of 60+ real audience members who are totally on board?
For the Philly show it was a $20 bus ride and two hours each way (I came back the same night). I wouldn't do it all the time, but once in a while seems worth it.
Boston is a longer trip (around 4 hours) which means either finding a place to stay or sucking it up with an early AM return trip. I did it once last year and had a great time. Going back end of August to do a few shows and to perform at The Boston Comedy Festival. But I'm still iffy on making the trip often because of the time/$ thing.
I travel pretty frequently to Chicago and D.C. anyway so I try to get up whenever I'm in those places. Adding shows on to a trip I'm already taking is great. It's the whole idea of paying to perform in another town that bugs me. But maybe it's something ya gotta do for a bit just to get out there and have other people see ya.
8/3/09
Influencers and thought leaders
This sign is trying to get advertisers for bathroom walls. I like the idea that people who piss are classified as "influencers and thought leaders." Urinaters = exclusive demographic!!
7/31/09
Video: Looking through an audience member's purse
Small show last week at Arlo and Esme in NYC. I joked about a girl's big purse while onstage. Then I asked her if I could look through it. Surprisingly, she said yes. Watch to see what I found. (Strange light is due to a projector that shows aerobics videos during the show. Don't ask.)
7/30/09
Too much stage time makes you boring
So yeah, get as much stage time as ya can. We all know that. But I do think there's something to be said for having a life too. The best way to be an interesting performer is to be an interesting person. And the best way to be an interesting person is to have an interesting life.
In NYC, you can spend all your free time bouncing around from show to show, mic to mic, getting multiple spots a night, attending shows, etc. And while that certainly helps you, it comes at a price: You stop living a normal life. You don't have normal friends. You don't have normal experiences. You're just around the same people at the same venues doing the same things all the time.
And that's bad for a comic. If your whole life becomes an insular bubble, it hurts your ability to relate to the outside world. You turn into the equivalent of a rock band that writes songs about how tough it is being on the road. Yawn.
I like to make a point of taking nights off and hanging with civilians. 1) It's fun and helps me maintain my sanity and 2) I've found it's even good fuel for my standup too.
A lot of my fave bits have come not from a writing session or experimenting onstage but from a good conversation with a close friend. One who's not a comic and doesn't feel any pressure to be "on." Have a genuine conversation with an interesting person over drinks for a couple of hours and you're bound to get some good bit ideas out of it. (Don't forget that notebook.)
In fact, it's kind of become the holy grail for me. If I can take a real topic from a real conversation and turn it into a bit that I do onstage, it feels like a real victory. You hit a sweet spot when you do that. If your conversation with an audience is like your conversation with a close friend, you're a lot more likely to get them on your side. You don't have to pretend that what you're talking about is interesting. You don't have to manufacture anything. You're onstage and you're genuinely speaking about what you also think/talk about offstage. And that brings a whole different energy, tone, and openness to a performance.
I'd argue there's also a lot of value in taking time off to do other stuff like traveling or going to see other kinds of art/performers or having a relationship or anything else that gets you out of that "my whole life is about being a comic" rut. Plus, you get to actually live a life which, ya know, is a kinda worthwhile thing to do anyhow.
In NYC, you can spend all your free time bouncing around from show to show, mic to mic, getting multiple spots a night, attending shows, etc. And while that certainly helps you, it comes at a price: You stop living a normal life. You don't have normal friends. You don't have normal experiences. You're just around the same people at the same venues doing the same things all the time.
And that's bad for a comic. If your whole life becomes an insular bubble, it hurts your ability to relate to the outside world. You turn into the equivalent of a rock band that writes songs about how tough it is being on the road. Yawn.
I like to make a point of taking nights off and hanging with civilians. 1) It's fun and helps me maintain my sanity and 2) I've found it's even good fuel for my standup too.
A lot of my fave bits have come not from a writing session or experimenting onstage but from a good conversation with a close friend. One who's not a comic and doesn't feel any pressure to be "on." Have a genuine conversation with an interesting person over drinks for a couple of hours and you're bound to get some good bit ideas out of it. (Don't forget that notebook.)
In fact, it's kind of become the holy grail for me. If I can take a real topic from a real conversation and turn it into a bit that I do onstage, it feels like a real victory. You hit a sweet spot when you do that. If your conversation with an audience is like your conversation with a close friend, you're a lot more likely to get them on your side. You don't have to pretend that what you're talking about is interesting. You don't have to manufacture anything. You're onstage and you're genuinely speaking about what you also think/talk about offstage. And that brings a whole different energy, tone, and openness to a performance.
I'd argue there's also a lot of value in taking time off to do other stuff like traveling or going to see other kinds of art/performers or having a relationship or anything else that gets you out of that "my whole life is about being a comic" rut. Plus, you get to actually live a life which, ya know, is a kinda worthwhile thing to do anyhow.
7/29/09
Tom Scharpling and Paul F. Tompkins mocking Gathering Of The Juggalos
Mentioned in The Pocket and on Twitter already but it's worth its own post: This 2009 Gathering Of The Juggalos — those are Insane Clown Posse fans — infomercial ranks incredibly high on the unintentional comedy scale (i.e. when something or someone cracks you up even though that wasn't the original intention).
"Everybody know's what's gonna happen when ABK hits that stage!" Everybody? "Highly trained chef Shaggy2Dope!" Yum. "Lots of sex in the air. Don't doubt it!" Er, I would really doubt it. Highly. And how about those professional hosts they've got!?
Tom Scharpling and Paul F. Tompkins had a hilarious discussion about the Gathering last week on The Best Show on WFMU. Listen here starting at 1:27:10 in.
Two of my fave funny people in some glorious riffing. They can barely contain their giddiness when discussing things like "Violent J's Beach Boys BBQ Bash Blast" or the helicopter rides there. It is so so so so damn funny. Listen. (More of PFT's Best Show appearances can be found in the show archives.)
Related:
Thirty Reasons Why the Insane Clown Posse's 2009 Gathering of the Juggalos Infomercial is the Greatest YouTube Clip Ever [Paste Magazine]
Video: A Family Underground (a documentary movie "about Juggalos, by Juggalos, for Juggalos") [YouTube]
"Everybody know's what's gonna happen when ABK hits that stage!" Everybody? "Highly trained chef Shaggy2Dope!" Yum. "Lots of sex in the air. Don't doubt it!" Er, I would really doubt it. Highly. And how about those professional hosts they've got!?
Tom Scharpling and Paul F. Tompkins had a hilarious discussion about the Gathering last week on The Best Show on WFMU. Listen here starting at 1:27:10 in.
Two of my fave funny people in some glorious riffing. They can barely contain their giddiness when discussing things like "Violent J's Beach Boys BBQ Bash Blast" or the helicopter rides there. It is so so so so damn funny. Listen. (More of PFT's Best Show appearances can be found in the show archives.)
Related:
Thirty Reasons Why the Insane Clown Posse's 2009 Gathering of the Juggalos Infomercial is the Greatest YouTube Clip Ever [Paste Magazine]
Video: A Family Underground (a documentary movie "about Juggalos, by Juggalos, for Juggalos") [YouTube]
7/27/09
How to get a crowd to come out to your comedy show
A reader asks:
Aalap Patel is one of the co-producers of New Young Comedians, a hot monthly show in NYC that always has a packed house and a good lineup. I asked him to take a crack at answering this question. Here's what he said:
Filling up the seats is the perpetual challenge for any independent comedy show, especially in a city like New York that offers tons of other entertainment options on any night. If you are running a show, or starting a show, this is your first hurdle. Here's a few things I think you can do (or not do) to make it easier:
1. Advertise: A simple facebook invite the night before is not enough. You need people to know there's a show, want to go to it, and remember where and when to show up. I suggest using all possible methods (email, listing on event and comedy sites, blogs, etc.) but don't drown people in announcements every day or every couple of hours. The louder you shout, the less people will listen. I suggest using Opt In marketing, which means you are not blasting everyone. Make sure people know about the event far out enough that they can put it on their calendars, but also remind them the day of and the day before.
2. Put on a Good show: this should probably be number one, and Matt has already discussed many aspecs of this (here and here, for example). Rational and good comedians understand that their job is to put on a good show, not only because everyone has fun, but because that is what gets you a repeat customer. If your friends and family feel like they are coming to support you, that's fine, but if they can actually enjoy themselves, then they are much more likely to come back. Bringing your loved ones to a crappy show makes them associate comedy (or your comedy) with boredom and hurts all of comedy. It's simple Pavlovian psychology, bring me to 3 terrible shows, and now i associate you and live comedy with wasted time and boredom. It a comedy show is supposed to be like a good party, not a chore. Give away prizes, drinks, whatever you can do to keep it fun.
3. Book Good Comics: Maybe this falls under the last category. Most comics you'll get don't have enough of a fan base (even headlining comics) that will fill seats. The importance of booking good comics is to create a consistency of quality. At my monthly show we have friends, family, coworkers, and comics coming back on multiple occasions because they've enjoyed themselves every time. Book comics who are better than you because it will force you to rise. If your show is known to be good, then it will attract good comics, and also some comics will feel good about inviting their friends and family. As a rule if you're a comic, don't invite your loved ones to see you at a show unless you know it's going to be good.
