A guest post from RG Daniels, producer of Sunday Night Standup at Three of Cups:
A lot of young comedians seem to believe there is a stigma attached to going up 1st on a show. I've heard everything about the 1st spot from being the "weakest link" to "taking a bullet". Truth is, it's a spot and it should be treated as such an opportunity.
As a producer of a weekly show I can honestly say the 1st spot is generally reserved for a younger comedian to prove him/herself or for a more established act to shake the room up right away (this of course, barring any circumstance where a comedian needs to leave early). Good producing requires you to consider every spot and to trust the performer to do their job. The momentum of a show is only as good as it's lineup and if your lineup is incomplete the show will suffer.
Some producers will purposely put a comic up 1st to get their spot out of the way. That is bad producing. If you care about the show, then you will consider each performer's act and know where to place them. If the energy of the room has not been established up top, that falls on the MC, in which case even more motivation for the 1st comic to "own" that spot.
Sure, the middle/close of a show is more desirable. But if your act is funny and your jokes are proven then there are no excuses. You are the comedian. You are a reflection of yourself, ultimately, and NOT a reflection of the entire show (that's the producer).
The next time you are upset about being asked to go up 1st consider the thousands of other comedians who would love to have that spot.
3/10/10
3/8/10
Who are you wearing?
Joan Rivers is head cop on E! Entertainment’s “Fashion Police.” How did we get to a place where the person who judges other people's appearances is Joan Rivers?
"Hmm, how does this dress look?" "Let's ask this robot mask made out of stretched skin. She clearly knows what looks good!"
Just saying: People who live in glass faces shouldn't throw stones.
"Hmm, how does this dress look?" "Let's ask this robot mask made out of stretched skin. She clearly knows what looks good!"
Just saying: People who live in glass faces shouldn't throw stones.
3/5/10
The B-52s, Lost, Haiti, pilgrims, pirates, and Mariah
You can follow me at Twitter: twitter.com/mattruby.
You'll get to read stuff like this:
Whenever I hear the B-52's, I start to think, "Hey, these guys aren't that bad." And then Fred Schneider starts singing.
My fave episode of LOST: The one where the writers have no idea what the story arc is for the entire series and cover it up w/ flashbacks!
Ah jeez. Can't afford $10 for Haiti text I sent. Spent it on an iPhone app where I pretend to deliver bags of rice to Haitian refugees.
Did you hear about the new Korean band that sounds just like Hanson? Their hit song is "BibiMMMbop."
[Screw you, I like that one.]
Just took a cross country flight that did NOT show an episode of "Two and a Half Men." I didn't realize that was possible.
It's pretty great that we now pretend like Mariah Carey was never crazy.
Don't get the words epitaph and epithet confused. Unfortunate gravestones will ensue.
I've noticed the less likely a girl is to sleep with you, the more likely she is to ask you to watch her purse.
Late night E train is a real humdinger. Got on it last night and I felt bad for NOT being homeless.
I don't get fancy glass bongs. Last thing I want is something really expensive, really fragile, and that I use EXCLUSIVELY when I'm on drugs.
Her: "I hooked up with [name of celeb]." Me: "I don't know who that is." Her [disappointed]: "Oh."
The only difference between the pilgrims and pirates is motive.
You'll get to read stuff like this:
Whenever I hear the B-52's, I start to think, "Hey, these guys aren't that bad." And then Fred Schneider starts singing.
My fave episode of LOST: The one where the writers have no idea what the story arc is for the entire series and cover it up w/ flashbacks!
Ah jeez. Can't afford $10 for Haiti text I sent. Spent it on an iPhone app where I pretend to deliver bags of rice to Haitian refugees.
Did you hear about the new Korean band that sounds just like Hanson? Their hit song is "BibiMMMbop."
[Screw you, I like that one.]
Just took a cross country flight that did NOT show an episode of "Two and a Half Men." I didn't realize that was possible.
It's pretty great that we now pretend like Mariah Carey was never crazy.
Don't get the words epitaph and epithet confused. Unfortunate gravestones will ensue.
I've noticed the less likely a girl is to sleep with you, the more likely she is to ask you to watch her purse.
Late night E train is a real humdinger. Got on it last night and I felt bad for NOT being homeless.
I don't get fancy glass bongs. Last thing I want is something really expensive, really fragile, and that I use EXCLUSIVELY when I'm on drugs.
Her: "I hooked up with [name of celeb]." Me: "I don't know who that is." Her [disappointed]: "Oh."
The only difference between the pilgrims and pirates is motive.
3/4/10
Paul F. Tompkins: "You provide the audience, I’ll provide the show"
Want to bring Paul F. Tompkins to New York City? Sign up for this Facebook group. If 300 people sign up, he'll book a show here. That would be fun since he's hilarious.
He's already done this "Tompkins 300" approach in a few other places. PFT explains how it all began:
Pretty great idea.
Gotta imagine the crowds at these shows will be really enthusiastic too. I think part of what made that CK at Comix show last year so great was that it was announced at the last minute so the crowd was filled with people who follow him on Twitter. Get a room full of superfans together and you're set up for a fun time.
Maybe this is how everyone will do it in the future? (Well, everyone who's already managed to get thousands of fans in the first place.)
He's already done this "Tompkins 300" approach in a few other places. PFT explains how it all began:
“You get three hundred people to say they’ll come see me in Toronto and I’ll go to Toronto.”
So this enterprising young man, comedian Bob Kerr, started a Facebook group pithily entitled, “Bring Paul F. Tompkins to Toronto!” He asked for people to join the group if they were committed to seeing me perform. He asked that folks not join for “support,” that they not join just because they like joining groups, but that they only join if they were serious about wanting to come see me live in Toronto. Bob said, “You should only join if you’re actually going to be there.”
Within a few weeks, the group’s ranks had swelled to 305. I checked it out. It seemed legit! I booked a show.
A couple months later, I was in Toronto, performing two sold out shows on a Sunday night for two smart, respectful, appreciative audiences. These people didn’t come to “party.” They came to see a show. It was a magical night for me.
And it tasted like more.
I’ve become fed up with the comedy club system for reasons that would cause you to self-murder should I elaborate. I don’t want that to happen. I have long thought, There’s got to be a better way than this. But I had no idea what that way could be until my experience in Toronto.
So here it is: you provide the audience, I’ll provide the show.
Pretty great idea.
Gotta imagine the crowds at these shows will be really enthusiastic too. I think part of what made that CK at Comix show last year so great was that it was announced at the last minute so the crowd was filled with people who follow him on Twitter. Get a room full of superfans together and you're set up for a fun time.
Maybe this is how everyone will do it in the future? (Well, everyone who's already managed to get thousands of fans in the first place.)
3/3/10
Soupy
This Friday night (3/5) we've got:
Nick Vatterot
Joe Mande
Barry Rothbart
Danny Lobell
HOT SOUP!
Every Friday
Doors at 7:30pm and showtime at 8pm
FREE SHOW
O'Hanlon's
349 E 14th St between 1st and 2nd Ave.
Produced by Matt Ruby, Mark Normand, Andy Haynes, and David Cope
Nick Vatterot
Joe Mande
Barry Rothbart
Danny Lobell
HOT SOUP!
Every Friday
Doors at 7:30pm and showtime at 8pm
FREE SHOW
O'Hanlon's
349 E 14th St between 1st and 2nd Ave.
Produced by Matt Ruby, Mark Normand, Andy Haynes, and David Cope
3/1/10
The "right" way to get booked
"He got booked on it the right way." That's what Mark said about a friend of ours getting a spot on a hot show which typically has a tight booking policy.
What he meant by it: This comic performed at another show with one of the producers of the hot show. He had a great set and the producer offered him a spot a few weeks later. That's the "right" way to get booked — someone sees you do well and invites you to perform.
The annoying thing about that: It relies a lot on luck. A certain person needs to be in a certain room at a certain time. So you can wind up waiting months or even years to get on a show.
So what's the wrong way? To hassle the producer(s) of a show you want to do. To keep bugging them via email. To see 'em out and say, "Why haven't you booked me yet?" To keep showing up at the show and expecting that to mean you'll get booked. To assume that if you book 'em on your show, they'll automatically book you on theirs. Etc.
That's not to say you can't ever do any of those "wrong way" things. I think it's just the expectation thing. Don't be upset if it doesn't happen. Like sometimes I'll send an email expressing interest in doing a show. That's a bit "wrong way." But I'll send one and then that's it. I feel like that's ok. Just expressing interest and getting my name in the mix. But I'm not upset if it doesn't happen.
OK, I'm a little upset. But I realize that sometimes these things take time. In the meanwhile, I'll just keep getting better. Then when I do get it, I'll be even more ready to kick ass on that show.
Sure, it can be frustrating when you're not getting the stage time ya want. But when ya start to feel like people owe you something or you get offended when stuff doesn't happen, it's a bad path.
What he meant by it: This comic performed at another show with one of the producers of the hot show. He had a great set and the producer offered him a spot a few weeks later. That's the "right" way to get booked — someone sees you do well and invites you to perform.
The annoying thing about that: It relies a lot on luck. A certain person needs to be in a certain room at a certain time. So you can wind up waiting months or even years to get on a show.
So what's the wrong way? To hassle the producer(s) of a show you want to do. To keep bugging them via email. To see 'em out and say, "Why haven't you booked me yet?" To keep showing up at the show and expecting that to mean you'll get booked. To assume that if you book 'em on your show, they'll automatically book you on theirs. Etc.
That's not to say you can't ever do any of those "wrong way" things. I think it's just the expectation thing. Don't be upset if it doesn't happen. Like sometimes I'll send an email expressing interest in doing a show. That's a bit "wrong way." But I'll send one and then that's it. I feel like that's ok. Just expressing interest and getting my name in the mix. But I'm not upset if it doesn't happen.
OK, I'm a little upset. But I realize that sometimes these things take time. In the meanwhile, I'll just keep getting better. Then when I do get it, I'll be even more ready to kick ass on that show.
Sure, it can be frustrating when you're not getting the stage time ya want. But when ya start to feel like people owe you something or you get offended when stuff doesn't happen, it's a bad path.
2/26/10
My two fave old school 8x10s at Comedy Store La Jolla
Richard Lewis. Who knew he looked like this?
The Unknown Comic. Who knew he looked like this?
2/25/10
NYC shows this weekend: Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here
FRI (2/26): HOT SOUP
8:00pm
O'Hanlon's Bar - 349 E 14th St at 1st avenue.
Hot Soup is a FREE weekly standup comedy showcase every Friday in the East Village. Doors at 7:30pm and showtime at 8pm. It's produced by David Cope, Andy Haynes, Mark Normand, and Matt Ruby.
This week:
Julian McCullough
Roger Hailes
Tom Shillue
Dan Carroll
SAT (2/27): WE'RE ALL FRIENDS HERE
8:00pm
The Creek and the Cave
10-93 Jackson Ave.
Long Island City, NY
Wooooeeee! We are back for another show but this time we've got a hell of a theme! Since it's Black History Month and we just had Valentine's Day. We're doing a couples show with one black person!! You thought it got personal before, now it's going to be a couple on stage getting interviewed about all their relationship peccadilloes. Think Jerry Springer of the 'alt' scene.
Here are the couples:
Abbi Crutchfield and Luke Thayer (Nice couple)
Sean O'Connor and Nicolia Demas (Yowsa!)
John and Molly Knefel (what?)
8:00pm
O'Hanlon's Bar - 349 E 14th St at 1st avenue.
Hot Soup is a FREE weekly standup comedy showcase every Friday in the East Village. Doors at 7:30pm and showtime at 8pm. It's produced by David Cope, Andy Haynes, Mark Normand, and Matt Ruby.
This week:
Julian McCullough
Roger Hailes
Tom Shillue
Dan Carroll
SAT (2/27): WE'RE ALL FRIENDS HERE
8:00pm
The Creek and the Cave
10-93 Jackson Ave.
Long Island City, NY
Wooooeeee! We are back for another show but this time we've got a hell of a theme! Since it's Black History Month and we just had Valentine's Day. We're doing a couples show with one black person!! You thought it got personal before, now it's going to be a couple on stage getting interviewed about all their relationship peccadilloes. Think Jerry Springer of the 'alt' scene.
