Carlin or Pryor?

Greg Proops on KPCS when asked to pick between Carlin and Pryor:

Pryor's the greatest comic of all time and here's why: Because he was a great actor like Charlie Chaplin or something. He had the ability to make you feel a pathos, a bathos. He could take you on a journey through the darkest depths of the horrible night.

"My mother was a whore. White men would come to my door and say, 'Is your mother here? I want a blow job.'" Huge laugh. That's the saddest joke ever told — ever fucking told.

Carlin isn't that person. He's not trying to escape the grinding poverty of growing up in a whorehouse. He's an astute, different type of person. Carlin I could be in my dreams. I can't be Richard Pryor. He's a genius and his writing is overwhelming. He's a force of nature.

Here's the joke he mentions:



pathos |ˈpāˌθäs; -ˌθôs|
noun
a quality that evokes pity or sadness : the actor injects his customary humor and pathos into the role.

bathos |ˈbāθäs|
noun
(esp. in a work of literature) an effect of anticlimax created by an unintentional lapse in mood from the sublime to the trivial or ridiculous.

Thom Yorke dealing with a passed out crowd member

Radiohead concert 2003. Thom Yorke realizes someone in crowd has passed out. Stops the band midsong. Gets security to clear him out. Tells band where to pick it up. 1-2-3-4, back to rock. Very pro. 27:50in (starts there when you hit play). [via BV]

Hot Soup: Miso edition

Friday's (5/28) lineup:
Matt McCarthy
Sheng Wang
John F. O'Donnell
Josh Homer

Cope is hosting, I'm doing a spot. Let the river run, let all the dreamers wake the nation.

Hot Soup!
Every Friday
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

JFOD, Yannis, Ray Combs Jr. episode of We're All Friends Here on Breakthru Radio

Listen online to BTR episode #7 with John F. O'Donnell, Yannis Pappas, and Ray Combs Jr. We cover mental asylums, trannies, 9/11 conspiracy theories, and suicide. It's pretty damn epic. Ya can also subscribe via iTunes or RSS feed. (Note: It will show up in your iTunes under the title "Breakthru Radio.")

Hourlong clean set at a high school, eh?

A while back I was asked to do a clean set (1 hr) at a high school for "mostly students and some teachers." They also wanted to know what I would charge for a set like that.

Doing a clean hour, eh? Plus one that works for a bunch of kids. Seemed like a stretch. Should I suggest bringing other comics with me? And how much should I/we charge?

I explained the whole situation to Myq Kaplan to get his .02. Here's what he wrote back.

1) do you have an hour of material?
2) do you have an hour of clean material?
3) do you REALLY?
4) if the answer to those questions are more negative than positive,
i'd definitely recommend something like bringing someone else, either
to open for you, or to offer to bring a three-person show, say, or
even a showcase if you wanted. you could certainly say something like
"my hour of nightclub material might be more appropriate for adults,
but i would gladly and capably offer to bring you a one hour show,
hosted or headlined by me, with several comics that will provide the
perfect atmosphere and show for you."
5) that said, what price should you quote... first, you can always
tell them that there's a broad range that is flexible depending on
various circumstances, and say that you're willing to work with them,
depending what their budget is, and ask what they'd like to pay.
6) as a baseline, doing an hour at a COLLEGE, the lowest
standard rate for something like with would usually be in the
$1000-$1500 range, and there's no reason not
to start there here. for either yourself, or possibly for the whole
show, though if you feel comfortable saying something higher, go for
it. (and this is all speculative on my part, i have other people do my
money stuff for me now and they might say even higher numbers, but
they're pros at this.) if you were going to have three people, say
with yourself hosting, someone headlining, and someone in the middle,
you could break it down like $400-$500 for yourself and the headliner
(or if you're the headliner, maybe a little more and a little less for
the host), and somewhere around half that for the middle act.

again, the proportions of what you "should" ask for might be off here,
is this a rich school? is it a fundraiser? etc.
usually, if people want you, they won't be turned off by asking for a
high number. the first college i ever got for myself headlining, i
asked for $1000, they said "all we have is $750," and i said "fine."

keep in mind this is low and not ideal. at the time, i didn't have an
agent or anyone assisting me, and in hindsight i'm not sure if i
SHOULD have said yes, because to take less than an industry standard
can be harmful to us all in devaluing what it is that we do, and make
it harder for other comedians to potentially be paid what they are
worth in the future... just to play devil's advocate here, and remind
people that sometimes it's best NOT to take a gig when the
circumstances are less than ideal.
so

all that said, the gig in question here is a high school, not a
college, and who knows what kind of budget they have (not me), what
they might be charging for tickets (do they?), how many audience
members they'll be expecting (all factors that might come into play in
determining a fair price for a particular gig, which is why it can be
good to start by asking them what their budget is, and move forward
from there, especially because my experience with high schools is less
extensive and probably less standard in general than colleges, for
example.)

as far as doing it all yourself, i definitely think you should
honestly ask and answer yourself as far as what you are really capable
of doing, to deliver them a good show. if you can do it on your own,
great, and go for it.

I followed his advice. Mentioned a number as a starting point but said it's just a ballpark thing. But I never heard from 'em again. Er, problem "solved." But I figured the advice might be worth sharing so here it is.

P.S. Myq's new album is available. Check it out!

"The more we try to perfect it, the worse it gets"

Recent discussion here about how screw ups are a gift. Here's a related idea from an NPR story on Jack White:

White says he could tell he was swimming against the Nashville way of recording when he swooned over the first take of Jackson's song "Shakin' All Over." The veteran horn players wanted to fix mistakes. He was having none of it.

"The more we try to work on this and perfect it, the worse it gets," he says. "And that's what happens nowadays with people working on computers. They can so easily fix things with their mouse and take out all the, 'Oh, somebody coughed in the background; we need to take that out' — or somebody hit a bad note. Those are all the best moments, and that's where music has taken a left turn and they need to get back on the road."

See also: Wabi Sabi.

Pared down to its barest essence, wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. It's simple, slow, and uncluttered-and it reveres authenticity above all. Wabi-sabi is flea markets, not warehouse stores; aged wood, not Pergo; rice paper, not glass. It celebrates cracks and crevices and all the other marks that time, weather, and loving use leave behind. It reminds us that we are all but transient beings on this planet-that our bodies as well as the material world around us are in the process of returning to the dust from which we came. Through wabi-sabi, we learn to embrace liver spots, rust, and frayed edges, and the march of time they represent.

Imperfection, authenticity, cracks, and crevices — sometimes you're best off leaving 'em in.

A white male guy's viewpoint on race and the industry

Jeesh. The comment thread over at "It's so tough for [insert group here] in standup" is a real doozy. Check it out.

My .02?

Well, let's begin again with the usual caveat: White guys pretty much have it made in our society. When they (even borderline) complain about anything, it seems silly. I get that. ("Unpacking The Knapsack" is a PDF that explains the daily effects of white privilege nicely.)

Also, I host a show that often touches on racial third rail issues so maybe I'm just an insensitive guy. We do invite minorities/gals on the show often though, so at least there's that.