4. Grow Your Contact Base: You should be raffling off prizes at each show, and to enter the raffle you should have people give you their email address. Regardless of how big your contact list is, you need to keep growing it because you can't count on the same people to show up each month. You want to reach everyone who has attended a show (and not opted out) because they will not remember to look for your show, they need to be reminded. Sign up with a email service like constant contact, it will help you manage large email lists and let you send pretty emails with nice graphics.
There are a few more tips I could give but frankly I'm not sure which of the tips are the most effective. The key is to do as much as you can, and keep trying to grow each month.
*Honorable mention -- charge at least a little bit for your show, often times the price and the value of an item share some correlation in a consumer's mind. Even if you only charge 5 dollars, you want people to understand that you're delivering value and sometimes free shows can carry less weight in people's minds.
(Back to Matt...) Thanks for the great answer, Aalap. Couple of things I'll add: Don't put on a me-too comedy show that's like all the others. Bring a unique idea that stands out.
Also, put on the kind of show that you would want to see if you were in the crowd. Do you want to see a show with a lazy host that does too much time along with a lineup of not that funny comics who are only there because they trade spots with the host? No, then don't put on that show.
How can someone get a large crowd to their weekly or monthly comedy show? I've seen plenty of shows that include nationally touring headlining acts and are still empty. What are some of the less obvious secrets to building up a fanbase who will deliver solid attendance?
Aalap Patel is one of the co-producers of New Young Comedians, a hot monthly show in NYC that always has a packed house and a good lineup. I asked him to take a crack at answering this question. Here's what he said:
Filling up the seats is the perpetual challenge for any independent comedy show, especially in a city like New York that offers tons of other entertainment options on any night. If you are running a show, or starting a show, this is your first hurdle. Here's a few things I think you can do (or not do) to make it easier:
1. Advertise: A simple facebook invite the night before is not enough. You need people to know there's a show, want to go to it, and remember where and when to show up. I suggest using all possible methods (email, listing on event and comedy sites, blogs, etc.) but don't drown people in announcements every day or every couple of hours. The louder you shout, the less people will listen. I suggest using Opt In marketing, which means you are not blasting everyone. Make sure people know about the event far out enough that they can put it on their calendars, but also remind them the day of and the day before.
2. Put on a Good show: this should probably be number one, and Matt has already discussed many aspecs of this (here and here, for example). Rational and good comedians understand that their job is to put on a good show, not only because everyone has fun, but because that is what gets you a repeat customer. If your friends and family feel like they are coming to support you, that's fine, but if they can actually enjoy themselves, then they are much more likely to come back. Bringing your loved ones to a crappy show makes them associate comedy (or your comedy) with boredom and hurts all of comedy. It's simple Pavlovian psychology, bring me to 3 terrible shows, and now i associate you and live comedy with wasted time and boredom. It a comedy show is supposed to be like a good party, not a chore. Give away prizes, drinks, whatever you can do to keep it fun.
3. Book Good Comics: Maybe this falls under the last category. Most comics you'll get don't have enough of a fan base (even headlining comics) that will fill seats. The importance of booking good comics is to create a consistency of quality. At my monthly show we have friends, family, coworkers, and comics coming back on multiple occasions because they've enjoyed themselves every time. Book comics who are better than you because it will force you to rise. If your show is known to be good, then it will attract good comics, and also some comics will feel good about inviting their friends and family. As a rule if you're a comic, don't invite your loved ones to see you at a show unless you know it's going to be good.
4. Grow Your Contact Base: You should be raffling off prizes at each show, and to enter the raffle you should have people give you their email address. Regardless of how big your contact list is, you need to keep growing it because you can't count on the same people to show up each month. You want to reach everyone who has attended a show (and not opted out) because they will not remember to look for your show, they need to be reminded. Sign up with a email service like constant contact, it will help you manage large email lists and let you send pretty emails with nice graphics.
There are a few more tips I could give but frankly I'm not sure which of the tips are the most effective. The key is to do as much as you can, and keep trying to grow each month.
*Honorable mention -- charge at least a little bit for your show, often times the price and the value of an item share some correlation in a consumer's mind. Even if you only charge 5 dollars, you want people to understand that you're delivering value and sometimes free shows can carry less weight in people's minds.
(Back to Matt...) Thanks for the great answer, Aalap. Couple of things I'll add: Don't put on a me-too comedy show that's like all the others. Bring a unique idea that stands out.
Also, put on the kind of show that you would want to see if you were in the crowd. Do you want to see a show with a lazy host that does too much time along with a lineup of not that funny comics who are only there because they trade spots with the host? No, then don't put on that show.
7/24/09
I was mentioned on "Comedy and Everything Else"
Hey, my name got brought up on the most recent episode of one of my favorite podcasts: Comedy and Everything Else #53 (from 1:21:00 to 1:35:22 in). Unfortunately, it's about how I'm "kinda confused" with my take on political comedy.
I don't feel confused so let me try to boil it down one more time. This is what turns me off: A comedian who's like "I'm a liberal (or conservative) and the other side is dumb and my whole act will be devoted to showing you why that's so." I've seen guys like these and they don't make me laugh. Others can feel free to disagree. That's what I was trying to say.
OK, just wanted to get that out upfront.
Actually, I think the podcast's hosts (Jimmy Dore, Todd Glass, Stefane Zamorano) did a pretty fair job of reading my views and trying to see where I'm coming from. They're right that my explanations thus far were a bit muddled. A couple of reasons for that: For one thing, how you define "politics" and a "political comedian" is a big gray area. And also, I'm trying not to single people out by name. This would be easier if I just could say, "I've seen X, Y, and Z and I think they're not funny." But that's kinda lame to do so I'm trying to avoid that. (Part of why I felt ok discussing Jimmy's role in this is that I've never seen his act and know him solely via the podcast. He might not even fit into the category I'm talking about. Or he might be so hilarious he completely changes my mind on all this.)
Todd and Jimmy hacked away at me a bit so let me respond. Jimmy asks how I would define "political" and wonders if these things qualify as political topics: the war on terror, gay marriage, and health care. Yes, they totally do. And if someone was like, "The next comic going up is going to talk about the war on terror and health care and gay marriage..." I'd be predisposed to not liking that comic. If that makes me some kind of idiot, so be it. Could this comic wow me and turn me around? Sure, it's possible. But, in my experience, someone who confines themselves solely to discussing topics like these usually has a certain mindset/approach/delivery that I'm not a big fan of.
Perhaps my real problem is with the idea that someone would label themselves as a "political comedian." I don't like the idea of defining your act by just one thing. Jimmy mentions Carlin and Rock a lot to back up his case yet I don't think either of them would ever say, "I'm a political comedian." Just like I don't think you'd hear CK say, "I'm a parenting comedian." These guys all talk about a huge range of topics, not just things like the war on terror, gay marriage, and health care.
One more thing...during the previous discussions at this site, I think it's worth noting how many times I use the phrase "for me." I'm not making blanket statements that everyone should feel the same way. For example, Jimmy really emphasized the way I said, "There's no such thing as good political standup comedy." But what I wrote is: "For me, there's no such thing as good political standup comedy." Big difference between those two statements.
Anyway, fun discussion. And I look forward to seeing Jimmy live sometime and realizing how wrong I am about all this!
FYI, here's the original discussion: "Is crowd work a crutch?" You can leave any comments there.
P.S. The only time I got offended during the discussion: When Jimmy accused me of being from Long Island!? Easy with that. I live in Brooklyn.
I don't feel confused so let me try to boil it down one more time. This is what turns me off: A comedian who's like "I'm a liberal (or conservative) and the other side is dumb and my whole act will be devoted to showing you why that's so." I've seen guys like these and they don't make me laugh. Others can feel free to disagree. That's what I was trying to say.
OK, just wanted to get that out upfront.
Actually, I think the podcast's hosts (Jimmy Dore, Todd Glass, Stefane Zamorano) did a pretty fair job of reading my views and trying to see where I'm coming from. They're right that my explanations thus far were a bit muddled. A couple of reasons for that: For one thing, how you define "politics" and a "political comedian" is a big gray area. And also, I'm trying not to single people out by name. This would be easier if I just could say, "I've seen X, Y, and Z and I think they're not funny." But that's kinda lame to do so I'm trying to avoid that. (Part of why I felt ok discussing Jimmy's role in this is that I've never seen his act and know him solely via the podcast. He might not even fit into the category I'm talking about. Or he might be so hilarious he completely changes my mind on all this.)
Todd and Jimmy hacked away at me a bit so let me respond. Jimmy asks how I would define "political" and wonders if these things qualify as political topics: the war on terror, gay marriage, and health care. Yes, they totally do. And if someone was like, "The next comic going up is going to talk about the war on terror and health care and gay marriage..." I'd be predisposed to not liking that comic. If that makes me some kind of idiot, so be it. Could this comic wow me and turn me around? Sure, it's possible. But, in my experience, someone who confines themselves solely to discussing topics like these usually has a certain mindset/approach/delivery that I'm not a big fan of.
Perhaps my real problem is with the idea that someone would label themselves as a "political comedian." I don't like the idea of defining your act by just one thing. Jimmy mentions Carlin and Rock a lot to back up his case yet I don't think either of them would ever say, "I'm a political comedian." Just like I don't think you'd hear CK say, "I'm a parenting comedian." These guys all talk about a huge range of topics, not just things like the war on terror, gay marriage, and health care.