Here are the couples:
Abbi Crutchfield and Luke Thayer (Nice couple)
Sean O'Connor and Nicolia Demas (Yowsa!)
John and Molly Knefel (what?)
2/24/10
Great comedians you don't see at UCB
Speaking of comedy cliques, CK submitted his latest film to the Toronto Film Festival. The response, according to CK:
Silly. Kinda indicative of what's lame about some alt comedy fans. They wet their pants over anyone who's a regular at UCB or mentioned at Brooklyn Vegan or on AST's top 20 list, but they ignore funnier guys that don't work the alt circle.
If I was making a list of non-alt-sceners who I think are great, I'd start with: Bill Burr, Doug Stanhope, Pat Dixon, Greg Giraldo, Brian Regan, Daniel Tosh, and Nick Griffin.
“The guy wrote back something like, ‘I prefer comedians like David Cross.’ It’s like, ‘Hmm, if he’s not wearing horn-rimmed glasses, I’m not into it.’”
Silly. Kinda indicative of what's lame about some alt comedy fans. They wet their pants over anyone who's a regular at UCB or mentioned at Brooklyn Vegan or on AST's top 20 list, but they ignore funnier guys that don't work the alt circle.
If I was making a list of non-alt-sceners who I think are great, I'd start with: Bill Burr, Doug Stanhope, Pat Dixon, Greg Giraldo, Brian Regan, Daniel Tosh, and Nick Griffin.
2/23/10
A lesson in confidence and awareness from freestyle rap battles
A guest post from Mike Lawrence:
I had a big audition recently and was listening to Eminem's "Lose Yourself" (It works) and was fascinated by the whole idea of freestyle rap battles. I started to look some clips up on Youtube and what I saw was pretty amazing. The amount of creativity used by some of the rappers was downright inspiring. The way they'd use everything in the room to take a guy out while still keeping it in a rap structure. It's like in stand-up how you can riff using everything but it still has to be funny.
Here's a good example from one of the most impressive guys I saw, Iron King Solomon-
Solomon clearly wins this battle. He completely dismantles Flamez in every way. He uses all sorts of techniques (Lookalike jokes, jokes about his clothes, even breaking the fourth wall). He's completely aware of everything around him while and most of what he's saying works perfectly in the moment while Flamez' raps are generic and could be used anywhere. Nothing he says is specific at all.
I also like how in freestyle rapping you have to hit hard and keep hitting. It's a competition where if you show any lack of confidence, you're done, which is essentially how Jin beats Hassan in this battle
Hassan started off strong, but just ran out of steam. He wasn't fast enough and whatever he was rapping, he wasn't able to build on, where the truly great rappers will say something and just keep expounding on it.
After watching a lot of these videos I felt excited and recharged to hit the stage and use some of the skills of confidence and awareness when there's a situation I have to address like a sour room or a heckler. Of course I won't actually rap. Leave that to the professionals.
I had a big audition recently and was listening to Eminem's "Lose Yourself" (It works) and was fascinated by the whole idea of freestyle rap battles. I started to look some clips up on Youtube and what I saw was pretty amazing. The amount of creativity used by some of the rappers was downright inspiring. The way they'd use everything in the room to take a guy out while still keeping it in a rap structure. It's like in stand-up how you can riff using everything but it still has to be funny.
Here's a good example from one of the most impressive guys I saw, Iron King Solomon-
Solomon clearly wins this battle. He completely dismantles Flamez in every way. He uses all sorts of techniques (Lookalike jokes, jokes about his clothes, even breaking the fourth wall). He's completely aware of everything around him while and most of what he's saying works perfectly in the moment while Flamez' raps are generic and could be used anywhere. Nothing he says is specific at all.
I also like how in freestyle rapping you have to hit hard and keep hitting. It's a competition where if you show any lack of confidence, you're done, which is essentially how Jin beats Hassan in this battle
Hassan started off strong, but just ran out of steam. He wasn't fast enough and whatever he was rapping, he wasn't able to build on, where the truly great rappers will say something and just keep expounding on it.
After watching a lot of these videos I felt excited and recharged to hit the stage and use some of the skills of confidence and awareness when there's a situation I have to address like a sour room or a heckler. Of course I won't actually rap. Leave that to the professionals.
2/22/10
A night of comedy in San Diego
I'm out in San Diego. Did a show in Ocean Beach on Friday night. What happens when I do an out of town show and don't know anybody there? I sit in the back and get drunk while posting messages at twitter.com/mattruby. In case ya missed, here's the rundown (click photos for larger versions):
6:02 PM Feb 19th
whoever named this hood "Ocean Beach" was not exceptionally creative. It is purty though.
6:31 PM Feb 19th
To borrow the lingo of @robcantrell, I just fucked up a fish taco. Damn good. Mahi!
6:33 PM Feb 19th
This seems like a good neighborhood to get 1) a tattoo or 2) in a fistfight. Esp considering the bouncer is drunkest guy in the bar.
7:57 PM Feb 19th
I'm not sure the name of this place would fly in NYC.
7:59 PM Feb 19th
At show and there's a guy wearing a hoodie and a tie. I really hope he is a comic.
[He was!]
8:12 PM Feb 19th
Biggest laugh of the night so far = some joke about how marines always marry Filipino chicks. Crowd loved it! San Diego, you are adorable.
8:15 PM Feb 19th
Coming up after comedy: Bands who can't spell...so u *know* they rock. ...Totalley awesum!
9:31 PM Feb 19th
This room mutated from sour to hot to rowdy drunk. Fun time though. How it looked after 2.5 hrs:
I did Comedy Store in La Jolla last night which was also very fun. Another looooong show though. (What is it with Cali and these three hours shows?)
Other upcoming shows out here and then back in NYC this weekend:
Tue 2/23 9:00pm Comedy Night with Mal Hall @ Lestat's (SD)
Wed 2/24 8:00pm The Comedy Store La Jolla (SD)
Thu 2/25 8:00pm The Comedy Store La Jolla (SD)
Fri 2/26 8:00pm Hot Soup @ O'Hanlon's (NYC)
Sat 2/27 8:00pm We're All Friends Here @ The Creek (NYC)
6:02 PM Feb 19th
whoever named this hood "Ocean Beach" was not exceptionally creative. It is purty though.
6:31 PM Feb 19th
To borrow the lingo of @robcantrell, I just fucked up a fish taco. Damn good. Mahi!
6:33 PM Feb 19th
This seems like a good neighborhood to get 1) a tattoo or 2) in a fistfight. Esp considering the bouncer is drunkest guy in the bar.
7:57 PM Feb 19th
I'm not sure the name of this place would fly in NYC.
7:59 PM Feb 19th
At show and there's a guy wearing a hoodie and a tie. I really hope he is a comic.
[He was!]
8:12 PM Feb 19th
Biggest laugh of the night so far = some joke about how marines always marry Filipino chicks. Crowd loved it! San Diego, you are adorable.
8:15 PM Feb 19th
Coming up after comedy: Bands who can't spell...so u *know* they rock. ...Totalley awesum!
9:31 PM Feb 19th
This room mutated from sour to hot to rowdy drunk. Fun time though. How it looked after 2.5 hrs:
I did Comedy Store in La Jolla last night which was also very fun. Another looooong show though. (What is it with Cali and these three hours shows?)
Other upcoming shows out here and then back in NYC this weekend:
Tue 2/23 9:00pm Comedy Night with Mal Hall @ Lestat's (SD)
Wed 2/24 8:00pm The Comedy Store La Jolla (SD)
Thu 2/25 8:00pm The Comedy Store La Jolla (SD)
Fri 2/26 8:00pm Hot Soup @ O'Hanlon's (NYC)
Sat 2/27 8:00pm We're All Friends Here @ The Creek (NYC)
2/19/10
Special Saturday edition of HOT SOUP this week
HOT SOUP
8pm on SAT (2/20) for this week only!
O'Hanlon's Bar - 349 E 14th St at 1st avenue.
Mark's writeup:
This week:
Jared Logan
Dan St. Germain
Brooke Van Poppelen
Phil Hanley
I won't be there but if you're in the San Diego area you can catch me tonight (2/19) at Ocean Beach Comedy at Winston's.
8pm on SAT (2/20) for this week only!
O'Hanlon's Bar - 349 E 14th St at 1st avenue.
Mark's writeup:
This is a very special show! It's David Cope's bday!!!! I know, you thought he didn't age? Me too! But he does and he's celebrating his birthday at O'Hanlons at Hot Soup! Here's the catch because of his bday, we're moving the show to Saturday the 20th!! You gotta come out and poke David's face to see if he's an android. Drinks on Cope!!
This week:
Jared Logan
Dan St. Germain
Brooke Van Poppelen
Phil Hanley
I won't be there but if you're in the San Diego area you can catch me tonight (2/19) at Ocean Beach Comedy at Winston's.
2/18/10
CK at Sundance: "As long as it feels like a real thought that I can believe in and defend, I go ahead and say it"
Some cool clips of CK doing Q&A at Sundance 2010 (where his new standup movie debuted).
Above is his intro to the movie and some questions afterwards. Good quote from about 3min in:
In this part (at 2:30 in or so), someone asks Louis if he's ever offended by his own jokes. A: Yeah, by jokes that are too easy.
I like that phrase "joke technology." How I interpret it: The way you can get a laugh from a certain structure or misdirection, but it feels hollow because there's no real feeling there.
In this last clip, he ends by doing a bit in progress that wonders if maybe we shouldn't get so mad at kid fuckers. Great. [Thx NC]
Above is his intro to the movie and some questions afterwards. Good quote from about 3min in:
I don't get scared to say anything anymore. As long as it feels real to me. As long as it feels like a real thought that I can believe in and defend, I go ahead and say it. It doesn't occur to me anymore that it's not a good idea as long as I really do think it.
In this part (at 2:30 in or so), someone asks Louis if he's ever offended by his own jokes. A: Yeah, by jokes that are too easy.
There are bits that I have done that have killed that I stopped doing because I don't like them. They don't feel real. I just used "joke technology"...I hate how easily they work and how predictable they are. So I stopped doing them.
I like that phrase "joke technology." How I interpret it: The way you can get a laugh from a certain structure or misdirection, but it feels hollow because there's no real feeling there.
In this last clip, he ends by doing a bit in progress that wonders if maybe we shouldn't get so mad at kid fuckers. Great. [Thx NC]
2/17/10
Looking for shows to do in San Diego next week
Hey, kinda last minute but I'm gonna be in San Diego from 2/19 - 2/26. Anyone got a lead for show(s) to do while I'm out there? If so, send me an email: matt@mruby.com. Thanks much.
New We're All Friends Here podcast is up (Morril, Recine, and Diflo)
Latest edition of the podcast is alive over at Breakthru Radio: BTR episode #4: Sam Morril, Mike Recine, and Mick Diflo. Plus you'll get to hear what Mark sounds like after being stuck at JFK for two days.
Listen to previous episodes and subscribe at the podcast page.
Over at AST, Becca writes:
My tip: Don't be afraid to listen to the comics ya don't know too. Sometimes the best interviews are with people you don't know or wouldn't expect. Those demons pop up in some surpising places.
Next show will be taped live on Sat Feb 27 at The Creek at 8pm. Special COUPLES edition with: Newlyweds Luke Thayer and Abbi Crutchfield, siblings John and Molly Knefel, and everyone's favorite on-again-off-again couple Sean O'Connor and Nicolia Demas! Jesus.
Listen to previous episodes and subscribe at the podcast page.
Over at AST, Becca writes:
I REALLY REALLY like what I've heard so far of this podcast. I haven't listened to these in order, but rather skipped around and listened to the segments with comedians I know and enjoy.
My tip: Don't be afraid to listen to the comics ya don't know too. Sometimes the best interviews are with people you don't know or wouldn't expect. Those demons pop up in some surpising places.
Next show will be taped live on Sat Feb 27 at The Creek at 8pm. Special COUPLES edition with: Newlyweds Luke Thayer and Abbi Crutchfield, siblings John and Molly Knefel, and everyone's favorite on-again-off-again couple Sean O'Connor and Nicolia Demas! Jesus.
2/16/10
Worst intro ever?
I was brought up with a staggeringly bad intro at an out of town show recently. Got it on tape, here's the actual transcript of EXACTLY what the host said before bringing me to the stage:
Couldn't believe it. I got up and felt like I had to say something in response. So I went, "Ah, the old dead friend intro again." Silence.