Now that's out of the way, here's my take on the discussion. Maybe I'm missing something but it's tough to know what you don't know. Ya know?

The white drinking buddy game
There were mentions of the white drinking buddy game that rules the standup world in some sort of Elders of Zion type way. Well, allow me to bring you inside the white male drinking buddy comedy clique world that I (on occasion) inhabit.

I've gotten drunk with white comedians a lot. I never hear them say anything negative about black comedians (or black people in general). Sure, there might be jokes about race but it's never "black people suck" or "black people aren't funny" or anything like that.

Many of these guys revere Chris Rock and Richard Pryor and Dave Chappelle so much I don't know how they could ever rag on black comics. And I've never heard one mention anything about only putting one black guy on a show. Or any other limit like that. Maybe that happens somewhere else, but I've NEVER heard anyone I hang out with talk like that.

In fact, I have heard these guys talk the opposite way — about wanting more diversity on shows. Doesn't happen a ton, but it does happen. There is a recognition that a show filled only with white dudes can come across as exclusionary.

For the most part, I see a "funny is funny" mentality. Sure, some shows are indeed white male "friends booking friends" chummy...but others def echo Soce's view that he is "more likely to fast track in someone who's diverse or a lady."

Overall, I'd say these guys feel that being a minority actually helps you in standup. They feel TV execs go out of their way to cast minorities. And they see all of the "theme" shows they can't do (urban rooms, gay shows, Latino shows, all gal shows, etc.) and wonder what the complaining is about. It's not necessarily "affirmative action" they see...but they do feel that if there's a minority who's a decent comic, there's no way that's going to go unnoticed — and that person will get breaks faster than a straight white male of similar ability.

Of course, maybe they're not seeing the struggle and overt/embedded discrimination that goes on that makes it tougher for a minority to ever get to that point. I think it's very tough for any white person to really understand what it feels like to be on the other side, ya know?

Like I said in the original post, it feels like everybody is complaining about how tough standup is, white males included. This clique of people doesn't feel like they are running anything. They're jealous of the opportunities others get and are scrambling for a way up to the next level. Sound familiar? I think it's how all standups feel.

The club scene
What about all of Josh Homer's examples of racist tendencies/actions that he's heard about and witnessed? First off, sounds terrible. It'd definitely suck to face that.

I wonder if most (all?) of these things happened in the club scene though. Because the club scene sucked ass for me too.

I'm not saying that what I faced is equivalent to being called a slur or told I can't perform because of the color of my skin. But I have been shit on at so many clubs so many times, I can't even count 'em all. Bookers treating me like I don't even exist. Waitresses yelling at me for no reason. Comics who fuck with me even though they don't know me. A club owner kicking me out for not following some BS "rule" that didn't even matter. I wish that while males just got handed lollipops and stage time for walking in the door at a club, but, in my experience, that ain't happening.

And here's the thing: If I was black, I might assume this constant pattern of treating me like shit is because these people are racist. But I'm a white dude. So I don't think it is racism. I just think the club scene is filled with cockmouths.

Why are clubs like this? They breed a toxic environment. The whole business model at many of these places is based on ripping people off. Note the horrified reactions of a large % of patrons when they see their bill. And then you've got the shitty bachelorette parties and the drunks yelling shit out and the comics who do a whole act just doing hacky, stereotype crowdwork. Blech.

And personally speaking, the comics who hang out there are people I have a tough time talking with or being around. That's why I ran away to the alt scene. Too bad too 'cuz mainstream club crowds can be great to perform in front of. I like that they're filled with real people and not nearly as precious as alt show crowds.

I'm certainly not forgiving anyone for saying/doing racist things. Just saying that performing in the club scene and then complaining about being treated like shit is like going to the rape shack and then complaining about how misogynistic it is there. It's kinda what you sign up for when you go there.

So that's why I got out. If you feel likewise, I suggest coming over to the alt scene where gay liberal vegans serve you tofu and provide unlimited stage time. That's what happens there, right?

(Note: I'm painting with broad strokes here. There are cool clubs. There are cool club comics. There are neat pockets in the club scene. It just wasn't for me.)

Getting on TV
As for the question I posed: "Is it harder or easier to get industry to pay attention to you when you're a minority?" Josh wrote:

Based on the law of averages, if the number of comedians break down to 75% white males and 25% other, then the bookings in the club should reflect this. The TV spots should reflect this. They clearly don't.

First off, are black male comics really underrepresented in the club scene? I go to clubs and often see multiple BMC's on the same show. So not sure I get that from what I've witnessed. And like I said before, I've never known any alt room booker to make a comment about only having one black guy per show or not wanting black comics on a show. If these conversations are going on, I'm missing them.

And the idea that the ECNY awards (also mentioned) or Comedy Central's selections for featured comedians are racist just doesn't add up to me. Myq put it well:

Looking at the first season of Comedy Central Presents, there are eight episodes: five white men and three non (specifically one black woman, one black man, one white woman). This seems like a more than fair percentage.

Premium Blend, as I understand it, always seemed to have two slots for people who were not white men (usually one non-white man and one woman). Also more than fair, given the proportions.

Granted, the most recent season of CCP has 7 out of 24 who are not white men, still more than a quarter, which I imagine fairly represents the numerical proportions of comedians out there. (If you have any numbers or thoughts to the contrary, please share.)

Our season of Live at Gotham, Josh, seems to have 17 out of 48 non white men, which is again a seemingly reasonable proportion.

Even your ECNY example rings false to me--two out of five Best Male Comedian nominees were black. In a world chock full of white men.

I think what happens in the clubs (or shows like we're talking about here) and what happens in TV type showcase is completely different, and I feel like the TV industry often goes out of their way to include MORE of the non white guy category...

Is it perfectly fair? No. Should CC be soliciting more minorities? Don't know.
But I honestly think that, YES, at this level, being a minority CAN benefit someone, if they're just as funny as a white person of the same level...

PPS Here's a link I found while googling "Premium Blend episode list"... It's a sampling of episodes from season 9 of the show:
http://www.tv.com/premium-blend/show/2117/episode.html

Four people in each episode, with six episodes listed.
In those 24 people, there's 5 women (one in almost every episode), at least 5 black people (of the names that I recognize), at least one Asian, and several Hispanic folks as well, totaling what appears to be more than half of the comedians listed.

Is anyone disputing these numbers? If not, doesn't this show the percentage of comedians on TV who are minorities or women is greater than the percentage of comedians overall who are minorities or women? And if that's true, doesn't it hold up that the industry is in fact going out of its way to include minorities and women?

Maybe I'm missing something here. I'd love to hear from more racial minorities who feel discriminated against in comedy. I know Josh and like him and respect him as a comic and have booked him before. But when it's just one person complaining, it's easy to dismiss that as the gripes of one individual. Is there a chorus of folks out there who agree with Josh about the industry being racist? Let's hear from ya.

Also, I think the (perhaps) even more interesting conversation that was touched on in that thread is about women in standup. Stay tuned.