One more thing...during the previous discussions at this site, I think it's worth noting how many times I use the phrase "for me." I'm not making blanket statements that everyone should feel the same way. For example, Jimmy really emphasized the way I said, "There's no such thing as good political standup comedy." But what I wrote is: "For me, there's no such thing as good political standup comedy." Big difference between those two statements.
Anyway, fun discussion. And I look forward to seeing Jimmy live sometime and realizing how wrong I am about all this!
FYI, here's the original discussion: "Is crowd work a crutch?" You can leave any comments there.
P.S. The only time I got offended during the discussion: When Jimmy accused me of being from Long Island!? Easy with that. I live in Brooklyn.
7/23/09
Hitting the stage every night
Question from a reader:
Mark Normand is always hustling to do spots all over town so I asked him to answer. His response:
Good answer. I think the "you never know what you will come up with on stage at any given moment" thing is a big part of it. Great comedy is a conversation with the audience. You can't have that conversation alone.
Sports analogy! Let's say you want to be a great tennis player. You need an opponent. You can't just hit a ball against a wall all day and become great.
And yes, it gets exhausting to constantly haul your ass to shows, watch bad comics, etc. But getting great at anything can be exhausting. You have to love it so much that it doesn't seem like work. Getting onstage should bring you enough joy to justify the effort. If it doesn't, it's gonna be tough to get very far.
What are the advantages of performing every single night? Yes, that gets a person lots of exposure and shows that s/he is in demand, but why is it better than just doing a few shows each week and spending the rest of the time developing new material or networking? Doesn't it get exhausting? When does the madness stop...where does it take you?
Mark Normand is always hustling to do spots all over town so I asked him to answer. His response:
The advantages are practice, practice, practice. The more you get up, the more experience you're getting. It's common sense. Plus, you never know what you will come up with on stage at any given moment. What are the advantages? You answered your own question in your question: "That gets a person lots of exposure and shows that s/he is in demand." What more do you want than that?
Also, you should be working on material also as well as getting up. Write before you go out. Face time is important too but not as important as being on stage. "When does the madness stop?" It never stops. If you really want to be a comic, then you'll be trying to get up every night for years to come.
Good answer. I think the "you never know what you will come up with on stage at any given moment" thing is a big part of it. Great comedy is a conversation with the audience. You can't have that conversation alone.
Sports analogy! Let's say you want to be a great tennis player. You need an opponent. You can't just hit a ball against a wall all day and become great.
And yes, it gets exhausting to constantly haul your ass to shows, watch bad comics, etc. But getting great at anything can be exhausting. You have to love it so much that it doesn't seem like work. Getting onstage should bring you enough joy to justify the effort. If it doesn't, it's gonna be tough to get very far.
7/22/09
We're All Friends Here: New podcast and show on Friday
Listen to the most recent edition of the We're All Friends Here podcast with Ted Alexandro, J-L Cauvin, and R.G. Daniels. We talked about suicide "attempts," a couple of abortions, and a priest-related masturbation episode. Good times.
And come on out Friday night to the next one...
WE'RE ALL FRIENDS HERE
The comedy chat show with boundary issues
Hosted by Matt Ruby and Mark Normand
FREE
Friday, July 24
8pm @ The Creek
10-93 Jackson Ave at 49th Ave
Long Island City, NY
Just one subway stop from Brooklyn and Manhattan
Map
Featuring:
Pat Dixon
Claudia Cogan
Danny Solomon
And come on out Friday night to the next one...
WE'RE ALL FRIENDS HERE
The comedy chat show with boundary issues
Hosted by Matt Ruby and Mark Normand
FREE
Friday, July 24
8pm @ The Creek
10-93 Jackson Ave at 49th Ave
Long Island City, NY
Just one subway stop from Brooklyn and Manhattan
Map
Featuring:
Pat Dixon
Claudia Cogan
Danny Solomon
7/20/09
Roasting a friend who is going away
Cassidy Henehan is a much-loved NYC comic who is returning to his hometown of New Orleans in a couple of weeks. On Friday night, there was a roast in his honor at Coco 66. Tons of fun and a lot of love in the room (disguised as nastiness of course).
Here's a photo I took of Cass from the stage as he closed out the night:
That light came on and I reached for my phone as fast as I could. Didn't even notice the appropriate "Exit" signs in the background until later. (More of my photography here in case you're curious.)
I had never done a roast set before so it was interesting coming up with the material. You kinda have to reverse engineer jokes. Start with the list of people and figure out what things there are to make fun of them about. Then try to figure out the back door to get to it. Extra points if you're extra nasty or have a very creative approach.
Some of my lines: "X is so fat, the other day I had to convince five Japanese tourists that he was NOT actually Ground Zero." "Y has a real gambling problem. The only way we got him here tonight was by telling him Coco was a horse and the odds were 66-1." "A lot of girls think Z is very chivalrous. They don't realize he's holding the door open for them because he forgot he's not still at work." (Last one about a comic who works as a doorman. A lot of the jokes were very insidery like that.)
Also, I had one of Cassidy's set lists from a month ago. It only had two things on it: 1) Anything 2) The Rain. Yes, it actually said the word "anything." And I saw the set...he never did talk about the rain. So I ended by pulling that out.
I, along with everyone else on stage, got it pretty good too. I should spend less time writing this blog and more time writing jokes! I'm a narcissist! My suits are old and cheap! And so am I! Etc. It's actually kinda nice. All that shit that people say behind your back comes out. If you're the type who likes to know what people really think of ya, even the painful stuff can be good to hear.
These one-off shows where everyone has to come up with new/fresh material are always fun too. Feels like a real community thing as opposed to normal shows which are a bit more "look at me." Kudos to Nick Turner for doing a great job putting it together.
(Photo by Melissa Teran.)
Here's a photo I took of Cass from the stage as he closed out the night:
That light came on and I reached for my phone as fast as I could. Didn't even notice the appropriate "Exit" signs in the background until later. (More of my photography here in case you're curious.)
I had never done a roast set before so it was interesting coming up with the material. You kinda have to reverse engineer jokes. Start with the list of people and figure out what things there are to make fun of them about. Then try to figure out the back door to get to it. Extra points if you're extra nasty or have a very creative approach.
Some of my lines: "X is so fat, the other day I had to convince five Japanese tourists that he was NOT actually Ground Zero." "Y has a real gambling problem. The only way we got him here tonight was by telling him Coco was a horse and the odds were 66-1." "A lot of girls think Z is very chivalrous. They don't realize he's holding the door open for them because he forgot he's not still at work." (Last one about a comic who works as a doorman. A lot of the jokes were very insidery like that.)
Also, I had one of Cassidy's set lists from a month ago. It only had two things on it: 1) Anything 2) The Rain. Yes, it actually said the word "anything." And I saw the set...he never did talk about the rain. So I ended by pulling that out.
I, along with everyone else on stage, got it pretty good too. I should spend less time writing this blog and more time writing jokes! I'm a narcissist! My suits are old and cheap! And so am I! Etc. It's actually kinda nice. All that shit that people say behind your back comes out. If you're the type who likes to know what people really think of ya, even the painful stuff can be good to hear.
These one-off shows where everyone has to come up with new/fresh material are always fun too. Feels like a real community thing as opposed to normal shows which are a bit more "look at me." Kudos to Nick Turner for doing a great job putting it together.
(Photo by Melissa Teran.)
7/17/09
Why I don't like political comedians
Interesting (and rambling) discussion, mostly relating to political comedy, going on in the comments of yesterday's post: Is crowd work a crutch?
Jimmy Dore showed up to provide some thoughtful commentary. (Sample: "I think we do our profession a disservice when we forget that comedians have a powerful and important role to play in shaping how we think about society and culture.")
In response, I offer up a more detailed explanation of why it is that I don't like political comedians.
(Note: I moved comments here over to the other thread so they're all in one place.)
Jimmy Dore showed up to provide some thoughtful commentary. (Sample: "I think we do our profession a disservice when we forget that comedians have a powerful and important role to play in shaping how we think about society and culture.")
In response, I offer up a more detailed explanation of why it is that I don't like political comedians.
(Note: I moved comments here over to the other thread so they're all in one place.)
7/16/09
Is crowd work a crutch?
There's plenty of lame crowdwork guys who just shit on the crowd and do stupid jokes about how some guy in the crowd must be from Jersey or Revere or whatever nearby town is a convenient target. Yawn.
But when someone's a real master at crowdwork, I love it. It's fresh and in-the-moment. It's a way different vibe than someone who does 100% written material. It's how those unique moments happen that could only take place in that room at that time with that group of people. And that's part of the magic of standup.
Thinking about this after reading this conversation over at AST where Kent Haines wrote:
Jimmy Dore responded:
Kent's answer:
It's interesting to read Dore, a guy who I believe relies heavily on political material, take a stand against guys who do a lot of crowdwork. Nothing personal against Dore since I've never seen him live, but my least favorite kind of comedians are ones who do all political material. When someone gets on stage and starts lashing out at Bush, Palin, Cheney, Limbaugh, etc., that's when I really fade.
It's not 'cuz I'm some right-winger. I get it. I read the Times, I watch The Daily Show and Real Time, I live in NYC, I know exactly what's going on. And that's why the last thing I want from a comic that goes on stage is some kinda moral lecture disguised as comedy. It doesn't surprise me and it doesn't make me laugh. I get why others might dig it, but it's just not my thing. Personally, I'd much rather listen to a good crowdwork comic than one that tells me for the 5,000th time that Cheney is evil.