Trying to think of what could've been a worse intro. Maybe: "I've been thinking a lot lately about how I was molested. And how I love abortions. And you guys see all these spiders too, right? Kill the Jews! Here he is: Matt Ruby!!!"
The first rule of comedy is to not dig a hole, when you're the MC, is to not dig a hole for the comic who's coming up. Ya wanna bring it up. But we're all friends, we've all sort of bonded. So I wanna bring it up and everything like that.
I haven't done comedy in a while. I took like six months off. [To show producer in the back] Remember what happened? [Show producer yells out: "Yeah, your friend died."]
Yeah, my buddy, I don't know if you heard about it. Lt. Col. [his name], a good friend of mine, was killed in Afghanistan by an IED and he's the husband of my really good friend [gives her name]. Killed in Afghanistan. [Long pause.]
Coming to the stage now from New York City. [Laughs] Wouldn't that be great? Wouldn't that be awesome? I'm kidding. Stop it. [Looks at me.] He's like, "No, no, no. No!" [Makes stretching sign with hands.]
[Note: He was NOT kidding about the dead friend. He was kidding about bringing me up after saying that. But then he did it anyway!]
This guy's funny. You guys are gonna love him. Matt Ruby.
Couldn't believe it. I got up and felt like I had to say something in response. So I went, "Ah, the old dead friend intro again." Silence.
Trying to think of what could've been a worse intro. Maybe: "I've been thinking a lot lately about how I was molested. And how I love abortions. And you guys see all these spiders too, right? Kill the Jews! Here he is: Matt Ruby!!!"
2/15/10
Don't vote for me in this online contest
Getting a flood of "vote for me" emails and Facebook groups from comedians lately. Heck, I've even done it before.
But it's starting to feel like this "online comedy voting" thing is the digital equivalent of a bringer show. Like each one of these contests is nothing but a con that promises "exposure" but is really there just to get people to go to the site of whoever is producing it.
Good PR for that site/brand/club/network/whatever, but what's actually being measured by this "contest"? How many online friends a comic has? Or whether they can figure out a way to hack the voting?
Not THAT big a deal but still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Comics are so desperate to get seen that we're easy marks for people who want to use that desperation to their own ends.
But I guess it's like bringer shows. If people go for it, that's their business. Ya can't rape the willing.
(Btw, I used that phrase recently and someone thought I said "can't rape the willies" — which I liked because it made me think that you are specifically NOT allowed to rape Willie Nelson, former Pittsburgh Pirate Willie Stargell, Charles in Charge's Willie Aames, etc.)
Don't even think about it.
But it's starting to feel like this "online comedy voting" thing is the digital equivalent of a bringer show. Like each one of these contests is nothing but a con that promises "exposure" but is really there just to get people to go to the site of whoever is producing it.
Good PR for that site/brand/club/network/whatever, but what's actually being measured by this "contest"? How many online friends a comic has? Or whether they can figure out a way to hack the voting?
Not THAT big a deal but still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Comics are so desperate to get seen that we're easy marks for people who want to use that desperation to their own ends.
But I guess it's like bringer shows. If people go for it, that's their business. Ya can't rape the willing.
(Btw, I used that phrase recently and someone thought I said "can't rape the willies" — which I liked because it made me think that you are specifically NOT allowed to rape Willie Nelson, former Pittsburgh Pirate Willie Stargell, Charles in Charge's Willie Aames, etc.)
Don't even think about it.
2/11/10
Should you expect comics you book to draw a crowd?
A reader asks:
Are you a club bringing in a big name guy? Then sure, you can expect him to have a decent draw (presumably in proportion to how much ya pay him). But for the kinda shows I do, I think it's the job of the producer to get people in the room. I don't think you should expect comedians you book to draw people (unless you explain that when you ask them to do the show).
Now you can encourage comics to bring friends and ask them to promote the show online or at Facebook. But I don't think you should be upset if they fail to bring anyone out. And that's especially true if that person runs their own show (it's tough enough to promote your own show, much less other people's shows you're on too).
If you can't fill your room consistently, get a smaller room. And if you can't do that, maybe you're better off hosting a mic where you'll (hopefully) get other comics to show up at least.
Many people book performers hoping for them to have a decent draw. For instance, if you book five comedians, you generally expect each to bring around five fans so you can have a nice show with 20 to 30 audience members.
But at some point, a performer's doing a show each night (or even multiple shows), so are they still expected to draw a crowd to every one of their performances? How do you handle this, as both someone who books variety shows and also as someone who performs at many shows?
Are you a club bringing in a big name guy? Then sure, you can expect him to have a decent draw (presumably in proportion to how much ya pay him). But for the kinda shows I do, I think it's the job of the producer to get people in the room. I don't think you should expect comedians you book to draw people (unless you explain that when you ask them to do the show).
Now you can encourage comics to bring friends and ask them to promote the show online or at Facebook. But I don't think you should be upset if they fail to bring anyone out. And that's especially true if that person runs their own show (it's tough enough to promote your own show, much less other people's shows you're on too).
If you can't fill your room consistently, get a smaller room. And if you can't do that, maybe you're better off hosting a mic where you'll (hopefully) get other comics to show up at least.
2/10/10
Snow, Valentine's, and Soup
Are you ready for the blizzard...of comedy we will deliver on Friday night? See what I did there? The 'ol misdirection. You thought I was gonna say something about snow. I mean actual snow. Not cocaine. I think snow is what they call cocaine on Craigslist. Not sure 'cuz I don't use it. Cocaine, I mean. I use Craigslist all the time. How else would I find my missed connections? Like this: "You: Drug dealer supposed to deliver my cocaine..." Ah, jeez. Now I've blown my cover.
But really, I don't use that stuff. I'm very sensitive to speedy things. Coffee at dinner keeps me up all night. One Vodka Red Bull and my heart starts doing weird things and then I wake up the next morning at 6am in a tizzy. And I don't even know what a tizzy is. Dictionary.com to the rescue: A tizzy is "a dither." Gee, thanks for the help. So yeah, I wake up in a dither. There ya go.
It's Valentine's Day soon. Fun story: My mom and dad met on a blind date. They were set up by my mom's mom. She met my dad and told him, "You should really meet my daughter. She's learning how to type and she's seeing a therapist." Well. That's what is known as a soft sell. My dad went for it though. Hey, what man doesn't want a woman who's going crazy at 85 words per minute? But it all worked out and that's how ya got me and the rest is Black History Month!
Speaking of history, we're gonna make some this Friday night at the big Hot Soup show. That's Friday 2/12. I'm hosting. Gonna be a fun one. Guests:
Joe Derosa (Comedy Central Presents)
Joe List (Liva at Gotham)
Katie Crown (Toronto, Comedians Of Comedy Tour)
Adam-Clayton Holland (Denver)
Josh Gondelman (Boston)
O'Hanlon's Bar - 349 E 14th St at 1st avenue. Doors at 7:30pm, showtime at 8pm. If ya don't know, Hot Soup is a FREE weekly standup comedy showcase every Friday in the East Village. Doors at 7:30pm and showtime at 8pm. It's produced by David Cope, Andy Haynes, Mark Normand, and Matt Ruby.
P.S. Next We're All Friends Here will be Saturday, Feb 27 at The Creek in LIC (8 pm). Special COUPLES EDITION! Stay tuned for details.
But really, I don't use that stuff. I'm very sensitive to speedy things. Coffee at dinner keeps me up all night. One Vodka Red Bull and my heart starts doing weird things and then I wake up the next morning at 6am in a tizzy. And I don't even know what a tizzy is. Dictionary.com to the rescue: A tizzy is "a dither." Gee, thanks for the help. So yeah, I wake up in a dither. There ya go.
It's Valentine's Day soon. Fun story: My mom and dad met on a blind date. They were set up by my mom's mom. She met my dad and told him, "You should really meet my daughter. She's learning how to type and she's seeing a therapist." Well. That's what is known as a soft sell. My dad went for it though. Hey, what man doesn't want a woman who's going crazy at 85 words per minute? But it all worked out and that's how ya got me and the rest is Black History Month!
Speaking of history, we're gonna make some this Friday night at the big Hot Soup show. That's Friday 2/12. I'm hosting. Gonna be a fun one. Guests:
Joe Derosa (Comedy Central Presents)
Joe List (Liva at Gotham)
Katie Crown (Toronto, Comedians Of Comedy Tour)
Adam-Clayton Holland (Denver)
Josh Gondelman (Boston)
O'Hanlon's Bar - 349 E 14th St at 1st avenue. Doors at 7:30pm, showtime at 8pm. If ya don't know, Hot Soup is a FREE weekly standup comedy showcase every Friday in the East Village. Doors at 7:30pm and showtime at 8pm. It's produced by David Cope, Andy Haynes, Mark Normand, and Matt Ruby.
P.S. Next We're All Friends Here will be Saturday, Feb 27 at The Creek in LIC (8 pm). Special COUPLES EDITION! Stay tuned for details.
2/9/10
"The deeper a thing is, the more interesting it is"
Physicist Richard Feynman tries to explain to a non-scientist just how difficult it can be to answer certain questions in lay terms. He explains what happens when you keep asking, "Why?"
"The deeper a thing is, the more interesting it is." Love that. Actually, Feynman's answer reminded me of this:
Asking "why?" a lot is also a popular technique in the biz world: 5 Whys is a theory that you should ask why at least five times to find out the root cause of a problem. ("If you don't ask the right questions, you don't get the right answers.)
Toyota has used this approach for years too: "By repeating why five times, the nature of the problem as well as its solution becomes clear." (Maybe Toyota isn't the best example to use right now as a demonstration of successful problem solving, eh?)
Back to standup: The more you ask "Why?", the deeper and more interesting your bits will be. Why does this matter? Because you want to be interesting on stage. Why? Because then people will pay more attention to you. Why? Because you're offering them something that not a lot of comics give them. Why? Because you're not just talking about silly shit, you're talking about stuff that matters. Why? Because...ah, fuck it.
"The deeper a thing is, the more interesting it is." Love that. Actually, Feynman's answer reminded me of this:
Asking "why?" a lot is also a popular technique in the biz world: 5 Whys is a theory that you should ask why at least five times to find out the root cause of a problem. ("If you don't ask the right questions, you don't get the right answers.)
Toyota has used this approach for years too: "By repeating why five times, the nature of the problem as well as its solution becomes clear." (Maybe Toyota isn't the best example to use right now as a demonstration of successful problem solving, eh?)
Back to standup: The more you ask "Why?", the deeper and more interesting your bits will be. Why does this matter? Because you want to be interesting on stage. Why? Because then people will pay more attention to you. Why? Because you're offering them something that not a lot of comics give them. Why? Because you're not just talking about silly shit, you're talking about stuff that matters. Why? Because...ah, fuck it.
2/8/10
Clique to continue?
The comment thread at Complaining about other's success is a waste of energy has been buzzing about the fairness of awards, diversity in comedy, alt vs. club comedy, etc. It's kinda all over the place but perhaps worth your while?
2/5/10
HOT SOUP tonight (2/5) w/ Baron Vaughn, Moshe Kasher, and more
HOT SOUP
Friday, February 5, 2010
8:00pm
O'Hanlon's Bar - 349 E 14th St at 1st avenue.
Hot Soup is a FREE weekly standup comedy showcase every Friday in the East Village. Doors at 7:30pm and showtime at 8pm. It's produced by David Cope, Andy Haynes, Mark Normand, and Matt Ruby.
this week:
Giulia Rozzi
Baron Vaughn
Ryan Conner
Moshe Kasher
Soup's on!!!
Friday, February 5, 2010
8:00pm
O'Hanlon's Bar - 349 E 14th St at 1st avenue.
Hot Soup is a FREE weekly standup comedy showcase every Friday in the East Village. Doors at 7:30pm and showtime at 8pm. It's produced by David Cope, Andy Haynes, Mark Normand, and Matt Ruby.
this week:
Giulia Rozzi
Baron Vaughn
Ryan Conner
Moshe Kasher
Soup's on!!!
2/4/10
Complaining about other's success is a waste of energy
Congrats to everyone nominated for ECNY Awards. Bitter ya didn't make the cut? Feelgood Matt says you shouldn't! Too much bitter sniping among comics, I think. If someone you know does well, that's good for you too. Rising tides and boats and all that. Maybe when they break through to whatever the next level is they'll put in a word for ya.