Hot Soup: The Tom Yum edition

Lineup on Friday (5/21):

Jared Logan
Ryan Hamilton
Cary Prusa
Vince Averill
Shawn Pearlman

Hot Soup!
Every Friday
Doors at 7:30pm. 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

Video: Hipster hangout

Filmed at Lincoln Lodge in Chicago.

How much should you pay comics?

Reader question:

I've started a show here in Westchester, and i'm trying to gauge whats too much or too little to pay someone to come up here (its only a 35 minute train ride from grand central). I consider it a road gig so i'm happy to pay for gas/train tickets. But whats the right amount to pay each comic? One way to look at it is "well they don't get paid much or anything at all in the city, so they should be happy to receive anything here". but another way is "should i give a percentage or just a flat fee? should it be based on tv credits? how long their sets are? how much money is made at the show?" etc.

I for one have a small budget for my show, so i've been stressing over how much to pay each comic. Is it best to say - i'll distribute $500 amongst them, with the most going to the headliner and the rest being paid evenly? or does everyone get paid differently depending on their credits?

I know my show is considered a "road gig" even though I make the trip into the city pretty much every night and don't get paid for shows, so I want to pay the comics for "leaving the city" (even though it could very well be the same distance from some parts of brooklyn to manhattan) Obviously there are so many factors. I personally just did a road gig in NJ as a host (a friend who was featuring brought me along) and I wasn't paid anything. I wasn't really expecting anything, but I thought there was a chance. Do you think comics do road gigs expecting to be paid every time? I personally am going to pay every comic that does my show, but that's just because I hate that most comics never get paid and I think it's nice to be able to offer that to my fellow comics.

Also, I know some headliners demand certain amounts of money, but what justifies that money if they aren't bringing in any people with their name? My audience is consisted of 95% people who are there to see me. One question I've been wondering is, do headliners feel like they should get paid more for a 45 minute set than for a 20 minute set? or are they just happy to get the extra 25 minutes? Certainly my goal is to run a great show with top-notch comics, so I guess if you have any thoughts on a good pay scale for a venue like this, it would be greatly appreciated.

But whats the right amount to pay each comic?

There's no right amount. Depends on the gig. Colin Quinn gets paid thousands to do a corporate gig. And he shows up at Whiplash to do a set for free. It all depends.

That said, I asked my buddy who is a music booking agent: "What % of the door (or profits) should a promoter give to a band and what % should he keep for himself?" His answer:

Well I dunno about should, but a rule of thumb is the bands get 1/2, the
house gets half (for expenses and profit). So a lazy guess is take the capacity, X ticket price/2 = what a band makes.

So if we assume the same rule applies to comedy, let's say you're getting 60 people to pay $8 each. Do the math and it comes out that you'd split $240 among the comedians. (Note: Rock clubs usually provide sound equipment, soundman, and door guy so the formula could be different depending on if the venue is providing those things.)

should it be based on tv credits? how long their sets are? how much money is made at the show?

Whoever does the longest set should get paid the most. And you should have the funniest person do the longest set. Usually that's the person with the best credits. But not always. And as mentioned above, how much you make at the show should def affect how much you pay the performers.

Do you think comics do road gigs expecting to be paid every time?

Depends on the comic. Established guys will def want to get paid to do a road gig but up and comers will often be happy to get the stage time. (Esp in NYC where it's tough to get paid ever.) If someone's traveling a long way, I'd at least try to get them food/drinks and cover their travel expenses.

Distance matters too: I'll go to Staten Island for a cool show with free food/drinks. I won't travel 4 hours upstate for the same thing though. Not worth it to me. Your show sounds in between those two.

What justifies that money if they aren't bringing in any people with their name?

The quality of performance they deliver. Sure, people may come out to your show because they know you. But they probably won't come back if the show sucks ass. Part of why you pay people is because they deliver a product that's worth paying for. That makes people want to come back and tell their friends.

Do headliners feel like they should get paid more for a 45 minute set than for a 20 minute set? or are they just happy to get the extra 25 minutes?

Yes, I think you should pay a guy more for doing 45 mins than for doing 25. It's more time and more work. And it should be the funniest person doing the longest set.

Overall, it's cool that you're thinking about this stuff and wanting to be fair to the comics. Lots of folks in this biz are worried about a quick buck but setting up long-term relationships with the comics you book and the audience members who pay to come to the show will help you out in the long run.

So that's my (skewed NYC-centric) take. If you've got thoughts on this, chime in at the comments.

Hot Soup: Won Ton edition

Tonight's lineup:
Pat Dixon
Kumail Nanjiani
Anthony Devito
Ophira Eisenberg
Chris Gordon
Andy Blitz

Andy's hosting, Cope's doing a spot. I'll be sitting this one out.

Hot Soup!
Every Friday
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

Video: Dealing with Seamus the drunk at show in Jersey City

Went up first at this terrible show. Ambush comedy (i.e. people there hanging out have a show sprung upon them) so no one paying attention. Host only did one joke and then threw me up. People at the bar have their backs turned to stage and most of 'em are playing a trivia game. TVs showing Yankees game. Loud table talking in the middle of room. Drunk guy named Seamus shouting shit out. Jokes impossible...

I'm on Rooftop Comedy's homepage today

I'm featured on Rooftop Comedy's homepage Daily8 today. Check it out. (It's a link to my "That's not ghetto" bit.)

It's so tough for [insert group here] in standup

Interesting note there. So NBC "prohibits discrimination" based on race and sex. Yet I'm assuming if you're a white male, your odds of getting picked for this are, well, not so hot.

I know, I know. White guys can't complain about not being eligible for shit because we're white guys and things are, overall, pretty damn rosy for us.

But sometimes it feels like EVERYONE in standup complains about how tough it is for their group. White guys feel they need to do something in order to avoid being "just another white guy." Girls say comedy feels like a misogynistic boys club and shows don't like to book multiple gals on one show. Minorities feel underrepresented because there's no diversity at alt shows (and 'cuz there's racism everywhere, including in comedy).

Can everyone be right here? Since everyone's complaining, is that a sign that things are kinda fair? Is it harder or easier to get industry to pay attention to you when you're a minority?

"Crack-your-head-open-and-play-with-your-brains kinda stuff"

Was really an amazing show. Thanks Josh (and everyone else who came out). Next We're All Friends Here: the 2 Year Anniversary Show (!) on Sat, June 5.

Something I wrote about my mom

A while back, ESPN's Bill Simmons penned a touching tribute to his father, who retired after 33 years as a school administrator.

Of course, we never read tributes about someone like my father for obvious reasons. We pay homage to athletes, entertainers and politicians. Real people don't get victory laps. So here's one for Dr. Bill Simmons. Congratulations, Pops. You made it.

That "real people don't get victory laps" sentiment reminded me of something I wrote about my mom — "The story of Ziva" — on the plane ride home from her funeral a few years ago. It's not funny or about comedy but it is pretty interesting. At least I think so. Since Mother's Day is coming up, thought I'd link it up here. It probably explains more than a bit about me too.

Sat night (5/8) We're All Friends Here with JFOD, Yannis, and Ray Combs Jr.