But when someone's a real master at crowdwork, I love it. It's fresh and in-the-moment. It's a way different vibe than someone who does 100% written material. It's how those unique moments happen that could only take place in that room at that time with that group of people. And that's part of the magic of standup.
Thinking about this after reading this conversation over at AST where Kent Haines wrote:
Hey, can we all discuss Jimmy [Dore]'s assertion from a couple episodes back that crowd work is a crutch? I think that's pretty off the mark. Especially because part of his point was that crowd work comics never get famous. That seems, to me, to be entirely beside the point of how artistically ambitious or lazy it is.
I love crowd work. It's exhilarating to watch, but more than that, it's one of the things that separates stand-up from other forms of comedy. Where else are the performers given the option to address the reality of what's going on in the room? And there's something so attractive about the idea that I just witnessed a joke that is based on what is happening right now. It makes me, as an audience member, feel like I saw something special.
Crowd work, like almost anything else in stand-up, can be a crutch. But that doesn't make it a crutch per se. To use a touchy example, a lot of comedians use political humor as a crutch, knowing that they will get a certain level of support from a crowd that agrees with them, even if his jokes aren't terribly clever. But I wouldn't say that political humor is somehow bad because some comics use it badly. Because then I wouldn't be able to enjoy jokes like "bleeding heart conservative," which killed me.
Whaddaya think?
Jimmy Dore responded:
Note to Ken,
Thanks for your thoughts on the crowd work. I think we actually agree, but let me clarify..... I also love crowd work. I am jut saying that the comedians who make it the only thing that they do are fooling themselves into thinking that their crowd work is special. IT is not. Most funny people who are funny on stage can do crowd work well, and do it when appropriate. Making it all you do is a mistake artistically, and bizness wise. I think if you re listen to what I was said on the podcast you will see that I love crowd work and think that the people that do it exclusively do it well.
But comedy is taking an idea and relating it to strangers in a way that resonates. Doing crowd work is way way way way way way way way way way way easier than it looks. and way way easier than crafting ideas and presenting them comedically to strangers.
Kent's answer:
Thanks for clarifying, Jimmy. I still disagree with some of it, but I think I see your point better now...I'm not going to say that [Jimmy] Pardo's making a mistake by doing an act full of crowd work. His crowd work is special. He doesn't just make fun of Joe Audience's job. He weaves threads of logic through an entire crowd, constantly connecting the dots between all the individual conversations he's started. His shows at Helium this fall were some of the most fun shows I've ever seen.
It's interesting to read Dore, a guy who I believe relies heavily on political material, take a stand against guys who do a lot of crowdwork. Nothing personal against Dore since I've never seen him live, but my least favorite kind of comedians are ones who do all political material. When someone gets on stage and starts lashing out at Bush, Palin, Cheney, Limbaugh, etc., that's when I really fade.
It's not 'cuz I'm some right-winger. I get it. I read the Times, I watch The Daily Show and Real Time, I live in NYC, I know exactly what's going on. And that's why the last thing I want from a comic that goes on stage is some kinda moral lecture disguised as comedy. It doesn't surprise me and it doesn't make me laugh. I get why others might dig it, but it's just not my thing. Personally, I'd much rather listen to a good crowdwork comic than one that tells me for the 5,000th time that Cheney is evil.
7/15/09
7/13/09
Hack movies vs. hack comedians
Mike Lawrence is a funny comic who's a student of both comedy and movies. I know he hates hack comedians but I also know he goes to see a ton of movies, including plenty of bad ones (e.g. Transformers 2, comic book-inspired flicks, etc.). I read something that made me think about that...
Me:
Mike:
Me:
Mike:
Ah, if only I could stop myself from worrying about Transformers and Mencia. Actually, what if Mencia is really a Transformer??? That would explain so much.
Me:
saw this (link)...
"People complain about Hollywood's tendency to be unadventurous with its big-money titles, but the moviegoing masses clearly get the most excited when they are not being surprised. In other words, the multiplex really rocks when movies are served up the McDonalds way: predictably and comfortably. 'Transformers' is definitely that."
...and thought of you. question: how can you hate hack comedians so much yet still (i think) go see so many hack movies? isn't that why Hollywood makes so many bad movies? explain yourself!!? ; )
Mike:
I'm personally involved in comedy and so I demand more from it.
And I hope that great films get made, but I do have fun watching some of the bad ones. And let's be clear here: Star Trek, Iron Man, Dark Knight, and Up are all big budget summer movies that were highly marketed but are also genuinely great films. Transformers isn't a good movie. I didn't think it would be, but it was fun to watch on a sunday matinee with a buddy and make fun of it the same way I would during a [redacted] set.
Me:
Fair enough. But we all vote with our dollars. By buying a ticket, you're encouraging Hollywood to make more movies like that. Couldn't it be argued that, in effect, you're keeping the Dane Cooks/Carlos Mencias/Blue Collar Tour guys of the movie world at the top of the Hollywood heap?
(yes, I'm just being difficult)
Mike:
Yes it could. And you know what, I hope they do. I need movies like that every once in a while. I'll openly admit, that my tastes have eroded a bit since I started living here and a lot of that has to do with how much money I make and how little time I have to do anything. I used to go to independent movies all the time. I don't anymore. I want a big experience that entertains me. And there are millions of people like that.
It's very easy to shit on the Mencias and Cooks and Cable Guys (And I will continue to), but the truth is, they do stuff that's appealing to the lower class. We often don't. Go to an open mic and it's a lot of stuffy, pseudo-intellectual "look how fucking smart I am" whiny, self-indulgent bullshit. And I admit, I contribute to that whole-heartedly. What I don't do, is openly appeal to the lower classes. Those comics do. And thank god someone does.
When I'm at my job and I talk to people about pop culture it's very different than when I'm with other comics. Movies,comedy,music,etc. is just one more thing for us comics to over-analyze. To people making 8 dollars an it's just an hour they don't have to worry about how they'll take care of their kids or worry about what happens when they get sick and don't have insurance.
So basically, yes Transformers and Mencia are examples of bad art. But they do so serve a purpose that thankfully you don't have to worry about understanding.
Ah, if only I could stop myself from worrying about Transformers and Mencia. Actually, what if Mencia is really a Transformer??? That would explain so much.
7/10/09
"Playing games"
A guy I know was really into this girl and I asked him what happened with that. He said, "I got tired of her playing games." Fellas, I think it's important to note that when a woman doesn't like you, that's not her "playing games." She just doesn't like you. She couldn't be more serious about it. No girl is looking at her phone going, "Gah, I really want to answer his call...but then I lose at Heartbreak Jenga!"
7/8/09
Live at Gotham comics for 2009
New season of Comedy Central's Live at Gotham tapes in early August. (It's one of the few places for up and coming comics to get a TV credit.) Word on the street about who made the cut:
NYC: Sean Patton, Brent Sullivan, Dan Soder, Joe Mande, Taylor Williamson, Kumail Nanjiani
Chicago: Kyle Kinane
Austin: Daniel Jackson, Eric Krug, Andy Ritchie, and Chuck Watkins (via "Austin Invades Gotham!")
Philadelphia: Kent Haines (via "Kent Haines tapped for new season of 'Live at Gotham'")
Boston: Sean Sullivan (via Josh)
Congrats to all. Gotta be more too. If ya know of anyone else, add a comment.
P.S. Patton, Sullivan, Nanjiani, and Haines have all appeared on our We're All Friends Here show. Ya can find them on the podcast here.
NYC: Sean Patton, Brent Sullivan, Dan Soder, Joe Mande, Taylor Williamson, Kumail Nanjiani
Chicago: Kyle Kinane
Austin: Daniel Jackson, Eric Krug, Andy Ritchie, and Chuck Watkins (via "Austin Invades Gotham!")
Philadelphia: Kent Haines (via "Kent Haines tapped for new season of 'Live at Gotham'")
Boston: Sean Sullivan (via Josh)
Congrats to all. Gotta be more too. If ya know of anyone else, add a comment.
P.S. Patton, Sullivan, Nanjiani, and Haines have all appeared on our We're All Friends Here show. Ya can find them on the podcast here.
7/6/09
A comic before you hits a topic you plan to cover...
Hank writes:
How I handle it when a comic hits a topic I planned to cover: If they're making a similar point or taking the same angle that I'm taking, I usually bail on the bit. You'll just look like a chump if you repeat the same joke that someone else just did.
But if it's just a similar topic but a different take on it, I like that. In fact, I'll often riff off what the previous comic said as the opening to my set and then work into the bit I had planned. If you make it seem conversational, this is a great way to seem spontaneous and in the moment, even though it's something you've prepared. It's a little bit of trickery but it's a good way to build rapport with an audience.
When you sell a funny prepared bit as something that just came to you off the cuff, people usually dig it even more. Some of my favorite comics to watch do a great job of weaving between riffs and prepared material in a way that you can't even tell which is which. It's a whole artform in itself.
If the similar topic thing is really a big worry, ya might want to think about what you're choosing to talk about onstage. Topical stuff can be fun...but the more unique and personal your p.o.v. is, the less you have to worry about having bits that overlap with other comics.
a topic suggestion I'd like to see on your blog: When you're at a show and a comic before you hits a topic that you plan to cover, or uses a key phrase that you're planning to use-- do you bail on the joke or do you forge ahead? Should you point out the previous reference before your bit? How easily does one alter his set at the last minute?