Here's a new agey but kinda true view on all that (by Richard Carlson):
Alright, I'll stop before he gets to the whole "sprinkling the seeds for a garden of success" crap.
Here's a new agey but kinda true view on all that (by Richard Carlson):
While it can be seductive, or at least habitual, to secretly desire to keep others at your level, it’s absolutely, positively not in your best interest. The way to rise to the top is to wish everyone well, to hope with all your heart that everyone can expand to their greatest potential, to wish that the people you know, and those whom you don’t know can all realize their dreams and achieve greatness.
It’s critical to know that there is plenty of success to go around. In fact, as people achieve their goals, the pie gets even bigger for the rest of us. We don’t want to see one another at our lowest common denominator but at our highest common vision. We can all succeed and each time someone does – anyone - it helps the rest of us.
When you wish someone well, it creates a momentum within you, an inner environment of success.
Alright, I'll stop before he gets to the whole "sprinkling the seeds for a garden of success" crap.
2/3/10
Who says the Jews run the media?
I don't normally read the NY Post. But the other night I was grabbing a slice and it was on the counter so I leafed through it. I was intrigued by this headline: "HAITI'S HERO: ISRAEL." So check this out...
Now I'm a Jew. Dad's from Israel even. So I was curious. Is this an advertisement from some pro-Israel group? Nope, it's "news." Well, I guess that's what you call it, right?
It's from a column by Andrea Peyser. To sum up: She praises the "heroism and selflessness" of Israel which went "above and beyond the call of duty" by sending 250 people to Haiti...they even sent a psychiatrist! Because that's what the Haitians really need right now. "So how did it feel being buried under all that rubble?"
Also, some ultra-Orthodox Jews suspended their silly rules about the Sabbath in order to dig out a bunch of dying people. Let's hope God is ok with this!!
Also, Israel is nothing like those many nations that are anti-Haiti right now. And Israelis never seek out praise either. (Except my grandmother: If she roasts an eggplant for eight hours in order to make that night's baba ghanoush, you damn well hear about it.)
Don't get me wrong. Clearly this is all good stuff these Israelis did. But jeez, isn't this Peyser praise a tad hyperbolic? I like to have at least a little plausible deniability when people claim the Elders of Zion are running the show.
So to my fellow Jews who serve as our media overlords, I have a piece of advice: Keep this shit on the down low.
See, when you run the media, the key is to do it SUBTLY. Just kill an anti-Israel story every once in a while. Choose photos that make Palestinians look bad. But don't just run a blatantly over-the-top piece of pro-Israel propaganda. That's like putting spinning rims on a stolen car.
Now I'm a Jew. Dad's from Israel even. So I was curious. Is this an advertisement from some pro-Israel group? Nope, it's "news." Well, I guess that's what you call it, right?
It's from a column by Andrea Peyser. To sum up: She praises the "heroism and selflessness" of Israel which went "above and beyond the call of duty" by sending 250 people to Haiti...they even sent a psychiatrist! Because that's what the Haitians really need right now. "So how did it feel being buried under all that rubble?"
Also, some ultra-Orthodox Jews suspended their silly rules about the Sabbath in order to dig out a bunch of dying people. Let's hope God is ok with this!!
Also, Israel is nothing like those many nations that are anti-Haiti right now. And Israelis never seek out praise either. (Except my grandmother: If she roasts an eggplant for eight hours in order to make that night's baba ghanoush, you damn well hear about it.)
Don't get me wrong. Clearly this is all good stuff these Israelis did. But jeez, isn't this Peyser praise a tad hyperbolic? I like to have at least a little plausible deniability when people claim the Elders of Zion are running the show.
So to my fellow Jews who serve as our media overlords, I have a piece of advice: Keep this shit on the down low.
See, when you run the media, the key is to do it SUBTLY. Just kill an anti-Israel story every once in a while. Choose photos that make Palestinians look bad. But don't just run a blatantly over-the-top piece of pro-Israel propaganda. That's like putting spinning rims on a stolen car.
2/2/10
Get Lost
First two minutes of Lost season six. The guy who posted it got angry emails saying he spoiled the premiere. His rebuttal:
I agree! Though I would just change the word "unspoilable" to "unwatchable." Rest of explanation still applies.
Lost is unspoilable. What you think is happening either didn't happen, won't happen, will happen again, and has nothing to do with with happened previously or afterwards.
I agree! Though I would just change the word "unspoilable" to "unwatchable." Rest of explanation still applies.
2/1/10
How many years in doesn't matter
"I've been doing it X years."
People lean on that too much. Like Patton Oswalt says, how well you've been doing it is a lot more important than how long you've been doing it.
I don't think there's one right way. It depends. Some comics spend hours writing when they'd get more out of being onstage for five minutes. Others can do great crowdwork and host really well but can't write a joke.
Some constantly get up but never learn to listen to the audience. Stagetime is worthless if you can't hear what the crowd's telling you. These guys might as well just be performing in front of a mirror.
Some spend their entire lives hanging around other comics instead of experiencing the real world and how normal people act and relate to each other. On or offstage, it's tough to converse with people when you're an alien to them. A night out with civilians can be a wiser move than an endless routine of getting up.
Some perform at the same mics in front of the same people all the time which means they don't have to deal with getting new people to know and trust them. (It's something I've noticed recently. I get so comfy at certain mics that I forget these people know me already and how that makes it tough to judge the true merit of a joke.)
Some build a tight 5-10 minute set and then stop grinding away on new material. They get by, but they stop growing.
That's why I don't care much how long someone's been doing it. There are plenty of people who have been doing it for years who suck. I care about whether or not someone is funny (and if they're getting better).
People lean on that too much. Like Patton Oswalt says, how well you've been doing it is a lot more important than how long you've been doing it.
I don't think there's one right way. It depends. Some comics spend hours writing when they'd get more out of being onstage for five minutes. Others can do great crowdwork and host really well but can't write a joke.
Some constantly get up but never learn to listen to the audience. Stagetime is worthless if you can't hear what the crowd's telling you. These guys might as well just be performing in front of a mirror.
Some spend their entire lives hanging around other comics instead of experiencing the real world and how normal people act and relate to each other. On or offstage, it's tough to converse with people when you're an alien to them. A night out with civilians can be a wiser move than an endless routine of getting up.
Some perform at the same mics in front of the same people all the time which means they don't have to deal with getting new people to know and trust them. (It's something I've noticed recently. I get so comfy at certain mics that I forget these people know me already and how that makes it tough to judge the true merit of a joke.)
Some build a tight 5-10 minute set and then stop grinding away on new material. They get by, but they stop growing.
That's why I don't care much how long someone's been doing it. There are plenty of people who have been doing it for years who suck. I care about whether or not someone is funny (and if they're getting better).
1/29/10
Building callouses
It gets to be a grind going to all these mics and churning away on new material. Was talking with Mark last night about it. He mentioned some other folks who do similar shows but never go to mics. They only do booked shows. While we come up with a new five minutes almost every week (admittedly, lots of it is trash), they do normal sets and slip in one new joke here or there. And prob maintain a lot of sanity in the process. Nothing saps your will to live more than a shitty mic.
But of the people he named, they had mostly been doing it twice as long as us. I can see how your approach might change then. But for us, for now, we kinda agreed the grind is still the way to go. Can't say for sure until yer on the other side but it feels like there's a period where you're still building a foundation. Where constantly writing new stuff and getting up all the time, even at mics, is teaching you the process of being funny. Writing all those new bits is building up inventory. Even if ya wind up not using something, it's there to revisit later if ya can thread it in with something else.
And those stage reps are how you build callouses. Each joke that does or doesn't work is teaching you something. And each shitty room is preparing you to handle anything.
At least that's what I keep telling myself.
But of the people he named, they had mostly been doing it twice as long as us. I can see how your approach might change then. But for us, for now, we kinda agreed the grind is still the way to go. Can't say for sure until yer on the other side but it feels like there's a period where you're still building a foundation. Where constantly writing new stuff and getting up all the time, even at mics, is teaching you the process of being funny. Writing all those new bits is building up inventory. Even if ya wind up not using something, it's there to revisit later if ya can thread it in with something else.
And those stage reps are how you build callouses. Each joke that does or doesn't work is teaching you something. And each shitty room is preparing you to handle anything.
At least that's what I keep telling myself.
1/28/10
Hot Soup on Friday w/ Cobb, Waters, and more
HOT SOUP on Friday (1/29) with:
Nick Cobb
Reese Waters
Dan Curry
Scott Moran
Doors at 7:30pm and showtime at 8pm
FREE SHOW
O'Hanlon's
349 E 14th St between 1st and 2nd Ave.
Produced by Matt Ruby, Mark Normand, Andy Haynes, and David Cope
Nick Cobb
Reese Waters
Dan Curry
Scott Moran
Doors at 7:30pm and showtime at 8pm
FREE SHOW
O'Hanlon's
349 E 14th St between 1st and 2nd Ave.
Produced by Matt Ruby, Mark Normand, Andy Haynes, and David Cope
1/27/10
I gotta make a decision
What's up, ladies?
So this is it. I've been waiting crazy long for this moment, y'all. And now it's time. I gotta make a decision.
This whole journey has been crazy. But when I started this thing, I expressed that, y'know, I like two different type of girls. The party girl. A girl who likes to hang out, have a good time, live it up. Get freaky. I like that.
And then I like the conservative girl as well, you know? Smart, sexy, you know, a girl that I can kick it with. Conservative, but still freaky. I'm looking for the best of both worlds, y'know what I'm saying? And I can truly say it's hard. Crazy hard.
I mean, Chocolate Milk, when we first started hanging out, you were there, paying attention. You connected with me. Y'know what I'm saying? You really put forth that effort.
But, y'know, I really feel like you have a real big heart. And you know what they say: Big hearts break easy. That scares me. 'Cuz I might break your heart. Into lots of pieces. And I dislike sweeping.
Special Sauce, I can truly say that your name describes you perfectly. You know, special. And sophisticated and classy. Crazy classy. My passions and your passions are very similar. And also, on top of that, we got a lot of things in common. Plus, there's stuff we both like. Like club soda. And getting freaky.
But, yo, driving to your parents house. I was SO nervous. Y'know what I mean? Because I wanted them to like me and so much to where I even put on my clear Versace glasses with NO PRESCRIPTION and I wore a Louis Vuitton Belt two sizes TOO SMALL and I was drinking a PEPSI MAX that was no longer CARBONATED just so I can feel like, you know, they knew I was respectable and that I was a good person.
But I can truly say that you're a special person. You got strong values. That's very important to me.
Y'all see why this decision is like real crazy for me to make? I like y'all both. I really do. This whole thing is crazy.
Special Sauce, I told you you were special to me. I'm not lying to you. This whole time, a lot of things was running through your head, a lot of things was running through my head. There was a lot of running going on, like it was an emotional marathon.
But I'm a sprinter. And I think you need a long distance runner. Like a Kenyan or something. And to be honest with you, I would rather you be with a man who IS the kind of runner you want and not who COULD BE the kind of runner you want. Know what I'm saying? So that's why I can't choose you. Which is crazy.
Chocolate Milk, people been hating on you from the beginning. Spunky, Step Ladder, Livin' in the City, Tomahawk...they was all talking trash about you. You been standing strong though. I really been a believer in you and you been believing in me. Through the ups and downs. From the helicopter ride to when you was dancing on the stripper pole in my shower. And I really really felt 100% myself around you. I never had to lace my Converse by John Varvatos Bosey Boots ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP when you were around.
So I'm gonna ask you this one more time. For the last time. Are you here for my pretend love? 'Cuz I'm here for you. Crazy.
So this is it. I've been waiting crazy long for this moment, y'all. And now it's time. I gotta make a decision.
This whole journey has been crazy. But when I started this thing, I expressed that, y'know, I like two different type of girls. The party girl. A girl who likes to hang out, have a good time, live it up. Get freaky. I like that.
And then I like the conservative girl as well, you know? Smart, sexy, you know, a girl that I can kick it with. Conservative, but still freaky. I'm looking for the best of both worlds, y'know what I'm saying? And I can truly say it's hard. Crazy hard.