It's almost here. Saturday night. We're All Friends Here @ The Creek. 8pm start time. Free. John F. O'Donnell. Yannis Pappas. Ray Combs Jr. 10-93 Jackson Ave in Long Island City (just one stop from Bklyn and Manhattan). One for the ages!

NY Comedy Examiner (p)review of the show:

Stories on We're All Friends Here (next show 5/8) usually contain heavy drinking, demoralizing sexual activity, illegalities and dark humanizing experiences that are sometimes funny and always captivating. The show has one gimmick that makes the deep and personal New York talk show particularly unique and that is the sailer cap dubbed "the racist hat." Legend goes that while wearing the racist hat one can make any racist remark in context and the New York liberals that attend the show cannot judge.

Hot Soup on Friday too (but I'll be at Lincoln Lodge in Chicago).

The "enjoying it but not laughing" crowd

Laughter is what you're going for onstage. That's the measurement. And when you don't get it, it feels bad.

But there are degrees to a dead room. Sometimes you've just lost them completely; They're talking to each other or tuning out or just think you're plain old bad.

But sometimes there's a non-laughing crowd that's still having a good time. People are on the edge of their seats. They're engaged. They're having fun. They're doing everything but laughing. It ain't ideal, sure. But it's good to be able to recognize that non-laughter doesn't always equal failure.

When shit's going REALLY bad, then you gotta call it and address it or try to riff or do something about it. When they're into it but not laughing, you can plow through.

And sometimes that can lead to surprising results. You'll feel like you did shitty but then you'll have people come up afterward and tell you they thought it was great. Um, why didn't you laugh then? Well, there can be all kinds of reasons for that. A shitty host that doesn't warm 'em up enough, an awkward vibe in the room, or something else. Just saying it's good to recognize the shades of grey that exist between killing and bombing.

Standup as art

Flavorpill recommends Creative Week NYC:

The second-annual Creative Week returns for seven days of inspiration across genres. (Seriously: from spoken word, television, and typeset to photography and music, you'd be hard-pressed not to find a creative aspect covered.)

Hard-pressed, eh? Here are the categories:

EVENTS: ALL | ADVERTISING | DESIGN | ART | PHOTO | FILM | MUSIC | DISCUSSION | EDUCATION | THEATRE

Comedy? Not so much. No surprise either. Comedy is near the bottom of the art totem pole.

It's rarely taught in schools. Comedies rarely win Best Picture. You don't see standup in museums. Carlin and Pryor are rarely mentioned among the great thinkers of their time. The NY Times has an architecture critic but you'll never see anyone reviewing comedy in a thoughtful way there. Entertainment Weekly reviews all kinda crap, but not comedy. Other than Time Out NY, it's tough to find any mainstream publication in NYC that truly "covers" comedy. A great photographer is an artist...a great comedian is, well, just a comedian.

I guess when you make fun of things, you don't get taken seriously. It's all just a joke.

But hey, maybe it's good to be an alien in the pretentious, BS-filled art world. And at least it ain't dance. No one respects that.

Chicago shows this week

Great time last night at Hannibal's Knitting Factory show. Crowd spilled out onto the street...



This week, I'll be in Chicago doing shows. And then we've got a big hot mess We're All Friends Here on Saturday. Amazing guests (John F. O'Donnell, Yannis Pappas, and Ray Combs Jr.) and we'll be filming it too. You don't want to miss it.

Tue, May 4 - 9:30pm - Chicago Underground Comedy @ The Beat Kitchen
Wed, May 5 - 8:00pm - Razzmatazz @ Cafe WhaWho? (Chicago)
Fri, May 7 - 9:00pm - Lincoln Lodge (Chicago)
Sat, May 8 - 8:00pm - We're All Friends Here @ The Creek (LIC)

Oil spill reaches horses?

From the NY Times site this AM. Poorly placed photo for Kentucky Derby story? Or is the oil spill really THAT bad?

Hot Soup tomorrow w/ Christian Finnegan

Lineup this Friday:

Myq Kaplan
Christian Finnegan
Tom McCaffrey
Ben Kissel
Andrea Rosen
MC Mr Napkins

Hot Soup!
Every Friday
Doors at 7:30pm. 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

Screw ups are a gift

Robin Williams on Marc Maron's WTF podcast discussing alcoholism, cocaine, divorce, joke stealing, heart surgery, fame, Richard Pryor, jealousy, and Twitter. Great stuff.

I liked this bit Williams said about working with Jeff Bridges:

Something screws up and [Jeff Bridges] says to me: "It's ok. It's a gift. If something screws up, it's a gift. Don't be afraid of it." That forces you to make something special that you didn't plan. You're in that moment and you're forced to deal with it and deal with it together.

He's talking about acting but applies to standup too. A perfect set is the same every time. But when something goes wrong, it's an opportunity to make a unique moment happen. It's you and the audience in it together.

Now I've just got to convince myself that Seamus — the drunk guy in Jersey City last night who kept yelling out to me "Show your tits!" — was NOT an asshole and was actually giving me a gift.

Heightening from McCain to Rudy to I Can't Believe It's Not Butter

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
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John McCain told Newsweek: “I never considered myself a maverick.” Jon Stewart's response (starts about 2:40 in) is a great example of heightening — finding the unusual thing and then asking, "If this is true, what else is true?"

Normally this is where we would toss to a montage of John McCain calling himself a maverick but I don’t even fucking need to. That’s how embedded the word maverick is on his persona.

It would be like Rudy Giuliani saying "I never mentioned 9/11. I don’t know what you are talking about."

It's like I Can't Believe It's Not Butter saying, "I never believed I was butter. Why would I have believed that? I never believed it." It's ON THE CONTAINER!

Pretty textbook with the three examples and the last one being a sharp left to absurdity. (Textbook absurdity? Hmm, sounds like a fun class.)

This article also explains heightening and suggest using it as a tool in drawing caricatures.

Latest We're All Friends Here podcast is up with Lawrence, Comers, and Herron

Listen online to BTR episode #6 with Mike Lawrence, Josh Comers, and Mara Herron.

00:00 Mark Normand and Matt Ruby Intro
09:33 Mike Lawrence
23:12 Mark and Matt
25:26 Josh Comers
45:11 Mark and Matt
46:14 Mara Herron
60:39 Mark and Matt Outro

Previous episodes. Subscribe via iTunes or RSS feed. (Note: It will show up in your iTunes under the title "Breakthru Radio.")

Tonight (FRI) = AMAZING Hot Soup lineup with Kumail, Matt McCarthy, Yannis Pappas, and more

This lineup at this week's Hot Soup on Fri (4/22) night may be our best yet. Really, this will be a super show. And I'm hosting. Come on out.

Guests:
Kumail Nanjiani (Letterman)
Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central)
Yannis Pappas (VH1)
Lisa Delarios (Comedy Central)
Matt Maragno

Hot Soup!
Every Friday
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

Video: I leave the stage to yell at heckler who won't shut up

Did a show for an online comedy TV station on Monday night. Supposed to do a clean set and not talk to the crowd at all (the producer made a point of that).

The problem: A table in the back kept yelling shit at the comics all night. Finally the club kicked them out — right before I went on.