How I handle it when a comic hits a topic I planned to cover: If they're making a similar point or taking the same angle that I'm taking, I usually bail on the bit. You'll just look like a chump if you repeat the same joke that someone else just did.
But if it's just a similar topic but a different take on it, I like that. In fact, I'll often riff off what the previous comic said as the opening to my set and then work into the bit I had planned. If you make it seem conversational, this is a great way to seem spontaneous and in the moment, even though it's something you've prepared. It's a little bit of trickery but it's a good way to build rapport with an audience.
When you sell a funny prepared bit as something that just came to you off the cuff, people usually dig it even more. Some of my favorite comics to watch do a great job of weaving between riffs and prepared material in a way that you can't even tell which is which. It's a whole artform in itself.
If the similar topic thing is really a big worry, ya might want to think about what you're choosing to talk about onstage. Topical stuff can be fun...but the more unique and personal your p.o.v. is, the less you have to worry about having bits that overlap with other comics.
7/2/09
Laughs are better than applause
A while back, I wrote about how applause breaks are analytical and laughter is primal. In this interview [thx JW], Norm Macdonald talks about why he prefers laughs to claps.
He also talks about why he doesn't do the same set every night.
I often thought comics that weave and bob onstage — alternating between crowdwork, riffing, and material — have more fun than guys who just go out and do mostly the same set every night. Comics who come to mind: Todd Barry, Todd Lynn, Patrice O'Neal, Jimmy Pardo, etc.
That approach prob sets ya back a bit when it comes to churning out albums and TV specials. But ya probably enjoy the ride along the way a lot more.
I was getting people to clap, but I reached a point where I never wanted to get people to clap, because it was, like you said, pandering. But there's a difference between a clap and a laugh. A laugh is involuntary, but the crowd is in complete control when they're clapping, they're saying, "we agree with what you're saying-proceed!" But when they're laughing, they're genuinely surprised. And when they're not laughing, they're really surprised. And sometimes I think, in my little head, that that's the best comedy of all.
He also talks about why he doesn't do the same set every night.
If you want to say the same thing every night of your life, if that's what you want to choose to do with your life, that seems completely insane to me. Like, I don't even know how singers do that shit. Plus is becomes so rote that unless you're the greatest actor in the world, you can't pretend like it's just coming off the top of your head. I'm probably the worst actor in the world, so I need something new all the time. I need stuff that makes me laugh, and old stuff doesn't make me laugh. And also I'm embarrassed. Like, you know when you tell a person a story that you've already told them before? That's embarrassing, right? So I would be embarrassed by it, but mostly I would be driven insane by the repetition.
I often thought comics that weave and bob onstage — alternating between crowdwork, riffing, and material — have more fun than guys who just go out and do mostly the same set every night. Comics who come to mind: Todd Barry, Todd Lynn, Patrice O'Neal, Jimmy Pardo, etc.
That approach prob sets ya back a bit when it comes to churning out albums and TV specials. But ya probably enjoy the ride along the way a lot more.
7/1/09
Hiding what you really mean
The tough part is cloaking what you're trying to say. You can't just come right out and say this or that is stupid or whatever. That's just a lecture. You need to dress it up so it's in disguise.
That way the audience gets to work for it too. They get to meet you halfway. They pull the mask off the joke in their own heads and get to feel smart for figuring it out. People like crossword puzzles a lot more than they like just reading a list of random facts. Solving things is fun.
It's kinda like symbolism in literature or poetry. It's not about saying something directly. It's about creating the caged bird or whatever other metaphor you use and then having the reader be able to deconstruct that and connect the dots on their own. By engaging them that way, you have them create the art alongside you. You do it together.
It's also like a whodunit. You need to give them enough clues to keep them engaged and make the story make sense — and yet still have the ending be a surprise.
Figuring out what to say is easy. Knowing just how much to hide it is when it gets tricky.
That way the audience gets to work for it too. They get to meet you halfway. They pull the mask off the joke in their own heads and get to feel smart for figuring it out. People like crossword puzzles a lot more than they like just reading a list of random facts. Solving things is fun.
It's kinda like symbolism in literature or poetry. It's not about saying something directly. It's about creating the caged bird or whatever other metaphor you use and then having the reader be able to deconstruct that and connect the dots on their own. By engaging them that way, you have them create the art alongside you. You do it together.
It's also like a whodunit. You need to give them enough clues to keep them engaged and make the story make sense — and yet still have the ending be a surprise.
Figuring out what to say is easy. Knowing just how much to hide it is when it gets tricky.
6/29/09
Patton Oswalt's advice on how not to be a miserable comedian
This is a great Comedy And Everything Else podcast featuring Patton Oswalt as the guest [thx PM]. The really good stuff starts about 20 or 30 minutes in when Oswalt starts waxing philosophical about standup.
Some of the types of comics he goes after:
1. Comedians who feel entitled because they've been doing standup for a long time. Oswalt's take: It doesn't matter how long you've been doing it, it's how well you've been doing it. Basically: "You haven't been doing comedy for 20 years, you did it for 1 year and you've been repeating that year for 19 years."
2. Comedians who get pissy about the success of hacky comics. Oswalt: Be happy for them and their success. If they can succeed doing stupid shit, that's fine. You don't want those fans anyway so who cares? It's a diff audience and has nothing to do with you.
3. Comedians who don't help their peers. It's why Oswalt did Comedians of Comedy. He thinks you need to bring people you like along with you on the path to success. They will help drive you and keep you funny/honest. Otherwise, you'll just wind up a shallow (and prob unfunny) asshole.
Also neat: The crew mentions Rory Scovel as one of the best new young comics out there (at about 1hr and 6min in).
Some of the types of comics he goes after:
1. Comedians who feel entitled because they've been doing standup for a long time. Oswalt's take: It doesn't matter how long you've been doing it, it's how well you've been doing it. Basically: "You haven't been doing comedy for 20 years, you did it for 1 year and you've been repeating that year for 19 years."
2. Comedians who get pissy about the success of hacky comics. Oswalt: Be happy for them and their success. If they can succeed doing stupid shit, that's fine. You don't want those fans anyway so who cares? It's a diff audience and has nothing to do with you.
3. Comedians who don't help their peers. It's why Oswalt did Comedians of Comedy. He thinks you need to bring people you like along with you on the path to success. They will help drive you and keep you funny/honest. Otherwise, you'll just wind up a shallow (and prob unfunny) asshole.
Also neat: The crew mentions Rory Scovel as one of the best new young comics out there (at about 1hr and 6min in).
6/26/09
Sandpaper Suit thread over at aspecialthing
I just started a thread over at aspecialthing (a great message board site for comedy enthusiasts) that includes top posts from this blog: "Top posts from Sandpaper Suit, NYC comic Matt Ruby's blog about standup."
If you're a fan of this site and also read AST, I'd really appreciate if you could go to that thread and post a nice comment about Sandpaper Suit (why you like it, topics you've seen covered here that were helpful/interesting, etc.). That way AST readers will know it's worth checking out. Thanks guys.
If you're a fan of this site and also read AST, I'd really appreciate if you could go to that thread and post a nice comment about Sandpaper Suit (why you like it, topics you've seen covered here that were helpful/interesting, etc.). That way AST readers will know it's worth checking out. Thanks guys.
6/25/09
Behind the scenes as Louis CK films a new TV pilot
Louis CK called me a motherfucker last night.
Some background first: He sent out a Twitter message two days ago saying he was filming a pilot and to write in if you want to come. People who responded got a message to come to The Comedy Cellar early last night (it was about 2/3 full) where he filmed some standup segments for the show.
Before filming, he explained the deal. The pilot is for FX. It will alternate between standup clips and actual scenes. Also in it: Todd Barry, Nick DiPaolo, and Rick Shapiro. He joked around that it most likely will never get picked up. He's directing the show too and it was interesting to see him talking tech stuff with the crew and closely examining the steadycam shots (using some fancy new Red camera that weighed so much the cameraman had to take a break every 15 mins or so).
He did some Q&A with the crowd while cameras were setting up. I asked him what the narrative of the show was and he replied, "You want me to tell you the entire story now, you motherfucker?" Oddly, that word seems almost like a term of endearment coming from him. Heh. He didn't answer and moved on to other questions, mostly about his previous work on movies.
The standup performance lasted about 40 minutes and is almost all new material that he's developed since his last special was filmed two months ago. So I guess that puts his material development rate at about 20 minutes per month. Jesus.
Some was still being fleshed out (after a bit on people who honk car horns, he looked down at his notes and grumbled, "Who the fuck cares what I think about honking horns?"). But some was really great stuff that's already top tier (great stuff on how all relationships end badly and chaperoning at his kids school especially stood out).
6/24/09
Is "you're a good writer" really a compliment to a standup?
A few times in the past month I've had comics say to me after a set: "You're a really good writer." And while I want to take that as a compliment, there's something in my head that's thinking, "So what you're really saying is: 'You're not much of a performer.'"
So it was funny to read this interview between Todd Barry and musician Nick Lowe and read this bit from Todd:
I'm sure the opposite is true too. When people tell a comic, "Wow, you really have an amazing energy onstage!"...that guy prob sits around thinking, "Damn, my jokes aren't very good, are they?"