I mean, Chocolate Milk, when we first started hanging out, you were there, paying attention. You connected with me. Y'know what I'm saying? You really put forth that effort.
But, y'know, I really feel like you have a real big heart. And you know what they say: Big hearts break easy. That scares me. 'Cuz I might break your heart. Into lots of pieces. And I dislike sweeping.
Special Sauce, I can truly say that your name describes you perfectly. You know, special. And sophisticated and classy. Crazy classy. My passions and your passions are very similar. And also, on top of that, we got a lot of things in common. Plus, there's stuff we both like. Like club soda. And getting freaky.
But, yo, driving to your parents house. I was SO nervous. Y'know what I mean? Because I wanted them to like me and so much to where I even put on my clear Versace glasses with NO PRESCRIPTION and I wore a Louis Vuitton Belt two sizes TOO SMALL and I was drinking a PEPSI MAX that was no longer CARBONATED just so I can feel like, you know, they knew I was respectable and that I was a good person.
But I can truly say that you're a special person. You got strong values. That's very important to me.
Y'all see why this decision is like real crazy for me to make? I like y'all both. I really do. This whole thing is crazy.
Special Sauce, I told you you were special to me. I'm not lying to you. This whole time, a lot of things was running through your head, a lot of things was running through my head. There was a lot of running going on, like it was an emotional marathon.
But I'm a sprinter. And I think you need a long distance runner. Like a Kenyan or something. And to be honest with you, I would rather you be with a man who IS the kind of runner you want and not who COULD BE the kind of runner you want. Know what I'm saying? So that's why I can't choose you. Which is crazy.
Chocolate Milk, people been hating on you from the beginning. Spunky, Step Ladder, Livin' in the City, Tomahawk...they was all talking trash about you. You been standing strong though. I really been a believer in you and you been believing in me. Through the ups and downs. From the helicopter ride to when you was dancing on the stripper pole in my shower. And I really really felt 100% myself around you. I never had to lace my Converse by John Varvatos Bosey Boots ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP when you were around.
So I'm gonna ask you this one more time. For the last time. Are you here for my pretend love? 'Cuz I'm here for you. Crazy.
1/26/10
Thoughts about LA trip
Last week was my first time in LA. Some reactions:
It sure is nice to swoop into town for a few days and do a bunch of good shows somewhere. Whether it's LA, Chicago, or Boston, I always feel reinvigorated after doing that.
As expected, I'm not really a fan of the car culture thing. Plus everywhere closes at 2am. Your options: drink and drive, don't drink, or figure out a carpool situation. All of which are kinda lame. Guess that leads to a healthier lifestyle in a way.
I knew Tiger Lily and CDR were great shows but I had no idea how much fun that Josh and Josh Show would be. Show was packed out and that room is amazing. Also, I didn't perform on it but ComedyJuice at the Improv looked like a great spot to perform at too (clubbier vibe there).
I wouldn't want to start out (or start over) in LA. Easier to bounce around from show to show in NYC at least. In LA, it seems pretty common that you just pick one destination per evening and that's it. Plus, I think there are more good shows in NYC.
If you want industry attention, LA seems like a better bet than NYC. I heard tales of people killing at a show and then being invited to meet with multiple agents/managers the following week. Never heard of anything like that happening in NYC. Plus, there's just more work if you're looking to do TV/film stuff.
Shows seem to run longer out there. Like 2+ hours. Guess that's better when people are doing the one location per night thing but it's tough to keep a comedy audience engaged for that long.
Stuff you know already: It sure is nice to be able to hike or go to the beach all year round. There are fewer neurotic, writer types and more performy, actor types on shows. Taco trucks and In 'N Out Burger = yum.
Anyway, was a good time. But glad to be back.
It sure is nice to swoop into town for a few days and do a bunch of good shows somewhere. Whether it's LA, Chicago, or Boston, I always feel reinvigorated after doing that.
As expected, I'm not really a fan of the car culture thing. Plus everywhere closes at 2am. Your options: drink and drive, don't drink, or figure out a carpool situation. All of which are kinda lame. Guess that leads to a healthier lifestyle in a way.
I knew Tiger Lily and CDR were great shows but I had no idea how much fun that Josh and Josh Show would be. Show was packed out and that room is amazing. Also, I didn't perform on it but ComedyJuice at the Improv looked like a great spot to perform at too (clubbier vibe there).
I wouldn't want to start out (or start over) in LA. Easier to bounce around from show to show in NYC at least. In LA, it seems pretty common that you just pick one destination per evening and that's it. Plus, I think there are more good shows in NYC.
If you want industry attention, LA seems like a better bet than NYC. I heard tales of people killing at a show and then being invited to meet with multiple agents/managers the following week. Never heard of anything like that happening in NYC. Plus, there's just more work if you're looking to do TV/film stuff.
Shows seem to run longer out there. Like 2+ hours. Guess that's better when people are doing the one location per night thing but it's tough to keep a comedy audience engaged for that long.
Stuff you know already: It sure is nice to be able to hike or go to the beach all year round. There are fewer neurotic, writer types and more performy, actor types on shows. Taco trucks and In 'N Out Burger = yum.
Anyway, was a good time. But glad to be back.
1/25/10
Taking a joke from observational to personal
Kumail has a joke he's been doing for a long time about swiping your metrocard on the subway and how you should "swipe once, swipe strong." As I recall, it was a funny line but never really a major hook in his set before.
Then at Kabin the other week I saw him reframe it. He talked about he's always irrationally in a rush and desperately trying to get places faster. And then he threw in that line while talking about how he gets pissed while riding the subway. And there was other stuff in the bit that tied into the whole "in a rush" thing.
It completely changed the context of the joke. Before it was a quick, random, observational joke that made fun of someone else. Now it's transformed into a longer bit that's more introspective and personally revealing. It examines Kumail's own worldview instead of just mocking someone else for moving too slow. A subtle change, yet it really elevates the whole bit.
I emailed Kumail and asked him if I was on point with this theory or just talking out my ass. His response:
Sift through the junkyard and occasionally ya find some real gems.
Then at Kabin the other week I saw him reframe it. He talked about he's always irrationally in a rush and desperately trying to get places faster. And then he threw in that line while talking about how he gets pissed while riding the subway. And there was other stuff in the bit that tied into the whole "in a rush" thing.
It completely changed the context of the joke. Before it was a quick, random, observational joke that made fun of someone else. Now it's transformed into a longer bit that's more introspective and personally revealing. It examines Kumail's own worldview instead of just mocking someone else for moving too slow. A subtle change, yet it really elevates the whole bit.
I emailed Kumail and asked him if I was on point with this theory or just talking out my ass. His response:
yeah that's a pretty good assessment of the change in that joke. Its always very satisfying to me when ideas i think are funny or interesting end up in other contexts and suddenly, now they seem to work better. I have some ideas i've been carrying around for 5 years that are only now finding their way into bits. I like to go back every now and then look up older bits or ideas i don't do anymore. Sometimes you figure out the angle 5 years after you think of an idea.
Sift through the junkyard and occasionally ya find some real gems.
1/22/10
Kindler loving this Jay Leno mess
The weather in LA may suck this week but it's the perfect time to catch Andy Kindler do a massive takedown of archnemesis Jay Leno (that's Kindler below last night at The Josh and Josh Show).
It was really hilarious. He covered everything from Jay's bizarre denim fascination to his stiff body language to how creepy it is when he tries to flirt with actresses. Great stuff.
And man, that Bar Lubitsch is a cool venue. Similar to Slipper Room in decor but with a separate back room for the show.
It was really hilarious. He covered everything from Jay's bizarre denim fascination to his stiff body language to how creepy it is when he tries to flirt with actresses. Great stuff.
And man, that Bar Lubitsch is a cool venue. Similar to Slipper Room in decor but with a separate back room for the show.
Hot Soup tonight w/ Patton, Katz, and more
I'm still in LA but for all ya NYCers Hot Soup returns tonight. This weeks ingredients...
Louis Katz
Mike Lawrence
Jessie Geller
Dan Soder
and Sean Patton
Show starts at 8pm
at
O'Hanlon's
349 E 14th St
New York, NY 10003
Take the L to 1st
I'll be back for next week's edition.
Louis Katz
Mike Lawrence
Jessie Geller
Dan Soder
and Sean Patton
Show starts at 8pm
at
O'Hanlon's
349 E 14th St
New York, NY 10003
Take the L to 1st
I'll be back for next week's edition.
1/21/10
New podcast is up
Latest episode of the We're All Friends Here podcast is alive. Features interviews with Joe List, Nick Turner, and Neil Constantine. Next live edition of show will be on Feb. 27 at The Creek.
For more episodes, go to the podcast page. Or subscribe via iTunes or RSS feed. (Note: It will show up in your iTunes under the title "Breakthru Radio.")
For more episodes, go to the podcast page. Or subscribe via iTunes or RSS feed. (Note: It will show up in your iTunes under the title "Breakthru Radio.")
1/20/10
Photos from last night's CDR
Had a blast hosting last night at Comedy Death Ray. Packed house, hot crowd, stacked lineup (including 4 NYC comics: Mulaney, Hannibal, Gabe Liedman, and myself). Below = photos of Hannibal Burress (top) and Sklar Brothers performing.
Here's a recap of the show from Comedy Is Dead.
Here's a recap of the show from Comedy Is Dead.
It's always sunny in LA?
Ah, nothing like a sunny week in LA to escape the NYC winter...
Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.
Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.
1/19/10
Hot lineup (Garlin, Mulaney, Walsh, Sklar Bros., Hannibal) at CDR tonight
Now this is a lineup. Comedy Death Ray tonight (I'm hosting).
Advance reservations are sold out but there will be a stand-by line for the show.
Advance reservations are sold out but there will be a stand-by line for the show.
Great time at "What's Up Tiger Lily?" last night
Fun "What's Up Tiger Lily?" show last night. Lots of comics, cool room, great hosting by Brody Stevens, etc. Here's Greg Behrendt (comic, author of "He's Just Not That Into You") onstage at the show.
A nice Twitter message from Behrendt after the show:
Thanks Greg. (Guy who closed = NYC transplant Barry Rothbart btw.)
A nice Twitter message from Behrendt after the show:
Thanks Greg. (Guy who closed = NYC transplant Barry Rothbart btw.)
1/15/10
I'll also be hosting Comedy Death Ray on Tuesday
One more LA spot to announce: Comedy Death Ray @ UCBT. That's Tuesday night (1/19) at 8:30pm. I'll be hosting! Reserve tickets.
1/14/10
Shows in LA next week
I'll be in LA next week. Shows I'm doing:
Monday, January 18
8:00pm
What's Up Tiger Lily? @ Hollywood Studio Bar & Grill
Tuesday, January 19
8:30pm
Comedy Death Ray @ UCBT (tickets)
Wednesday, January 20
9:00pm
The Ed Galvez Punk House @ Westside Comedy Theater
Thursday, January 21
8:00pm
The Josh and Josh Show @ Bar Lubitsch
Saturday, January 23
Secret show (email me for details)
Come say hey Angelenos.
NYCers: Hot Soup still going on this Friday and next (I won't be there though). It's at O'Hanlons every Friday at 8pm for free. This week (1/15) features Pete Holmes, Adam Wade, Adrienne Iapalucci, and Michelle Biloon.
Monday, January 18
8:00pm
What's Up Tiger Lily? @ Hollywood Studio Bar & Grill
Tuesday, January 19
8:30pm
Comedy Death Ray @ UCBT (tickets)
Wednesday, January 20
9:00pm
The Ed Galvez Punk House @ Westside Comedy Theater
Thursday, January 21
8:00pm
The Josh and Josh Show @ Bar Lubitsch
Saturday, January 23
Secret show (email me for details)
Come say hey Angelenos.
NYCers: Hot Soup still going on this Friday and next (I won't be there though). It's at O'Hanlons every Friday at 8pm for free. This week (1/15) features Pete Holmes, Adam Wade, Adrienne Iapalucci, and Michelle Biloon.
1/13/10
1/12/10
Patton and Scovel at Comix tonight
Usually I'd use this space to plug a show I'm on. Like Night of No BS at Parkside Lounge at 9pm tonight (1/12). That will be fun. Come on by.
If you don't, I suggest you go to Comix. Sean Patton and Rory Scovel co-headline (ticket info). They are two of my favorite comics in the city and rarely get to headline in NYC. Also, both are guys who you want to see stretch out and do a full 30 minutes. Too: Kumail is hosting and he never hosts.