Problem solved, right? Not so fast. The club still wanted money for their drinks and I guess the guys didn't want to pay. So plenty of yelling and shouting was going on between them and the club staff. All in the hallway right by the side of the stage.

Eventually the crowd got distracted. I could feel necks turning. Even I couldn't concentrate on my jokes. Though I knew I wasn't supposed to deviate from my set, I felt like an idiot for not addressing it. So I did.

Here's what happened:



It settled down after that so they must have shut up or left or something.

More clips of me dealing with unruly audience members:
Gay heckler yells "f*** you" at me (at Princeton University)
"This roomful of people would like you to stop talking" (at Sound Fix)

Strange fundraising

MS is a disease that takes away your ability to walk. Yet the big fundraiser to cure it is a walkathon. That seems in bad taste to me...like having a softball tournament to cure Lou Gehrig's disease.

How honest do you feel a comedian's act should be?

Reader question:

How honest do you feel a comedian's act should be? Have you ever found yourself unable to enjoy someone's set because you knew they were lying? Not something that was an obvious exaggeration or a goofy statement but something that appeared to be the truth, such as claiming to be single when they're actually in a relationship (or vice versa).

I'm fine with lying on punchlines. Going somewhere ridiculous is kinda the point there.

And little white lies are ok too. Like "I saw a crazy thing today" when it was actually weeks ago. Always surprises me how that can actually make a difference in a joke too. Immediacy helps.

But I dislike when premises are big lies. If you pretend that someone did something crazy and then you make fun of that fictional act, it just seems hollow to me. Or you make up a silly "this guy said to me" line and then mock it...well, what's the point? There's no there there.

The worst of all is when a premise is just clearly false. Like clearly that NEVER happened. Totally takes me out of it. When that happens, I can't even pay attention to the rest of the joke. It's like watching someone try to dance with a dead horse.

That's for me and my jokes and my p.o.v. If you're an absurdist comic or going for something else, making shit up is fine. For example, almost all of Steve Martin or Zach Galafianakis' act was/is made up of lies. And that's why they're funny. Different recipe for a different cake.

Lawrence at Whiplash

Video of Mike Lawrence's first Whiplash set. Magical set. Just kills it. And ya know you've got a Lawrence-friendly crowd when they cheer at the mere mention of comic books!

I've seen all these jokes a bunch but it's funny how a hot crowd can really make a persona come alive. You feel like you really know him after this set, esp since so much of it relates to personal stuff like his sex life, family, work history, etc. Feels like the big connection with the audience he gets here is, in part, because of how much he's willing to reveal himself.

Hot Soup: Mushroom Barley edition

Friday (4/16) features:
Wil Sylvince
Grant Lyon
Michael Terry
Adam Pateman

Hot Soup!
Every Friday
Doors at 7:30pm. 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

Classical or jazz?

Interesting convo going on over at last week's "Focusing on industry over the room" post.

Erik C Nielsen said:

As far as this issue is concerned, I oscillate between the pragmatic -- "hey, if it gets laughs, whatever" -- and the idealistic -- "if it's dependent on the condition of the room, is it really yours? If it's ephemeral, you're going to say it once and then it's dead, did it really ever matter? If it's only funny in context, is it really as strong as a thing which is funny EVERY time?"

I feel like riffing is almost always the antithesis of craft, of efficiency, of speed. The most well-crafted set would contain little or no riffing -- the ideal comedy set, like the ideal in every other art form, is solid, filled up word-for-word, no wasted effort.

So while I certainly see the practical efficacy of riffing, there's something about it that feels like an artistic cop-out to me. ("Hey, I've got actual content, stuff I've crafted, but maybe I'll shock you a bit if I just make up a thing on the spot! Here it is!")

I mean, ad libbing isn't striving toward the ideal, you know?

myq replied:

Erik Charles Nielsen is about comedic performance as symphony.
Pro-riffers are about comedic performance as jazz improvisation.

A jazz improviser might play something only once and have it wow, compared to an orchestra performing Beethoven's fifth that wows every time.

I don't think either of those things are illegitimate as art or music.

I agree, there's good and bad riffing in comedy. Some people are amazing at it. (Paul F. Tompkins' latest CD starts with several tracks of fun riffing, before he goes into his excellent material, which is precisely the sort of thing he does at live shows as well... and his riffing delivers consistently, though it is unique to each situation.)
You can build up your muscles of riffery, just the way excellent improv performers put on excellent different shows every night.

And I'm sure there are symphony orchestras that can play a performance and mail it in.

There are ups and downs to each. Some people tend towards one rather than the other, and you're allowed to do whichever you like, or whichever you think you're good at. Or whichever you're NOT good at, if you think you can/should get better at it.

When you get down to it though, jazz is jazz and a symphony is a symphony, and a jazz symphony is a hybrid of the two, but they're all music; they're all art.

And the according analogy in standup--if you enjoy being in the moment, do it. If you enjoy working on polished pieces, do it.

They're both standup.

Andy Kindler is amazing and in the moment so much of his set, I love watching him. He is like comedy jazz.

Steven Wright is amazing and does a 90 minute show that is full of specific jokes that go the same way every time, for the most part. He is a comedy symphony.

They're both great, and neither of them needs to be the other way.

I think it comes down to intention. What do you want to do? Let's take CK. He's churning out so much new, great material at such a rapid pace. I guess it's more the symphony model but he's creating and retiring material so fast that there's def a slash and burn, jazzy thing going on there too. If he was doing the same bits for years at a time, that'd be one thing. But every six months he seems to have a brand new hour.

My fear is to wind up in a place where you're just phoning it in. Reciting a script every night. That might be the "ideal" perfectly crafted symphony, but to me there's a price you pay for that. You sell your soul a little bit.

That's why I love watching a Todd Barry, Patrice O'Neal, Todd Lynn or others who have great, crafted bits but also spend a large chunk of their sets really existing in the moment. I think they are as engaged and interested as the audience when they perform. They're having a good time each time they go up onstage. And that to me is the other idealistic thing to shoot for: To make people laugh but to also be fully engaged and having a blast while you do it. A lot of comics seem most fully alive when they're riffing. Then they settle into material and you feel the air go out of the balloon a bit.

Depends on how you see the world, I guess. I also think performing in a jazz or rock group would be way more fun than performing in an orchestra. The fuck ups and mistakes and wrong turns are what keep you from feeling like a robot. Symphonic perfection may be the ideal to some, but the idea of it kinda puts me to sleep.

One more thing: Erik asks, "If it's ephemeral, you're going to say it once and then it's dead, did it really ever matter?" Maybe that makes it matter even more. It was a special, unique piece of magic that existed only in that one moment in space and time. It's a once in a lifetime event that an audience and a performer get to share. Maybe that's how much you care for THAT audience. You're trying to make something special for them, even though you may never be able to use it again.