In truth, I don't mind the backhandedness of the good writing thing. First of all, at least something is good. And second, I really dig comics like Birbigs or CK who don't even seem like they're performing at all. They just seem like they're talking to you the way a normal person does. The performance is there, but you feel like it's almost hidden rather than being hit over the head with it.
So it was funny to read this interview between Todd Barry and musician Nick Lowe and read this bit from Todd:
Usually, for a comedian, if they say he’s a good writer, it’s sort of a backhanded compliment. Like it usually means shitty performer, but not that they wouldn’t also compliment a good comedian on his writing. I think I do get complimented on my writing, but if they just go, “Heyyy, good writing,” that’s a little jab.
I'm sure the opposite is true too. When people tell a comic, "Wow, you really have an amazing energy onstage!"...that guy prob sits around thinking, "Damn, my jokes aren't very good, are they?"
In truth, I don't mind the backhandedness of the good writing thing. First of all, at least something is good. And second, I really dig comics like Birbigs or CK who don't even seem like they're performing at all. They just seem like they're talking to you the way a normal person does. The performance is there, but you feel like it's almost hidden rather than being hit over the head with it.
6/22/09
Podcast for one-year We're All Friends Here anniversary show now up
The latest episode of the We're All Friends Here podcast is now live. It's the one-year anniversary show featuring return visits from Sean Patton, Hannibal Buress, and Dan Goodman. It was an awesome show...get ready for some dirt!
Also, the iTunes feed for the podcast is now up to date with this episode and the one before it too. (For some reason, the last episode wasn't showing up there until now.)
And thanks to everyone who came out to the last show on Friday night (podcast coming soon). Man, we really got somewhere, eh? Here's what our guests said afterwards on Twitter/Facebook: JL: "Just had the most emotionally draining set/interview of my life." Ted: "I had a ball and you guys do a great job!" RG: "That was by far one of the brightest highlights of my comedy 'career.'" Thanks guys, we had a great time too. See ya at the next one: July 24 at The Creek (8pm).
Also, the iTunes feed for the podcast is now up to date with this episode and the one before it too. (For some reason, the last episode wasn't showing up there until now.)
And thanks to everyone who came out to the last show on Friday night (podcast coming soon). Man, we really got somewhere, eh? Here's what our guests said afterwards on Twitter/Facebook: JL: "Just had the most emotionally draining set/interview of my life." Ted: "I had a ball and you guys do a great job!" RG: "That was by far one of the brightest highlights of my comedy 'career.'" Thanks guys, we had a great time too. See ya at the next one: July 24 at The Creek (8pm).
6/19/09
Jesse Popp on the NY Times site
Neat. The front page of the NY Times web site has a big pic of Jesse Popp (who I think is very funny) and a slideshow/interview with him. Includes some cool photos with at least a few comics whom ya might recognize — if you're someone who hangs out in the scene, that is.
It's part of the Times' "One in 8 Million" series. However, I don't think they are referring to the one in 8 million comedians trying to get stage time in NYC.
It's part of the Times' "One in 8 Million" series. However, I don't think they are referring to the one in 8 million comedians trying to get stage time in NYC.
Getting road gigs
A reader writes in:
Nope, haven't written about that before. For the road gigs I do, I usually have a fellow comic from that town (e.g. Boston, Chicago, or D.C.) who knows I'm decent put in a word for me at the good show(s) in his/her hometown. If more followup is needed, I'll send along an email with a brief bio and a link to a set online. That usually works. Then I go to the show and try to kick ass so 1) the comic that referred me doesn't look bad and 2) I can get booked again there.
One way being from NYC helps: Audiences here are as tough as they get. To paraphrase ol' blue eyes, if you can make 'em laugh here, you can make 'em laugh anywhere. (Well, unless your jokes are all about riding the subway and how dumb people in the south are.)
So if you show up and have a great set, you can prob get booked again pretty easily. But if you're not confident about your ability to do that, it might be a better idea to hold off before getting out there. You don't want to do a shitty set and wind up blacklisted from the place.
Other comics I know have actually set up their own tours which is a cool, DIY way to go about it if you're willing to put in the time to set all that up. From what I've heard, these shows can be pretty hit or miss though.
Of course, if you have an agent, they can set up shows for you. But that's a whole different can of worms...
One thing I was wondering is, do you have any old postings about how to go about getting road gigs?
Nope, haven't written about that before. For the road gigs I do, I usually have a fellow comic from that town (e.g. Boston, Chicago, or D.C.) who knows I'm decent put in a word for me at the good show(s) in his/her hometown. If more followup is needed, I'll send along an email with a brief bio and a link to a set online. That usually works. Then I go to the show and try to kick ass so 1) the comic that referred me doesn't look bad and 2) I can get booked again there.
One way being from NYC helps: Audiences here are as tough as they get. To paraphrase ol' blue eyes, if you can make 'em laugh here, you can make 'em laugh anywhere. (Well, unless your jokes are all about riding the subway and how dumb people in the south are.)
So if you show up and have a great set, you can prob get booked again pretty easily. But if you're not confident about your ability to do that, it might be a better idea to hold off before getting out there. You don't want to do a shitty set and wind up blacklisted from the place.
Other comics I know have actually set up their own tours which is a cool, DIY way to go about it if you're willing to put in the time to set all that up. From what I've heard, these shows can be pretty hit or miss though.
Of course, if you have an agent, they can set up shows for you. But that's a whole different can of worms...
6/18/09
Why people are getting it all wrong when it comes to gay men
You still hear morons say things like, "I hate faggots. I like WOMEN!" Sorry dude, if you hate gay men, then you hate women too. 'Cuz they are totally into the same things. Who likes fashion? Gay men and women. Who likes appletinis? Gay men and women. Who likes cock? You got it.
When you think about it, girls are total faggots. You can not get more faggoty than a girl. Even the draggiest of drag queens isn't 1% as faggy as someone with a vagina. Not even close.
And you know how some people are mad at illegal immigrants for stealing jobs? If that makes any sense, you know who should hate gay men the most? Women! Think about all the jobs gay men have stolen from women over the years. Hair stylist. Interior decorator. Gay men are the Mexicans of fashion! Forget Texas and Arizona, ladies...build a wall around Chelsea. That's where they're coming from. Protect that border. You're about to lose flight attendants and florists.
When you think about it, girls are total faggots. You can not get more faggoty than a girl. Even the draggiest of drag queens isn't 1% as faggy as someone with a vagina. Not even close.
And you know how some people are mad at illegal immigrants for stealing jobs? If that makes any sense, you know who should hate gay men the most? Women! Think about all the jobs gay men have stolen from women over the years. Hair stylist. Interior decorator. Gay men are the Mexicans of fashion! Forget Texas and Arizona, ladies...build a wall around Chelsea. That's where they're coming from. Protect that border. You're about to lose flight attendants and florists.
6/17/09
Performing "theater style"
The other week I had to do a show without a mic. Doesn't happen too often, but it is interesting to me how it changes the dynamic of a set. You feel a lot more like you're doing theater. Things become more intimate and one-man showish. It humanizes you. Eye contact feels more real. The whole thing takes on a more conversational vibe rather than a one-way monologue.
You've also got to project more and amp things up so they can hear ya in the back. Subtle stuff just gets lost. Plus, you're not tethered. You can wander out into the audience and talk to people up close (that's true with wireless mic shows too) — something I enjoy doing. At this show, I wandered into the center of the crowd for half my set and definitely felt like people started locking more then.
Crowdwork doesn't work as well though because you lose your volume edge over audience members. That means it's more of a free-for-all. If you're interacting with random people in the crowd, it's nice to know you can out-volume them at least.
Don't get me wrong. I still prefer having a mic by plenty. But going without once in a while does give ya a different perspective. Also, if there's a situation where there's a mic that's cutting out or some other audio issue, it's nice to know you can just do it the old-fashioned way and get away with it. (Apparently PFT did this at a Moonworks show a couple of months ago which is pretty crazy since that room is enormous. Supposedly it went well. Woulda liked to have seen that.)
You've also got to project more and amp things up so they can hear ya in the back. Subtle stuff just gets lost. Plus, you're not tethered. You can wander out into the audience and talk to people up close (that's true with wireless mic shows too) — something I enjoy doing. At this show, I wandered into the center of the crowd for half my set and definitely felt like people started locking more then.
Crowdwork doesn't work as well though because you lose your volume edge over audience members. That means it's more of a free-for-all. If you're interacting with random people in the crowd, it's nice to know you can out-volume them at least.
Don't get me wrong. I still prefer having a mic by plenty. But going without once in a while does give ya a different perspective. Also, if there's a situation where there's a mic that's cutting out or some other audio issue, it's nice to know you can just do it the old-fashioned way and get away with it. (Apparently PFT did this at a Moonworks show a couple of months ago which is pretty crazy since that room is enormous. Supposedly it went well. Woulda liked to have seen that.)
6/15/09
Friday: We're All Friends Here, free tickets for my New York Comedy Contest show tonight, and Tuesday W'burg show
Friday is the next We're All Friends Here:
We're All Friends Here
The comedy chat show with boundary issues
Hosted by Matt Ruby and Mark Normand
* Ted Alexandro (Letterman, Conan, Comedy Central)
* J-L Cauvin (Late Late Show w/ Craig Ferguson)
* R.G. Daniels (Sunday Night Stand-Up)
FREE
Friday, June 19
8pm @ The Creek
10-93 Jackson Ave at 49th Ave
Long Island City, NY
Just one subway stop from Brooklyn and Manhattan
Map
Listen to the podcast
Free tix for tonight at Eastville
Also, I'm performing at The New York Comedy Contest tonight. 7pm at Eastville Comedy Club. Free tickets available, details below...