Patton's done Live at Gotham and JFL but I still don't think industry gets it completely yet. Or he just doesn't fit into a neat little box (Letterman booker Eddie Brill said on a podcast about him: "He's really hilarious. One of the funniest guys I've seen in ages...[To Patton:] If you change to try and be on Letterman, I'll kill you.")
Every week at Kabin, he puts on a clinic. Blows it out of the water with different material each time. Soulful, personal, revealing, deep, and sometimes even poetic bits that take you somewhere. He did a 30-minute set at The Creek a few months back that was mindblowing. People still talk about it. There's a reason every comic in the room tunes in when Patton goes up.
And Scovel is great too. Does a weird southern character sometimes. Other times he's just his shroomy self. Wandering, riffing, and pushing ideas around.
Story I've heard about Rory: He was in the Seattle Comedy Competition years ago. He was on stage and two people left to go to the bathroom. He grabbed their chairs and brought them on stage and when they came back he made them sit in them and asked them questions. It crushed and he finished first. He didn't know if they had left or if they were ever going to come back but he took a risk and it paid off.
That's Rory. Never know what you'll get — but it's almost always hilarious.
Also, kudos to Comix for booking these guys. Other places rely on the same 'ol, same ol' all the time. Good to see a club that's willing to be a bit more progressive.
If you don't, I suggest you go to Comix. Sean Patton and Rory Scovel co-headline (ticket info). They are two of my favorite comics in the city and rarely get to headline in NYC. Also, both are guys who you want to see stretch out and do a full 30 minutes. Too: Kumail is hosting and he never hosts.
Patton's done Live at Gotham and JFL but I still don't think industry gets it completely yet. Or he just doesn't fit into a neat little box (Letterman booker Eddie Brill said on a podcast about him: "He's really hilarious. One of the funniest guys I've seen in ages...[To Patton:] If you change to try and be on Letterman, I'll kill you.")
Every week at Kabin, he puts on a clinic. Blows it out of the water with different material each time. Soulful, personal, revealing, deep, and sometimes even poetic bits that take you somewhere. He did a 30-minute set at The Creek a few months back that was mindblowing. People still talk about it. There's a reason every comic in the room tunes in when Patton goes up.
And Scovel is great too. Does a weird southern character sometimes. Other times he's just his shroomy self. Wandering, riffing, and pushing ideas around.
Story I've heard about Rory: He was in the Seattle Comedy Competition years ago. He was on stage and two people left to go to the bathroom. He grabbed their chairs and brought them on stage and when they came back he made them sit in them and asked them questions. It crushed and he finished first. He didn't know if they had left or if they were ever going to come back but he took a risk and it paid off.
That's Rory. Never know what you'll get — but it's almost always hilarious.
Also, kudos to Comix for booking these guys. Other places rely on the same 'ol, same ol' all the time. Good to see a club that's willing to be a bit more progressive.
1/11/10
A hybrid approach to writing onstage
Marc Maron interviewed Nick Griffin on his WTF podcast a few months back and they had an interesting exchange about writing onstage:
One thing I've been noticing about writing onstage lately is how the audience tells you where you need a punchline. You can just sense that you're either going too long without getting a laugh or that some tension has been created that needs to be released. Then your mind struggles to come up with something to save that moment. And out of that desperation your brain will sometimes turn up something surprisingly good. Your subconscious rides to the rescue. Of course, sometimes you just wind up with crap.
Writing onstage doesn't have to be an all or nothing proposition either. There's the CK approach of never even thinking about an idea until you take it to the stage. That's pretty risky though. And then there's the more Seinfeld-y approach of going onstage with everything completely scripted out. That can be pretty stiff. Lately I've found myself taking a hybrid approach.
Like if it's a longer bit, I'll go up with some idea of where it's going to go. I know where it needs to end up and a few of the punches or points I want to hit along the way. But in between, I just see where my mouth takes me. That way things don't sound so stiff. And sometimes you stumble into funny stuff you didn't anticipate.
It's almost like what I imagine doing a Curb Your Enthusiasm scene is like. You know where you have to get to but you don't know how you're going to get there. And the result is more organic and fluid.
On Curb, each scene is filmed multiple times and then they edit together the best takes. A similar "shoot lots of footage and edit later" approach can work well in standup too. I almost never nail a long bit right out of the gate. The first couple of attempts are really just trying to discover where the hooks are. Then I try to focus on those and cut out whatever isn't working. Then I might sit down and try to attack a specific part of it, say coming up with the right tag or a good analogy or whatever.
Mike Birbiglia's guide to better storytelling is a good primer on writing onstage too.
It def helps to record and listen back to wandering sets. Otherwise it's tough to really remember the particulars of what worked and what didn't.
Nick Griffin: I'm so married to the words, I can't go up there with an idea. I need to go up there with an end line, a touchdown.
Marc Maron: I tend to find that stuff onstage because part of the vitality of doing standup for me is discovery onstage because that's when I really feel the connection. I think that I'm sort of addicted to that, to putting myself out there and seeing where it goes even if it goes into the crapper.
'Cuz I find that the jokes that I find onstage will stay with me. Like, I can write jokes but when I do them onstage as they're written, I feel detached from them and that it's something separate from me whereas if I really actually engage with an audience and drag them through whatever emotional shit that I'm going through that there's a type of mutual discovery that goes on that resonates with me and I kinda stick with that stuff.
But I've always envied guys like you who can write jokes and just do the jokes. I figure out what my jokes are but it's not an easy process.
One thing I've been noticing about writing onstage lately is how the audience tells you where you need a punchline. You can just sense that you're either going too long without getting a laugh or that some tension has been created that needs to be released. Then your mind struggles to come up with something to save that moment. And out of that desperation your brain will sometimes turn up something surprisingly good. Your subconscious rides to the rescue. Of course, sometimes you just wind up with crap.
Writing onstage doesn't have to be an all or nothing proposition either. There's the CK approach of never even thinking about an idea until you take it to the stage. That's pretty risky though. And then there's the more Seinfeld-y approach of going onstage with everything completely scripted out. That can be pretty stiff. Lately I've found myself taking a hybrid approach.
Like if it's a longer bit, I'll go up with some idea of where it's going to go. I know where it needs to end up and a few of the punches or points I want to hit along the way. But in between, I just see where my mouth takes me. That way things don't sound so stiff. And sometimes you stumble into funny stuff you didn't anticipate.
It's almost like what I imagine doing a Curb Your Enthusiasm scene is like. You know where you have to get to but you don't know how you're going to get there. And the result is more organic and fluid.
On Curb, each scene is filmed multiple times and then they edit together the best takes. A similar "shoot lots of footage and edit later" approach can work well in standup too. I almost never nail a long bit right out of the gate. The first couple of attempts are really just trying to discover where the hooks are. Then I try to focus on those and cut out whatever isn't working. Then I might sit down and try to attack a specific part of it, say coming up with the right tag or a good analogy or whatever.
Mike Birbiglia's guide to better storytelling is a good primer on writing onstage too.
A lot of times the best way to find out what the story is about is to walk onstage without having it completely nailed down. Because it’s in that moment of pressure where, almost, your party instincts kick in. Like where you’re at a party and someone’s like, “Hey Mike, tell that story from college about how you overslept for class and missed the final.” You get onstage and the audience is staring at you. You’re feeling out the crowd, and you’re feeling out what they’re identifying with, and you kind of go to that...
I’ll take recordings of telling it [onstage] four or five times, listen for where the laughs are and what the interesting parts are. Then I’ll try and write a draft of the story.
It def helps to record and listen back to wandering sets. Otherwise it's tough to really remember the particulars of what worked and what didn't.
1/8/10
Vote for me at Magners Comedy Festival contest
Hey, can ya take a moment and vote for me in some online contest? Yeah, I know. But it only takes a sec.
The deal: I've been selected to compete in the public voting for the Magners Comedy Festival. Vote here. (No login or anything time consuming required.)
Voting is open to the public until January 17th and you can vote each day. The winners compete in Boston in February and grand prize is a trip to perform in Dublin. I've never been to Dublin. I think U2 might be from there. But really, who knows? Well, Wikipedia probably. But it's not really worth that much effort. Anyway, thanks.
The deal: I've been selected to compete in the public voting for the Magners Comedy Festival. Vote here. (No login or anything time consuming required.)
Voting is open to the public until January 17th and you can vote each day. The winners compete in Boston in February and grand prize is a trip to perform in Dublin. I've never been to Dublin. I think U2 might be from there. But really, who knows? Well, Wikipedia probably. But it's not really worth that much effort. Anyway, thanks.
1/7/10
Turning the pages
Heard someone give this advice to authors:
I think there's an analogy to that in standup. The first priority is getting the audience tuned in to you. They have to be engaged and they have to stay that way. If you don't have their attention, you're wasting time just moving ahead with material. If people aren't focused on what you're saying, nothing will be funny.
Ties in with what I see as the most common mistake new comics make: talking too much. I mean saying words that don't HAVE to be there. If what you're saying isn't leading to the funny part or the actual funny part, it's dragging everything down.
Nothing else matters if they do not keep turning the pages. THAT is the first priority.
I think there's an analogy to that in standup. The first priority is getting the audience tuned in to you. They have to be engaged and they have to stay that way. If you don't have their attention, you're wasting time just moving ahead with material. If people aren't focused on what you're saying, nothing will be funny.
Ties in with what I see as the most common mistake new comics make: talking too much. I mean saying words that don't HAVE to be there. If what you're saying isn't leading to the funny part or the actual funny part, it's dragging everything down.
1/6/10
Two big shows this weekend
Giddy up.
Friday 1/8
HOT SOUP!
Featuring Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central), Zach Sims, John Knefel, and more
Showtime at 8pm
FREE SHOW
O'Hanlon's
349 E 14th St between 1st and 2nd Ave.
Produced by Matt Ruby, Mark Normand, Andy Haynes, and David Cope
Saturday 1/9
WE'RE ALL FRIENDS HERE
The comedy chat show with boundary issues
Featuring Sam Morrill, Mick Diflo, and Mike Recine
Hosted by Matt Ruby and Mark Normand
FREE
8pm @ The Creek
10-93 Jackson Ave at 49th Ave
Long Island City, NY
Just one subway stop from Brooklyn and Manhattan
Friday 1/8
HOT SOUP!
Featuring Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central), Zach Sims, John Knefel, and more
Showtime at 8pm
FREE SHOW
O'Hanlon's
349 E 14th St between 1st and 2nd Ave.
Produced by Matt Ruby, Mark Normand, Andy Haynes, and David Cope
Saturday 1/9
WE'RE ALL FRIENDS HERE
The comedy chat show with boundary issues
Featuring Sam Morrill, Mick Diflo, and Mike Recine
Hosted by Matt Ruby and Mark Normand
FREE
8pm @ The Creek
10-93 Jackson Ave at 49th Ave
Long Island City, NY
Just one subway stop from Brooklyn and Manhattan
1/5/10
What makes a bit great
After I posted my list of the 10 greatest standup bits of the past 20 years, Abbi asked:
What makes a joke GREAT? Hmm. I kinda feel like I know it when I hear it. Tough to define. But let's try...
First of all, it's gotta be funny. Really funny. Then other stuff comes into play: how much of a point there is to it, how much it reveals something about the comedian, how well it's executed, how it's performed, and how unique it is.
There are things that I laugh at a lot but that I don't think are really "great" jokes. Sometimes they're just silly. Nothing wrong with that but, to me, the best standup is hilarious AND has a point too.
To go back to that list, these were jokes that all made great points: Chris Rock's Black People vs. Niggaz, Louis CK's Why?, George Carlin's God, and Doug Stanhope's Fuck the Jews.
But not every bit on the list was making an important point. Sometimes it's more the craft that turns me on. In Bernie Mac's You Don't Understand, the attitude, rhythm, and performance of it is incredible. Paul F. Tompkins' Peanut Brittle is great for how deep he goes into such a silly topic and how he acts the hell out of it. Jim Gaffigan's Hot Pockets is like a clinic in how to get all the comedy meat off the bone. He just hammers every possible angle. Andy Daly's Knock It Off perfectly deconstructs the silliness of typical hackery by going for minutes on end without ever actually saying anything.