Kumail's John Mayer story

He did it as a bit at Whiplash last night. Wow. A 7+ minute chunk of material that is outrageously good. It's such a compelling story that every one is on the edge of their seats. And then what he does with it is just gorgeous. Recreating the whole scene while bringing in perfect analogies and even milking huge laughs out of just repeating the name "John Mayer" over and over again. A perfectly crafted, Peanut Brittle-esque adventure. When he puts an album out, it's gotta be the closer. Feels like a career defining bit. Not because it involves a celeb but because it's that damn funny. Was awesome to see.

The tattoo whisperer

Did a show for a bunch of Pratt students (art school in Brooklyn) the other night and got an applause break midway through...but not cuz I said something funny. I just randomly guessed that a girl had an e.e. cummings tattoo. Strange moment. Recorded it, here's the transcript:

Me: You got tattoos also?

Girl #1: Yes.

Me: Also a mathematical symbol?

Girl #1: No, I have literary tattoos.

Me: Ah, nice. What do we got? Some e.e. cummings?

Girl #2: [Screams] I have an e.e. cummings tattoo.

Me: You have an e.e. cummings tattoo! Look at this, guys! [Applause.] Hello fate. Welcome to the man who is able to guess tattoos. This is my carnival trick. I'm gonna bring out the bearded lady next.

Girl #1: She works at our school. She works at Pratt.

Me: This girl does?

Girl #1: No, the bearded lady does. She teaches the circus class.

Me: God. What do you have to do to be a professor there? Do they just hire them at Coney Island? You're a midget who can drive a nail through your nostrils — come be a professor at Pratt. You can teach the digital media class. Is the bearded lady a good teacher?

Girl #1: She teaches the circus class. You can't take it as a freshman.

Me: Yeah, you need to be a little more EXPERIENCED before you take the circus class. "We don't let just anyone tame the lions at Pratt." Circus class! What are you doing with your lives? How much does this school cost you a year?

Girl #1: $43,000.

Me: Oh my god. Well, you'll all make it back in the art world so no worries there.

The end

(Fyi, the tattoo was the opening line to this poem.)

Upcoming shows: Kabin, Three of Cups, Under St. Mark's, etc.

I'll be standing up at these shows:

Saturday, April 10
8:00pm - Going Steady @ The Cove

Sunday, April 11
9:00pm - Comedy Show @ Beauty Bar

Monday, April 12
8:00pm - Uncorked @ City Winery

Wednesday, April 14
9:00pm - Pretty Good, You? @ Under St. Marks Theatre

Thursday, April 15
9:00pm - Comedy as a Second Language @ Kabin
9:00pm - Punch Your Face Comedy Show @ China 1

Friday, April 16
8:00pm - Hot Soup @ O'Hanlon's

Sunday, April 18
7:00pm - Arms & Hearts @ Karma
8:00pm - Sunday Night Standup @ Three of Cups

Monday, April 19
9:00pm - Comedy Time @ Broadway Comedy Club

Tuesday, April 20
9:00pm - RUBBER BULLETS Comedy Show @ 87 Ludlow

Thursday, April 22
8:00pm - Supercream Supreme @ Legion Bar

Friday, April 23
8:00pm - Hot Soup @ O'Hanlon's

All my shows are listed on the calendar.

Focusing on industry over the room

Feels like everyone's trying to get on TV. Honing that showcase set. Trying to win contests. Doing what it takes to "climb the ladder."

I get it. Overall, it's a smart move. But it annoys me how it takes you away from what's purely funny in the room at the moment. The more you worry about a neatly packaged product that's well rehearsed, the more you lose rawness and immediacy. The idea that this room on this night is something special — that you're seeing something that couldn't happen anywhere else. It's part of makes comedy magical.

That's what I like about Yannis' crazy Bar Four show. You feel like anything can happen there. At most shows I go to, I feel like I know exactly what's going to happen.

Hot Soup: Leek edition

Friday's lineup:
Sara Schaefer
Kevin Barnett
Ross Hyzer
Mike Drucker

Hot Soup!
Every Friday
Doors at 7:30pm. 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

Hedberg riffs on Irish "whoo hoo"

Happens all the time. Mention some city and a yobo in the crowd yells out in response. Here's how Mitch Hedberg dealt with it at one show:

When a one-liner guy drops the script

Bad things in life can lead to interesting things onstage. Got to see a comic who's normally a one-liner guy break out of his shell the other night. His gf had just broken up with him and it seemed like he was taking it rough and needed to talk about it.

From a comedy standpoint, it was really interesting to watch someone who I had only heard do scripted jokes seem totally in the moment. He was being open and honest about what was on his mind.

And it totally changed the tone of his delivery. The pauses. And how the crowd reacted to him. Now it wasn't the punchlines that were getting laughs. It was everything. The uncomfortableness. The authenticity. The reality of seeing someone talk through real drama onstage.

I'm glad he got it on tape (assuming he wants to keep going in that direction). Because I think the tough thing is to hold onto that raw emotional state/delivery. Unless you're a really good actor, it's tough to reconnect to that authentic feeling once you're doing something night after night. And then those in-between laughs disappear. (Part of that whole lifecycle of a bit thing I discussed recently.)

At least he can look back and see what it is that was getting laughs. Which pauses, which lines, etc. Because the laughs came at unexpected places.

Overall, it was neat to see a real A-B comparison of the same comic with different material. Seemed like a more organic, pure exchange with the audience this way — instead of a script with "here's where you laugh" moments.

"Massage" lines that let a crowd know you're not a complete dick

From "Mike Birbiglia's guide to better storytelling":

Step 5: Finesse with attention-grabbing asides. (A few from Birbiglia's repertoire: [Following a groan] "I know… I'm in the future also." / "Now, before I tell this part of the story, I want to remind you that you're on my side.")

MB: One of the ways that [latter] mechanism was formed was not out of some skillful writing. It's from the charity golf story where I was performing after an 11-year-old boy who had survived leukemia. I would tell that story without that qualifier, and people would just look at me like, “We hate you.” And saying “I know…” to the audience was another kind of necessity that came out of people gasping. There are certain kinds of things you don’t want to hear, and one of them is, “Uggghhh.” And also an “Ooooh.” That’s not good.

Those Birbigs lines always kill and do a great job of letting the audience know he's completely aware of how he's being perceived and what he's saying.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. How master comics get away with saying dickish things yet still have the crowd like 'em. I think a big part of what makes people like Burr or CK great is the way they massage some of their edgier bits. You know CK loves his kids and spends lots of time with them and that let him get away with calling his daughter an asshole.

Here's Bill Burr in "Why Do I Do This?" after he jokes about a black swim team movie:

I'm not being a dick here either. OK? Just to clarify. I don't want anyone coming up to me after the show: "I was thinking it and then you fucking said it." I'm not saying black people shouldn't be able to put on a speedo and go for a dip.

And before he launches into a tirade on the demands of women, he says this:

I just find women, they're just like, uh, I think they're great. I don't want this to come off here like I'm some woman hater 'cuz, y'know, I know I'm a psycho. But I just find them to be relentless. Just every day they gotta come at ya...

Lines like those seem like toss offs. But I think they play a key role in letting a comic get away with saying edgier stuff. It's a way of keeping people on your side instead of just going full throttle with "tell it like it is" prickness.