Free show in W'burg on Tuesday
And doing this fun show tomorrow (Tues) night.
Walk towards White Castle...sounds like the theme to a new religion.
We're All Friends Here
The comedy chat show with boundary issues
Hosted by Matt Ruby and Mark Normand
* Ted Alexandro (Letterman, Conan, Comedy Central)
* J-L Cauvin (Late Late Show w/ Craig Ferguson)
* R.G. Daniels (Sunday Night Stand-Up)
FREE
Friday, June 19
8pm @ The Creek
10-93 Jackson Ave at 49th Ave
Long Island City, NY
Just one subway stop from Brooklyn and Manhattan
Map
Listen to the podcast
Free tix for tonight at Eastville
Also, I'm performing at The New York Comedy Contest tonight. 7pm at Eastville Comedy Club. Free tickets available, details below...
FREE TICKETS, TONIGHT, 7PM AND 9PM SHOWS!
100 comedians face off all this week for the grand prize of $5,000. Each night industry judges from Letterman, Comedy Central, VH1, talent agencies, and management companies, pick 4 comics to move forward. Thurs and Fri begins the Semi-final rounds, moving into Saturday night's finals with one comic taking home $5,000, automatic Boston Comedy festival admission, and major industry buzz.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE ONE OF TONIGHT'S SHOWS FOR FREE, EMAIL ME (beckydonohue[at]mac[dot]com) WITH THE PHRASE, "I LOVE COMEDY" FOR A PAIR OF TICKETS.
Free show in W'burg on Tuesday
And doing this fun show tomorrow (Tues) night.
Walk towards White Castle...sounds like the theme to a new religion.
Don Rickles does crowdwork on TV
Ya don't see crowdwork on tv/albums a lot. That's part of what makes this clip of Don Rickles hosting The Tonight Show in '78 so much fun. It has a genuine "what's gonna happen next?" vibe which ya rarely see on mainstream TV. [thx MN]
Here's the man of the hour (talk about word of mouth: I had four different people tell me to go see "The Hangover" this weekend), Zach Galafianakis, going off on Carl, who has the worst body language he's ever seen (from "Live at the Purple Onion").
And Jimmy Pardo does some brilliant crowdwork with a kid named Ethan on this track of the Comedy Death Ray album.
Do you have a fave clip/track of a standup doing crowdwork? Link it up in the comments.
Here's the man of the hour (talk about word of mouth: I had four different people tell me to go see "The Hangover" this weekend), Zach Galafianakis, going off on Carl, who has the worst body language he's ever seen (from "Live at the Purple Onion").
And Jimmy Pardo does some brilliant crowdwork with a kid named Ethan on this track of the Comedy Death Ray album.
Do you have a fave clip/track of a standup doing crowdwork? Link it up in the comments.
6/12/09
Standup as a means to a different end (e.g. screenwriting)
Lee Hurwitz is thinking about trying standup and sent me a note. Here's his question and how I responded:
I def think standup is a smart move, even if you ultimately just want to be a writer.
One time I was talking with a big shot writer/producer who also does standup. I asked him where standup fits in. He pointed at the stage and said "That's the hardest thing to do. If you can do standup, you can do anything."
I think it's a solid point. There's nothing tougher than getting up on stage and facing that judgement of a roomful of people while trying to elicit a primal response from them. It's so unforgiving. But that's why it'll also tighten up everything else you do. It'll raise your bullshit radar. It's no coincidence that people like Tina Fey, Judd Apatow, Larry David, Woody Allen, Dave Chappelle, etc. were all stage performers first before they began writing for the screen.
It's easy to sit at home and write stuff and think it's brilliant. When you get up in front of a crowd, you quickly realize most of your brilliant stuff is actually crap. And you get to figure that out quickly, in small chunks. With screenwriting, you have to put in a huge investment of time before you ever get any feedback at all. I'd say put your ideas to the test right away in a real-life setting and see how they fly. If anything it'll make you a more ruthless editor — the world could certainly use more of those.
While the idea of performing stand up definitely intrigues me, my ultimate goal is to be a comedic screenwriter. I write all the time, but writing and getting my writing out there are two very different things. I have been thinking that maybe by trying to do some stand up, I can get my name out there a little bit (amongst other comedians) and network with other like minded people. But I know that stand up is obviously tough enough in its own right, and I don't know if getting into it just to try to later get into screenwriting is a pointless idea. Do you have any thoughts on this matter?
I def think standup is a smart move, even if you ultimately just want to be a writer.
One time I was talking with a big shot writer/producer who also does standup. I asked him where standup fits in. He pointed at the stage and said "That's the hardest thing to do. If you can do standup, you can do anything."
I think it's a solid point. There's nothing tougher than getting up on stage and facing that judgement of a roomful of people while trying to elicit a primal response from them. It's so unforgiving. But that's why it'll also tighten up everything else you do. It'll raise your bullshit radar. It's no coincidence that people like Tina Fey, Judd Apatow, Larry David, Woody Allen, Dave Chappelle, etc. were all stage performers first before they began writing for the screen.
It's easy to sit at home and write stuff and think it's brilliant. When you get up in front of a crowd, you quickly realize most of your brilliant stuff is actually crap. And you get to figure that out quickly, in small chunks. With screenwriting, you have to put in a huge investment of time before you ever get any feedback at all. I'd say put your ideas to the test right away in a real-life setting and see how they fly. If anything it'll make you a more ruthless editor — the world could certainly use more of those.
6/11/09
Show calendar
This Google calendar (below) lists all of my upcoming spots. You can also subscribe to my email list for occasional updates.
Get updates:
1. Get an email every time a new show is added or...
2. Subscribe to RSS feed for this calendar
Get updates:
1. Get an email every time a new show is added or...
2. Subscribe to RSS feed for this calendar
6/10/09
Some good '07 posts from Sandpaper Suit
At the end of last year, I put up a list of the best posts at Sandpaper Suit in 2008. Going back even further, here are a few posts from 2007 that stood out:
Steve Martin's advice for making it as a comic: "Be undeniably good"
Moby's #1 fan is out to get me
Rhythm in standup and music
"Stage time in this city is too valuable to waste"
5 reasons new comics should stop listening to albums and tv specials by famous comics
How Chris Rock works out new material in a small club
Chris Rock and I "share" a bill again
"Funny" isn't what makes people laugh
Video: Simon Beauregard's Guide to America
Top '09 posts so far can be found in the "best of" category.
Steve Martin's advice for making it as a comic: "Be undeniably good"
Moby's #1 fan is out to get me
Rhythm in standup and music
"Stage time in this city is too valuable to waste"
5 reasons new comics should stop listening to albums and tv specials by famous comics
How Chris Rock works out new material in a small club
Chris Rock and I "share" a bill again
"Funny" isn't what makes people laugh
Video: Simon Beauregard's Guide to America
Top '09 posts so far can be found in the "best of" category.
6/8/09
Comedy contest advice from Myq Kaplan
Me to Myq Kaplan:
Myq's reply:
Check out Myq's blog Godzillionaire.
Hey man. I'm entered in a comedy competition for the first time next week. Since you're the master at winning these things, I wonder if you have any advice. Five minute set in the first round. Should I hit 'em with quicker jokes and one-liners only? Or ok to do longer bits (like that mom/weed one)? Any other advice?
Myq's reply:
well, since i'm also in that competition i think (NY comedy contest),
my answer depends on whether you're in my first round
jk lol
but to answer your question seriously and sincerely (or sneakily and deceptively, who can tell?),
the general advice i would give to anyone in general is to be yourself, the comic that you are at your best, doing the stuff that hopefully both you enjoy and that an audience will enjoy the most
more specifically though, to actually give more of an answer...
it's a good question, and a relevant one to someone like you who has access to material of both sorts...
i wouldn't say absolutely that you should only hit them with quicker jokes, but i will say that some people with only longer storyish bits sometimes do find themselves less fortunate in situations like this--the guy who won the seattle competition the year i did it was damonde tschritter, a strong story-teller, who did consistently very very well in the semis and finals, which were rounds of 10-12 minutes and 15-20 minutes, respectively
but i believe he Almost didn't make it out of the first round, which was 5-minute sets
in my experience, as someone who Does have mainly shorter jokes, or longer bits that are made of shorter frequent laugh lines, i've found some measure of success in contests
but it's certainly not only this type of comic or act that Can succeed in contests
baron vaughn did make it to the finals of the boston comedy festival his first year in it, and his jokes are quite elaborate and lengthy, i would say
and he did it because he was himself, and his self is Hilarious
back to specifics of your question for You--because you've got the power to hit people hard and fast, and that can be advantageous with such a short time limit, i'd say it could be a benefit to take advantage of, but again, your whole five minutes needn't be that...
you could open with two minutes of it, and then some longer stuff
or whatever other mathematical combination you like
plus a hilarious, poignant, and relevant conclusion
hope that was helpful, but not helpful enough to beat me if we end up facing each other
art fight!
Check out Myq's blog Godzillionaire.