I guess for those bits it's the artfulness of 'em. Same thing with a guy like Hedberg. He's not saying anything important but it's the way he sees the world and how he expresses it that makes his stuff so amazing.
By "greatest" do you mean "funniest"? I'd like to see a little blurb after the clip of why this made the cut (revolutionary / often quoted / spurred copycats, etc).
What makes a joke GREAT? Hmm. I kinda feel like I know it when I hear it. Tough to define. But let's try...
First of all, it's gotta be funny. Really funny. Then other stuff comes into play: how much of a point there is to it, how much it reveals something about the comedian, how well it's executed, how it's performed, and how unique it is.
There are things that I laugh at a lot but that I don't think are really "great" jokes. Sometimes they're just silly. Nothing wrong with that but, to me, the best standup is hilarious AND has a point too.
To go back to that list, these were jokes that all made great points: Chris Rock's Black People vs. Niggaz, Louis CK's Why?, George Carlin's God, and Doug Stanhope's Fuck the Jews.
But not every bit on the list was making an important point. Sometimes it's more the craft that turns me on. In Bernie Mac's You Don't Understand, the attitude, rhythm, and performance of it is incredible. Paul F. Tompkins' Peanut Brittle is great for how deep he goes into such a silly topic and how he acts the hell out of it. Jim Gaffigan's Hot Pockets is like a clinic in how to get all the comedy meat off the bone. He just hammers every possible angle. Andy Daly's Knock It Off perfectly deconstructs the silliness of typical hackery by going for minutes on end without ever actually saying anything.
I guess for those bits it's the artfulness of 'em. Same thing with a guy like Hedberg. He's not saying anything important but it's the way he sees the world and how he expresses it that makes his stuff so amazing.
1/4/10
We're All Friends Here podcast with Bergstrom, Dean, and Perry
Just posted: The most recent edition of the We're All Friends Here podcast. Our guests on this episode: Erik Bergstrom, Robert Dean, and Blaine Perry. Listen to previous episodes or subscribe via iTunes or RSS feed. (Note: It will show up in your iTunes under the title "Breakthru Radio.")
12/29/09
The best of Sandpaper Suit 2009
Top posts from '09:
Capture Your Flag interview about my standup
Making 'em think vs. making 'em laugh
Matt Ruby comedy videos
A shopping list of recommended gear for comedians
Video: Gay or straight?
The 10 greatest standup bits of the past 20 years
Why Doug Stanhope drinks on stage
The side of the majority isn't funny
More answers to Stupid Ass Questions
"Think Tank" web comedy series (collection)
Bill Hicks’s Principles of Comedy
An education on getting college gigs, college agents, and NACA
The Comix staff offers tips and pet peeves for comedians
Marc Maron explains why he likes Andrew Dice Clay
Video: "I Need Laughs: One week in the trenches of the New York underground comedy scene"
Alt shows give comics an excuse to be lazy
Video: Looking through an audience member's purse
Tom Scharpling and Paul F. Tompkins mocking Gathering Of The Juggalos
How to get a crowd to come out to your comedy show
Is crowd work a crutch?
Patton Oswalt's advice on how not to be a miserable comedian
Behind the scenes as Louis CK films a new TV pilot
The live performer’s divided brain
The evolution from clever to truth teller
Gotta input to output
Adjusting your material based on the type of crowd you're performing for
Romantic comedies are to women what porn is to men
If show producers told the truth, it'd sound like this...
My dad hates everything
The invented foil in "Everything's amazing, nobody's happy"
The fascination with hecklers
Gaffigan's path to success and doing topic-driven material
"Do you have any advice for beginner comedians?"
Video: Behind the scenes at SXSW Comedy 2009
Gervais and David talk about the truth and being unique
Jon Stewart should stop using comedy as a shield
Bold choices
The difference between a me-too show and a remarkable one
When your mom's a bigger rebel than you'll ever be
My least favorite thing to hear: "I've been watching a lot of TV lately and..."
There is no hack subject, only hack approaches
Highlights from the great commentary on Louis CK's "Chewed Up" DVD
Comedy Feng Shui: 10 things that ruin comedy shows
Louis CK at Comix = most impressive standup show I've ever seen
Trying to write extended bits instead of quickies
Harvard Business School, Sandpaper Suit, and Chris Rock's small experiments
Is it better to start off as a comic in NYC or somewhere else?
Want more? The "best of" category has a few more top posts from the past year. And you can also check out the best of Sandpaper Suit for 2008 and the best of 2007.
More new stuff coming in the new year. Thanks for reading.
Capture Your Flag interview about my standup
Making 'em think vs. making 'em laugh
Matt Ruby comedy videos
A shopping list of recommended gear for comedians
Video: Gay or straight?
The 10 greatest standup bits of the past 20 years
Why Doug Stanhope drinks on stage
The side of the majority isn't funny
More answers to Stupid Ass Questions
"Think Tank" web comedy series (collection)
Bill Hicks’s Principles of Comedy
An education on getting college gigs, college agents, and NACA
The Comix staff offers tips and pet peeves for comedians
Marc Maron explains why he likes Andrew Dice Clay
Video: "I Need Laughs: One week in the trenches of the New York underground comedy scene"
Alt shows give comics an excuse to be lazy
Video: Looking through an audience member's purse
Tom Scharpling and Paul F. Tompkins mocking Gathering Of The Juggalos
How to get a crowd to come out to your comedy show
Is crowd work a crutch?
Patton Oswalt's advice on how not to be a miserable comedian
Behind the scenes as Louis CK films a new TV pilot
The live performer’s divided brain
The evolution from clever to truth teller
Gotta input to output
Adjusting your material based on the type of crowd you're performing for
Romantic comedies are to women what porn is to men
If show producers told the truth, it'd sound like this...
My dad hates everything
The invented foil in "Everything's amazing, nobody's happy"
The fascination with hecklers
Gaffigan's path to success and doing topic-driven material
"Do you have any advice for beginner comedians?"
Video: Behind the scenes at SXSW Comedy 2009
Gervais and David talk about the truth and being unique
Jon Stewart should stop using comedy as a shield
Bold choices
The difference between a me-too show and a remarkable one
When your mom's a bigger rebel than you'll ever be
My least favorite thing to hear: "I've been watching a lot of TV lately and..."
There is no hack subject, only hack approaches
Highlights from the great commentary on Louis CK's "Chewed Up" DVD
Comedy Feng Shui: 10 things that ruin comedy shows
Louis CK at Comix = most impressive standup show I've ever seen
Trying to write extended bits instead of quickies
Harvard Business School, Sandpaper Suit, and Chris Rock's small experiments
Is it better to start off as a comic in NYC or somewhere else?
Want more? The "best of" category has a few more top posts from the past year. And you can also check out the best of Sandpaper Suit for 2008 and the best of 2007.
More new stuff coming in the new year. Thanks for reading.
12/22/09
I complain about people who complain about stuff that we all already realize sucks
This slideshow from Newsweek features "a look at the world’s least funny comedians." Even includes Pauly Shore, Carrot Top, and Yakov Smirnoff. Thanks for the highly relevant newsflash, Newsweek! Ya really took those high-flyers down a peg.
At this point, I'd like to place an embargo on anyone who complains about something that we all already realize sucks. Wait, Nickelback isn't a good band? Ed Hardy t-shirts aren't cool? Sarah Palin isn't smart? Michael Bay makes bad movies!? The Grammys don't go to the most deserving artist!??? You might as well tell me that drowning is unpleasant and 2 + 2 = 4.
Let's put an end to the whole bitching about Dane Cook thing too. At this point, it's just a cliché that tells me a lot more about how you want to seem cool than about your taste in comedy.
At this point, I'd like to place an embargo on anyone who complains about something that we all already realize sucks. Wait, Nickelback isn't a good band? Ed Hardy t-shirts aren't cool? Sarah Palin isn't smart? Michael Bay makes bad movies!? The Grammys don't go to the most deserving artist!??? You might as well tell me that drowning is unpleasant and 2 + 2 = 4.
Let's put an end to the whole bitching about Dane Cook thing too. At this point, it's just a cliché that tells me a lot more about how you want to seem cool than about your taste in comedy.
12/21/09
Don't quit your day job
Here's a revealing interview with Maria Bamford [thx AC]. In it, she breaks down why comedy ain't a very good get rich quick scheme. Seems to be pretty old (from seven years ago?), but it's still really interesting to see her break down the numbers.
No wonder so many standups turn to acting, hosting, TV commercials, writing, etc. As for Bamford, at least she's now collecting a nice paycheck from those Target ads.
So I started doing stand-up for reals (though not for pay) when I was 21. I didn't get paid until I was 23 and I didn't make a real living from stand-up until I was 29 (and that was still supplemented a bit by secretarial work and at 32, I'm still signed with my temp agencies in case of a slow month which hasn't happened in a while).
I can tell you what I make, but it is different for everyone and I don't know — FROM DAY TO DAY, MONTH TO MONTH what I will make. I didn't know about 3 of these gigs until last week in November.There is no shame in having a "day job" or secondary passion to support you while you pursue an artistic career. There is nothing creatively stimulating about living in a cockaroach-infested apartment and busking for change (I've done that), not knowing where you'll get money for food, living on credit cards and not having health insurance. I did the above in the beginning and ended up in a lot of trouble! Now, I do not use credit cards and live below my means- there is no 401 K PLAN for comedians.
That said — Example income for starting "headliner" — middles and emcees make considerably less — Comedy Club gig — Thermopolis, Wyoming (5-45minute shows) $1200 gross (minus airfare $200 and then minus %20 of net in commissions $190 and minus federal tax 30% of ? of net after airfare and commissions: TOTAL NET: $680. And for comics, it usually takes a few years (at least for me, 10 years) to headline. They don't pay for hotel or air for emcees and middles — lots of driving and crashing with friends. Clubs pay you in cash or without taking out taxes — some comics get in trouble when they don't pay quarterly taxes to IRS (Read:me).
Sample Television taping- The Late Night 2AM Interview show- audition for 2 years: $1100 gross (minus tax of 350, minus commissions of 330: TOTAL NET: $420)
So, you're on the Tonight Show and do your first headling gig and you have $1100 for the most exciting month of your life. I earn about as much as a well-paid legal-secretary after expenses- about 50K. And I'm very lucky. To live in LA — on your own — it costs about $2000 a month — so I still temped up until up until a year ago. And, from what I hear- there are no guarantees. Just like McDonald's still has advertising, comics can't really coast on a Tonight Show appearance from 5 years ago. As in any business, it is constantly building and creating new contacts and maintaining old ones.
Net income on Comedy Central Special is $5,240.($15,000 gross, minus 40% tax — $6,000 (higher tax bracket) and 25% ($3,750) commssions) after 9 years of stand-up. And the deal is a "buy-out" meaning you don't receive residuals and they can play it as much as they want for as long as they want. Which is great for exposure and is wonderful, and it's definitely continues to pay in terms of getting better rates for comedy club bookings. Currently, there is no union for Comedians — club pay depends from person to person. Emcees in a club make $150 to $300 a week, middle acts: $150-700 a week and headliners $800 to $2500 unless you're a celebrity or they do door deals where you get a percentage of the door if you're a big draw — Carlos Mencia, Brian Regan are a few comics who aren't necessarily househould names, but "draw", are famous among comedy aficionados.
No wonder so many standups turn to acting, hosting, TV commercials, writing, etc. As for Bamford, at least she's now collecting a nice paycheck from those Target ads.
12/18/09
Subscribe options
OK, so here are your subscribe options for this site. Personally, I'd recommend #2. But you're a grown up. Do as you see fit.
1) "Enter my life frequently!"
Subscribe to the RSS feed. Lets you read Sandpaper Suit in a RSS reader like Google Reader.
Follow me on Twitter. I post random stuff and also links to Sandpaper Suit posts over at Twitter.
2) "Send me something once a day."
Get this blog delivered by email. Once a day you'll get an email with whatever's new.
(Btw, one nice thing about options #1 and #2 is that you'll get to see links from The Pocket alongside regular posts.)
3) "Let's keep this chill. One email per week is fine."
Subscribe to the Matt Ruby email list for a weekly-ish update on my shows and other news...
1) "Enter my life frequently!"
Subscribe to the RSS feed. Lets you read Sandpaper Suit in a RSS reader like Google Reader.