Hot Soup: Chicken Noodle edition

Friday's (4/2) lineup:
Damien Lemon
Doogie Horner
Ahmed Bharoocha
Max Silvestri
Jarrod Harris

I'm hosting.

Hot Soup!
Every Friday
Doors at 7:30pm. 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

Listen to the We're All Friends Here special couples show on BreakThru Radio

Now available for listening...
BTR episode #5 (03/16/2010): Special COUPLES edition with everyone's favorite on-again-off-again couple Sean O'Connor and Nicolia Demas, newlyweds Luke Thayer and Abbi Crutchfield, and siblings John and Molly Knefel.

Subscribe to the podcast or listen to earlier episodes.

The 2nd annual Sandpaper Suit "next wave of NYC comedy" winners

No industry BS. Networking ability = doesn't matter. Below are my picks for the best comics in NYC who do NOT have any of the following:

1. A TV credit (doing standup)
2. An appearance at the Just for Laughs Festival
3. A nomination for an ECNY standup award

I'll go by alphabetical order for the rest, but the top dog deserves a special shoutout:

Yannis Pappas


You can see Pappas headline tonight at Comix. He also does a weekly marathon show Sundays at Bar Four in Park Slope that is a hot mess — it's sloppy, drunk, goes on forever, and is more fun than just about any other comedy show in the city. This guy is the real deal.

Here's the rest (with whatever video clip I could find for 'em)...

David Angelo


Sean Donnelly


Andy Haynes


Sam Morrill


Mike Recine


Nick Vatterott


Last year's winners.

Mean Gene

One of the most underrated straight men of all time: Mean Gene Okerlund.

"Ease up with that snake, please. I'm a little upset by the fact that we're in a shower. You're a sick man, Roberts."

The lifecycle of a bit

You'd think that a joke just slowly gets stronger. But I've noticed a lot of times a bit will fly at first and then die a slow death.



Maybe it's cuz I'm excited or it doesn't seem so rote or something during those first few stabs at it. But once I settle into the bit, it often starts to feel less funny. More like I'm going through the motions.

That's when it's either make or break time. Push through that downturn and it's a keeper. Other times, it just fades away. Sometimes I'll put it to bed for a couple of months and then come back to it. The fact that something about the bit sticks in my craw is a sign that it's worth paying attention to again.

Also, it's mostly about content the first few times I tell a bit. After 10+ times, that's when I start to really think closely about the finer points of my delivery — adding some physicalness to it (not my strong suit admittedly), the rhythm and pauses of what I'm saying, changes in tone/volume, etc. Before that, I'm more worried about the words I'm saying and if it's even worth keeping.

Big and Tall?

A friend of mine is 6'8". He's always complaining that he can't find clothes in his size. I told him he should go to a Big and Tall store. He said he's tried that but Big and Tall stores don't actually carry clothing for tall people.

Apparently the word "tall" is there just to make big people feel better – because no one wants to shop at "The Big Store."

It's kind of a brilliant move, actually. Maybe more businesses should throw in a feel good BS thing at the end of their name. Like Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Gym.

Shows this week: Comix, Hot Soup, We're All Friends Here

Got three fun shows this week.

1) TONIGHT (WED)
What Happened? @ Comix
Wed 3/24 at 7pm
356 West 14th Street btwn 8th and 9th Ave.
Nicest club in the city!
$8 ticket. No drink minimums.
Tix: http://www.comixny.com/event.aspx?eid=606&sid=2610

I've got a few free comp spots to the show. First two people to send me an email can get in for free +1. Giddyup.

2) FRIDAY
Hot Soup!
Every Friday
Doors at 7:30pm. 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

This week features a super fun lineup:
Sean O'Connor
Sam Morrill
Robert Dean
Mike Recine

3) SATURDAY
We're All Friends Here @ The Creek
Sat 3/27 at 9pm - FREE
Featuring Mara Herron, Mike Lawrence, and Josh Comers
This show will be a therapist's wet dream.
10-93 Jackson Ave in Long Island City (just one stop from Bklyn and Manhattan)
Directions

That's it.

George Carlin joke becomes reality

"It is time to reclaim the golf courses from the wealthy and turn them over to the homeless." That's what George Carlin said in 1992 (relevant bit starts at 2:38 in):



In the news yesterday: Tent City at a Golf Club Dramatizes Haiti’s Limbo.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — When Mimrose Marson fled her devastated neighborhood for the Pétionville Club, she never dreamed that her family would sink roots on its nine-hole golf course. The club had a history of land disputes with its neighbors, and the sign on its gate said “Members Only” in English.

Yet more than two months after the earthquake, Ms. Marson, a former garment worker, was still there, hanging embroidered drapes at her tent’s entrance while her grandson decorated a sign that read “Our House” in Creole.

Not bad. So what's next on the list of Carlin fixes? Major League Baseball ratings keep falling. Maybe it's time for randomly placed landmines in the outfield?

Threading the necklace

Just heard about this term: Threading the necklace.

I was telling another comic about the material I've been working on lately. In the past couple of weeks I haven't been generating new stuff as much as I've been linking up and refining older bits.

See, I don't like doing one liners or quickie jokes and then just moving on. I like going deeper on a topic and feeling like I'm building momentum. Otherwise, it feels like I'm just starting from scratch every time.

So I've got a bunch of stuff that's worked but that I don't really do a lot because I don't know where to fit it in.

But sometimes one joke will spark a link to others. And that's what happened when I did a joke about being at a bar in Williamsburg where I couldn't tell whether people were having fun or making fun of having fun. Good line, gets a laugh. But not worth it to me as just a one-liner.

But then I thought about other jokes I have. I talk about a girl knitting on the subway in one bit but realized that she could be knitting at this bar.

And I've got a joke about people who play Big Buck Hunter Pro. This bar could also have that game.

And recently I heard a girl say, "You've got a body built for burlesque." A compliment or not? Reminded me of an old bit I have on burlesque. Maybe I put those girls in the bar too? And then there's other abandoned bits I have that could also work in.

All these were short bits on their own. They were fine (some better than others) but that quick hit style isn't really where I want to be going.

But by linking them up, I get a bit more narrative. There's a flow. I set a scene and get to paint a picture. All these little "gems" link up into something bigger. And that's threading the necklace.

Pro podcasts to listen to

One cool thing about the whole podcasting thing is that you get to hear actual pro comics doing interviews. Gives a whole different color to things than the typical journalist/comedian interview. Three of my fave podcasts to listen to are:

• WTF with Marc Maron: The funnest part is Marc being forced to apologize to every guest for having wronged them somehow in the past (in some way he doesn't recall). The one with him, Stanhope, and Garafolo is real good.


• In the Tank with Jon Fisch: Great talks with comics in the local NYC scene. Eddie Brill's talk was fascinating. Ted Alexandro's good too.


• Kevin Pollak's Chat Show: In depth convos that last 1-2 hours. Lots of non-comedy stuff but check out the PFT and Nick Kroll episodes.

All these shows have been doing some great interviews lately. My suggestion: Subscribe in iTunes and then just listen to the episodes where you know/like the guests.