6/5/09
Suntanning and that "healthy glow"
Interesting fact: Ms. Hawaiian Tropic 2009 is also Ms. Skin Cancer 2038.
It's weird that being tan is considered healthy since it's just a sign that you're burning your skin. "How'd you get that healthy glow?" "House fire. Third degree burns. If it wasn't for these embarrassing tan lines, I'd show you my black lung!"
And what's with these people who tan before going on vacation? Y'know, the ones who say, "I'm building a foundation." Foundation? Then before I go on vacation, I should just do three weeks of Vicodin and Ecstacy. Form a base. That way I don't scare off the locals when I get there.
It's weird that being tan is considered healthy since it's just a sign that you're burning your skin. "How'd you get that healthy glow?" "House fire. Third degree burns. If it wasn't for these embarrassing tan lines, I'd show you my black lung!"
And what's with these people who tan before going on vacation? Y'know, the ones who say, "I'm building a foundation." Foundation? Then before I go on vacation, I should just do three weeks of Vicodin and Ecstacy. Form a base. That way I don't scare off the locals when I get there.
6/4/09
1) Subscribe and 2) WatchThinkTank.com is live
You can get Sandpaper Suit delivered to you by email. One email a day, includes links from "The Pocket" too. Or here's the RSS feed if you're one of those types.
Also, just set up WatchThinkTank.com, a site for the new web series Mark and I are doing. Will keep posting 'em here at Sandpaper Suit too so not really anything special if you're a regular reader here. But if ya want to subscribe just to Think Tank and not to the rest of this site, ya can do that there.
Btw, next week's episode may be my favorite one yet. Stay tuned.
Also, just set up WatchThinkTank.com, a site for the new web series Mark and I are doing. Will keep posting 'em here at Sandpaper Suit too so not really anything special if you're a regular reader here. But if ya want to subscribe just to Think Tank and not to the rest of this site, ya can do that there.
Btw, next week's episode may be my favorite one yet. Stay tuned.
6/3/09
What's the job of a comedian?
This post from last week led to some interesting discussion about what the job of a comedian should be. Is it to entertain? To make people fell comfortable? To make them feel uncomfortable but ok with that?
In "The Making of Zach Galifianakis" [via MD], Zach says:
Playwright Noel Coward once said [via JW] this about the theater (and maybe you could substitute standup in here?):
One key factor on this: The stage of your career. When you're just starting out and making a name for yourself and trying to get paid and all the rest of it, can you really afford to be precious about your art? Can you get away with making people feel uncomfortable then? Or do you have to suck it up for a while and be a real crowd-pleaser before you get to the point where you can afford to turn people off? Except for anomalies like Andy Kaufman, maybe you need to spend years proving you can make people feel comfortable before you start making them uncomfortable.
In "The Making of Zach Galifianakis" [via MD], Zach says:
Wherever there’s something that people don’t feel comfortable talking about, that’s where the good jokes are. People might misunderstand you, but I decided, right after my show was canceled, never to dumb my material down for anybody. A bad comic follows his audience, catering to whatever they want; a good comic will always lead.
Playwright Noel Coward once said [via JW] this about the theater (and maybe you could substitute standup in here?):
I think the primary purpose of the theater is entertainment. If by any chance a playwright wishes to express a political opinion or a moral opinion or a philosophy, he must be a good enough craftsman to do it with so much spice of entertainment in it that the public gets the message without being aware of it. The moment the public sniffs propaganda, they stay away.
One key factor on this: The stage of your career. When you're just starting out and making a name for yourself and trying to get paid and all the rest of it, can you really afford to be precious about your art? Can you get away with making people feel uncomfortable then? Or do you have to suck it up for a while and be a real crowd-pleaser before you get to the point where you can afford to turn people off? Except for anomalies like Andy Kaufman, maybe you need to spend years proving you can make people feel comfortable before you start making them uncomfortable.
6/1/09
Conan's first Tonight Show from LA (with Josh Comers on staff!)
Tonight is Conan's first night at 11:30pm. Big congrats to friend and fellow NY standup Josh Comers for getting a writing gig with the show. He's now out in LA (photo from Tonight Show site) and told me in a note things are going well ("it's fun to be part of television history").
Josh was always a super writer and it's great to see him making the leap after years of hard work. I remember seeing him at a mic a few months back telling this joke: "How do you know when you're no longer paying your dues and you're just failing?" A few days after that, I remember giving him some drunken advice at a bar: "You know all those funny jokes you've written...you should tell them in a row." Shows what I know! (And also shows what a prick I am, eh?)
Anyway, before Josh left town he showed me the packet of jokes he submitted. Really great stuff in there. I guess the whole thing was a bit of a whirlwind...a current writer for Conan saw him at a show in January and told him he should submit. Josh put together a package right away. Months later, in May, he got a call and within a week or so he was hired. A few days later he was on a plane to LA.
He knew a couple of the other writers there beforehand which probably helped, but the real ace up his sleeve: He had been writing late night monologue jokes every day for a year at a "secret" blog that no one knew about. So he had a huge supply of jokes to pick from. Looking through the packet, you could see the polish. I was really impressed. Sharp, funny jokes that you could totally see coming out of Conan's mouth.
Monologue-style jokes are a strange breed. You've got to be clever yet still use references that everyone's gonna get. That's why the targets are always the same couple of dozen people/topics. Josh managed to hit those topics without seeming stale, not an easy thing to do. I think he'll do well there.
Conan's been doing a ton of press leading up to his debut and this long piece in the Times is the best one I read. Here he talks about the link between music and comedy (something I've discussed here before too):
Lorne Michaels on what makes a good host:
Reminds me of an episode of Make 'Em Laugh I watched recently where Joan Rivers gives two reasons why Johnny was such a great host: 1) He was a great listener who followed along and wasn't a slave to a list of questions and 2) He was the perfect straight man because he wanted you to get the laughs.
Conan on all the variables that come along with doing comedy:
All those variables are what make standup so fascinating. So many things play a role: the room, the PA, the crowd, the host, your confidence, the placement of each word, little variations in timing, etc. It feels almost impossible to come up with a fixed formula because there are so many moving parts. But yeah, when you hit it and really lock in, there's nothing quite like it.
Josh was always a super writer and it's great to see him making the leap after years of hard work. I remember seeing him at a mic a few months back telling this joke: "How do you know when you're no longer paying your dues and you're just failing?" A few days after that, I remember giving him some drunken advice at a bar: "You know all those funny jokes you've written...you should tell them in a row." Shows what I know! (And also shows what a prick I am, eh?)
Anyway, before Josh left town he showed me the packet of jokes he submitted. Really great stuff in there. I guess the whole thing was a bit of a whirlwind...a current writer for Conan saw him at a show in January and told him he should submit. Josh put together a package right away. Months later, in May, he got a call and within a week or so he was hired. A few days later he was on a plane to LA.
He knew a couple of the other writers there beforehand which probably helped, but the real ace up his sleeve: He had been writing late night monologue jokes every day for a year at a "secret" blog that no one knew about. So he had a huge supply of jokes to pick from. Looking through the packet, you could see the polish. I was really impressed. Sharp, funny jokes that you could totally see coming out of Conan's mouth.
Monologue-style jokes are a strange breed. You've got to be clever yet still use references that everyone's gonna get. That's why the targets are always the same couple of dozen people/topics. Josh managed to hit those topics without seeming stale, not an easy thing to do. I think he'll do well there.
Conan's been doing a ton of press leading up to his debut and this long piece in the Times is the best one I read. Here he talks about the link between music and comedy (something I've discussed here before too):
Dressed for the show in a suit and tie, and then settled behind the drum kit of the “Late Night” band, the Max Weinberg Seven. O’Brien began drumming as the band played “On the Road Again.” “Music and comedy are so linked,” O’Brien said earlier, as he walked up and down the halls of his offices, playing one of his many guitars. “The rhythm of comedy is connected to the rhythm of music. They’re both about creating tension and knowing when to let it go. I’m always surprised when somebody funny is not musical.” O’Brien smiled. “And, you know, Johnny loved to play the drums.”
Lorne Michaels on what makes a good host:
I liked that Conan was young, intelligent and that he had, like Johnny Carson, good manners. A good host always obeys the rules of hospitality, and Conan has an essential decency and work ethic that were obvious from the start.
Reminds me of an episode of Make 'Em Laugh I watched recently where Joan Rivers gives two reasons why Johnny was such a great host: 1) He was a great listener who followed along and wasn't a slave to a list of questions and 2) He was the perfect straight man because he wanted you to get the laughs.
Conan on all the variables that come along with doing comedy:
“The thing that saved my life was that I didn’t really know what I was in for,” O’Brien said, an hour before taping his last show. “If they had explained to me exactly what was involved, I might have run. But I did not want to fail. And now I’m addicted to the feeling of what it’s like to do a good show. There are 35 variables every night — what comedy do we have? What’s the audience like? Who are the guests? What time of year is it? What’s my mood? You need 15 cherries to line up to pay out the jackpot. And, every now and then, the stars align. And you keep chasing after that feeling.”
All those variables are what make standup so fascinating. So many things play a role: the room, the PA, the crowd, the host, your confidence, the placement of each word, little variations in timing, etc. It feels almost impossible to come up with a fixed formula because there are so many moving parts. But yeah, when you hit it and really lock in, there's nothing quite like it.
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