Follow me on Twitter. I post random stuff and also links to Sandpaper Suit posts over at Twitter.
2) "Send me something once a day."
Get this blog delivered by email. Once a day you'll get an email with whatever's new.
(Btw, one nice thing about options #1 and #2 is that you'll get to see links from The Pocket alongside regular posts.)
3) "Let's keep this chill. One email per week is fine."
Subscribe to the Matt Ruby email list for a weekly-ish update on my shows and other news...
12/17/09
How do you deal with being stuck in the trenches?
Reader question:
How do I DIE with it? Slowly I guess. Like we're all doing.
Guessing you mean deal. Well...
I think you have to love the process. You have to get joy from doing shitty shows and mics. View 'em as a challenge instead of a chore. Part of that is really loving comedy. And I mean really loving it, warts and all.
Yes, you may be stuck in the trenches with other comics. But maybe that's the fun part. Getting to hang out with people who are sharp, quick, and fun.
That said, I do hate the handshakes-for-every-comic-in-the-room bullshit at shows. For me, part of staying sane is not trying to be friends with everybody all the time. Some people think I'm a dick because of that. But I'd just rather not be fake.
"Things not happening as quickly as they should." How quickly should they happen? If you're great, people will notice. If that's not happening, then get better.
And actually, the longer you wait before you get "seen," the more prepared you'll be when it happens. You'll have really honed your act and you'll be tight if/when industry does check you out. The waiting may be painful, but it's also helpful.
Also, recognize that success comes with a downside too. Once you're doing paid spots, it's a lot more pressure. You have to deliver at a certain level. When you're doing crap gigs, you can fuck around. You can play. You can experiment. You can try new things. I'm sure a lot of established guys look back fondly at the days when they could get away with whatever.
As for other comics doing better than you: If they deserve it, then great. If not, oh well. You can't control that stuff. I try to not get down about things that I can't control. I'm all zen and shit like that.
Also, you should get drunk. That makes everything more tolerable.
How do you die with frustration of being stuck in the trenches with all the other comics .
The frustration of feeling things are not happening as quickly as they should .
The frustration of crap gigs .
The frustration of other comics doing better then you
I'm not expecting chicken soup for the comedian soul .....but sometimes it's just soooo frustrating
How do I DIE with it? Slowly I guess. Like we're all doing.
Guessing you mean deal. Well...
I think you have to love the process. You have to get joy from doing shitty shows and mics. View 'em as a challenge instead of a chore. Part of that is really loving comedy. And I mean really loving it, warts and all.
Yes, you may be stuck in the trenches with other comics. But maybe that's the fun part. Getting to hang out with people who are sharp, quick, and fun.
That said, I do hate the handshakes-for-every-comic-in-the-room bullshit at shows. For me, part of staying sane is not trying to be friends with everybody all the time. Some people think I'm a dick because of that. But I'd just rather not be fake.
"Things not happening as quickly as they should." How quickly should they happen? If you're great, people will notice. If that's not happening, then get better.
And actually, the longer you wait before you get "seen," the more prepared you'll be when it happens. You'll have really honed your act and you'll be tight if/when industry does check you out. The waiting may be painful, but it's also helpful.
Also, recognize that success comes with a downside too. Once you're doing paid spots, it's a lot more pressure. You have to deliver at a certain level. When you're doing crap gigs, you can fuck around. You can play. You can experiment. You can try new things. I'm sure a lot of established guys look back fondly at the days when they could get away with whatever.
As for other comics doing better than you: If they deserve it, then great. If not, oh well. You can't control that stuff. I try to not get down about things that I can't control. I'm all zen and shit like that.
Also, you should get drunk. That makes everything more tolerable.
12/16/09
Last Hot Soup of the year on Saturday
SPECIAL EDITION *** SATURDAY *** HOLIDAY SHOW & PARTY! LAST SHOW OF THE YEAR!!
HOT SOUP!
Sat 12/19
Showtime at 8pm
FREE SHOW
O'Hanlon's
349 E 14th St between 1st and 2nd Ave.
Produced by Matt Ruby, Mark Normand, Andy Haynes, and David Cope
Woooeee! This is our big holiday show!! Saturday, not Friday, for this week only. And then we're off until Jan 8.
Happy Kwanzaa everybody! Free eggnog and after party!!
I love this line up. These are the jews we got this week:
Sean O'Connor
Brooke Van Poppelen
Nick Sun
Costaki Economopoulos
Nicky T!!!
HOT SOUP!
Sat 12/19
Showtime at 8pm
FREE SHOW
O'Hanlon's
349 E 14th St between 1st and 2nd Ave.
Produced by Matt Ruby, Mark Normand, Andy Haynes, and David Cope
12/15/09
Capture Your Flag interview (part 2 of 2)
Part 1/details. In this part, we discuss the influence my parents had on me, the importance of being an editor, finding your voice, warriorness, comedy milestones, working on new material, my standup evolution, and more.
12/14/09
The straight man
Conan O'Brien once told Tom Scharpling being the straight man is the hardest thing in comedy.
How does Scharpling (host of The Best Show on WFMU) keep his poise during his bits with Jon Wurster? He pinches his leg.
Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner recently talked with the AV Club about the straight-guy/funny-guy dynamic.
My take: The toughest part about being the straight man is being unselfish. The laugh goes to someone else. You create the environment for laughs but someone else gets to deliver the actual punchline. In that sense, it's almost like being the producer of a show but within the actual act.
How does Scharpling (host of The Best Show on WFMU) keep his poise during his bits with Jon Wurster? He pinches his leg.
"Once in a while, the silliness of the whole thing hits us during a bit and we lose it," Mr. Scharpling wrote in an e-mail message after the show. "Sometimes Jon has to cover for me by talking while I'm gathering my bearings, and sometimes I have to do the same for him.
"One time that stands out is Jon deliberately thinking the band Husker Du was called Husker Dude. Hearing that line come out of Jon's mouth just killed the both of us. I had to hold it down, playing the outraged straight man while Jon kept laughing silently. Which makes me want to laugh. I usually end up pinching my leg to stay on track."
Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner recently talked with the AV Club about the straight-guy/funny-guy dynamic.
AVC: The straight-guy/funny-guy dynamic has been around for ages. How did the two of you fall into that format?
MB: I think the real engine behind it is Carl, not me. I’m just collecting the fares. But he’s the guy that creates the subjects, the questions, and creates a kind of buoyant, effervescent, terribly naïve character. He keeps saying, “Sir, I find that hard to believe, that you’re 2,000.” [Laughs.] He actually says that. So I didn’t even start it. I wanted nothing to do with it. I was eating a piece of sponge cake and drinking Manischewitz wine in a corner somewhere at a party, and suddenly Carl comes over with a tape recorder and says, “I understand, sir, you were at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.” And I was off. I was off doing what I had to do.
CR: It’s really a writing job—the straight guy comes up with the premises. In all good writing teams, there’s always someone who has a strength in one area, and my strength is that I always come up with ideas. I write books that way—I put a first line down and say, “Where does this go?” About a week or two ago, somebody came and told me about an article that said the guy considered the straight man in old vaudeville days owned the act. Weber and Fields, one of the biggest acts in vaudeville, it was Weber who owned the act and hired Fields. And he used many different Fields. There wasn’t one Fields. And Abbott and Costello, Abbott got the lion’s share of the money. He was the head guy. He found Costello, and it turned out that that was an accepted thing, the straight man was the guy, the producer, the writer, and the other guy was the guy who made the money for him. But I never thought of it in those terms. I am also the voice of the audience. I’m going to ask questions that if I were in the audience, I would love to know what this man thought about this, this, and this.
AVC: What about the straight-guy/funny-guy dynamic has caused it to last so long?
MB: Well, the straight guy is never given enough credit. For me, the heroes are the straight guys. The funnier one in Laurel and Hardy is Oliver Hardy. And Laurel gets all the credit for being the comic, and Hardy was the straight man. Abbott is a relentless maniac driving everybody in the world crazy, especially Lou Costello. And Lou gets all the credit, and Abbott gets no credit for framing it, for the architecture, for the support, for the drive. He does everything except the punchline; he’s amazing.
AVC: Regular audience members don’t seem to be very interested in comic setups.
MB: Yes it’s true. It’s so true. And I think the straight guy is critical. Dean Martin never got any credit. All the credit went to Jerry Lewis. And it was Dean’s reactions and his ease and his grace and his sheer talent that made that team work… Jack Benny was really the straight man of The Jack Benny Show, and that’s what made it so marvelous and wonderful. [In one joke], he’s in his vault—you hear him step by step, you hear the vault creaking, you hear the vault open, you hear some tinkling of coins, of gold or something. Then you hear a voice say, “Okay, your money or your life.” And you wait—this is radio—you wait a full minute, interminable space in radio. And the guy says, “Well?” And Jack says “I’m thinking, I’m thinking!” The same thing with Johnny Carson, who just listened to comics. I loved doing his show, because you really made him laugh. He wasn’t kidding.
My take: The toughest part about being the straight man is being unselfish. The laugh goes to someone else. You create the environment for laughs but someone else gets to deliver the actual punchline. In that sense, it's almost like being the producer of a show but within the actual act.
12/11/09
Capture Your Flag interview about my standup
Here's Part One of an interview about my standup I did with Erik Michielsen of Capture Your Flag, "a resource to help individuals find fulfillment in their career and personal journeys." We talked about my transition from music to comedy, how I got started, the importance of being in flow, and more.
In Part Two, we discuss the influence my parents had on me, the importance of being an editor, finding your voice, warriorness, comedy milestones, working on new material, my standup evolution, and more.
Since we discuss my being a musician a bit in Part One, here's the 411 on that: I spent years as the frontman in a rock band called Plastics Hi-Fi. That was back in my Chicago days. After we split, I recorded a solo album and then moved on to Ruby Lament, a more electronic sounding project. Ya can click on any of those links to hear tracks if you're interested.
In Part Two, we discuss the influence my parents had on me, the importance of being an editor, finding your voice, warriorness, comedy milestones, working on new material, my standup evolution, and more.
Since we discuss my being a musician a bit in Part One, here's the 411 on that: I spent years as the frontman in a rock band called Plastics Hi-Fi. That was back in my Chicago days. After we split, I recorded a solo album and then moved on to Ruby Lament, a more electronic sounding project. Ya can click on any of those links to hear tracks if you're interested.
12/10/09
What I've been up to at Twitter: Lost vs. The Wire, face tattoos, etc.
Following me on Twitter? If not, you're missing out on quips like these:
Saw a guy with FULL face tattoo. Musta seen Tyson's face tattoo and
thought, "Nah, too subtle."
Can't believe I heard a commercial that starts out this way: "From the
director of Wild Hogs..." Maybe it's an ad for the apocalypse!
Brooklyn Academy of Music emailer subject: "Swedish Circus, Afro-pop
ballet, New French Films, & more." What, no Sri Lankan Burlesque!?
Waiter just got very aggro with water choice. "Would you prefer
sparkling water or will you be drinking from the gutter this evening?"
Sangria = "I'll take the cheapest wine you have filled with fruit that
you were about to throw away. And leave it an open bowl!"
Lost fans aren't as annoying as The Wire fans. Lost fans only know
what's in a hatch. Wire fans know "what's wrong with society."
Sometimes when I'm in Williamsburg I can't tell if people are having
fun or making fun of having fun.
More at twitter.com/mattruby.
Saw a guy with FULL face tattoo. Musta seen Tyson's face tattoo and
thought, "Nah, too subtle."
Can't believe I heard a commercial that starts out this way: "From the
director of Wild Hogs..." Maybe it's an ad for the apocalypse!
Brooklyn Academy of Music emailer subject: "Swedish Circus, Afro-pop
ballet, New French Films, & more." What, no Sri Lankan Burlesque!?
Waiter just got very aggro with water choice. "Would you prefer
sparkling water or will you be drinking from the gutter this evening?"
Sangria = "I'll take the cheapest wine you have filled with fruit that
you were about to throw away. And leave it an open bowl!"
Lost fans aren't as annoying as The Wire fans. Lost fans only know
what's in a hatch. Wire fans know "what's wrong with society."
Sometimes when I'm in Williamsburg I can't tell if people are having
fun or making fun of having fun.
More at twitter.com/mattruby.
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