Also, people keep telling me Bill Burr's podcast is great. He just goes off on a monologue each Monday. I've only heard a couple but it's pretty crazy to just go stream of consciousness like that and have it be compelling.

Hot Soup: Split Pea edition

Guests for Friday 3/19:
Derick Lengwenus (Montreal)
Bing Stanhope (Philadelphia)
Kevin McCaffrey (NYC)
Matt Goldich (Letterman writer)

I'm hosting so don't dilly dally.

HOT SOUP!
Every Friday
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

If I go there will be trouble and if I stay it will be double

I'd rather not do mics at all. But until I'm at a point where I can get stage time on booked shows every night, well...what else am I gonna do? I know some comics who, despite not getting booked all the time, prefer to just avoid mics. But I still feel like I get something from the workout, despite the negatives.

Thinking of all this because Abbi Crutchfield suggested this as a guest post:

Open mics are an essential component of getting stage time, especially for less established comedians who do not have immediate access to being booked on shows. In addition to being an opportunity to grow as a comedian, they are a chance to get to know fellow performers, learn about new or existing shows, or get excellent accounting advice.

Nothing hurts your chances of establishing professional relationships more like leaving early. Even bombing on stage can be forgiven if you showed respect off stage. It follows the same bleeding heart logic robotically announced to you at the top of the night, "Do for others what you would appreciate when you're on stage." Sure there's no heckling, no writing, no staring open-mouthed, nostrils flared which are always appreciated, but seeing people duck out immediately after their set is a signal. To the host it sends the message that you had a horrible time and can't wait to leave, to the comics it sends the message that you think you're better than them or don't care what they have to say. I don't even want to imagine the hurtful message you're sending the chairs.

If you need to leave early, let the host know ahead of time. If you receive an unexpected text that takes you away, or if you have a two-hour commute back to your parent's house, live your life. But be mindful of the conversation it creates in your absence, the one that represents the positive feedback you could have received about your set or better yet--the chance to do less open mics and get on a booked show.

Slight problem. I often leave mics early. So my response:

interesting. i'm guilty of that sometimes.

why do i do it? i find mics to be insufferable. like they really drive me crazy. they sap my will to live. but i need stage time. so what do i do? do i stop going to mics? do i sit there and pout and fill the room with negative energy? or do i just force myself to smile and pretend i don't hate something that i hate?

i try to stick around for at least a few comics after i go up. i agree it's the polite thing to do. but overall, i figure it's the luck of the draw. if i go up late and a lot of people have left, i understand and figure it'll work out by me going up early another time.

Abbi replied:

Why do you hate it so much? I'm not being naive; I'm asking. I used to hate mics that were interminable, had hosts who would pick on any real audience there, or producers who would hog the stage. Not only was I getting home late, but I was spending hours being miserable. The unfunny comedian issue wasn't that big a deal for me. At the very least, the inanity is entertaining. But that's a bad mic. How awful can it be to stick around a good mic and glean ideas / laugh at buddies / impress producers of other shows? (By "good mic" I mean conveniently close to where you live or lasts short enough for you to enjoy home life, features people at your level or genuninely working to hone the craft, has an attentive crowd or draws a civilian audience, friendly, respectful vibe).

As host of a mic, I see younger, inexperienced comics who are so self-interested or embarrassed about bombing that they bolt after their set. One guy in particular would leave immediately after his set so often I had to put him up towards the middle or end so as not to spook the other young comics and create a domino effect. There's never a good reason to stick around a bad mic, just a little hope in staying and getting something out of a good mic.

Me:

Most comics at open mics are bad. And I hate bad comedy. It pains me. It's like going to a concert where a bunch of people are playing instruments that are out of tune. It's like nails on a chalkboard except the chalkboard is my brain. If I sit through too much of it, it takes away my love of standup.

And maybe the thing that pains me the most: A lot of these people are interesting. At least in some way. I just wish they'd go up onstage and talk. But instead they write these silly jokes that mean nothing and aren't really funny. At least if these people said what was actually going on in their minds or in their lives, it'd be somewhat compelling. Instead, it's just ten more jokes about the phrase "no homo."

Abbi:

Most GOOD comics at open mics are bad! All early ideas are weak because they're undeveloped. People try to write in joke format in an effort to make sure whatever their idea is will be funny. Your problem is with content. Are they REALLY that annoyed with unicorns? Or are they just referencing unicorns because they feel it makes them absurdist?

The real life stuff--yeah, I think there's more humor in truth, but if that's delivered from a hand holding a shaking piece of paper you couldn't care less about it anyway. The mic isn't bad. The people on it aren't lost causes. It's the bad attitudes that kill it. The funk creeps in like The Blob. The kind of mic hopelessly dreadful folks should be on is the one at Gotham that requires you to offer constructive feedback to each other. Because then someone who wraps themselves in mic chords is told "don't wrap yourself with the mic chord." For the record, I am told I have an unusually high tolerance for bad comedy.

"You're funny for a Jew"

"You're funny for a Jew." That's what one girl shouted out at me during a recent show in San Diego.

Let's backtrack. There's a table of chatty drunk girls in the front. Very drunk. Shouting stuff out at comics all night. Said something to the black host about him being black. Apparently shouted out something about Mexicans at some point too.

Then it's my turn to go out on stage. Knew they'd be trouble but tried to disarm 'em up top by commenting on it. Still they kept yelling things out. One of them had her legs up on the chair in front of her and so I made some comment about how relaxed she looked. She said, "You make me feel at home." I replied, "I don't believe that. When you're at home, do you feel like people really dislike you? Oh, you probably do." Laughs/applause from the rest of the crowd (who pretty much hated 'em).

A few minutes pass and I'm back into my set and then the chatting starts again. So I go after 'em again. One yells out, "But we like you. You're funny for a Jew." Rest of audience gives one of those whoa-groans. I repeat what she said so everyone knows it.

I told her that actually that's one of the things us Jews have figured out, ya know? It's kinda like saying, "You're pretty good at basketball...for a BLACK guy." Get your stereotypes straight, sister!

But hey, maybe she thinks Seinfeld was Mexican: "¿Cuál es el trato con gorditas?"

Talking about a comedy contest with short sets

Mark went to March Madness the other night. I haven't been.

Me: Is there a secret to doing a good 1min set?

Mark: Yes, short jokes that give the audience a sense of who you are. They want to figure you out in one minute. One woman saying, "I have a kid etc." That's the way to go. Another guy did the "broken family" thing.

Me: Prob good advice for the first minute of any set, eh?

Mark: Yeah, I guess so. Cuz some ppl went up and did observational stuff and it wasn't enough. They wanted a character, the schtickier the better.

Hot Soup: Lentil edition

Guests at Hot Soup tonight (Fri):

Jesse Popp
Billy Wayne Davis
Gilad Foss
Danny Solomon

Details.

A shitty room is an opportunity to take a chance

Don't get me wrong, performing a killer set in front of a hot crowd is great. But sometimes a weak show with a small crowd can be the most fun to perform at. There's less pressure. You don't have to go entirely with stuff that works. You can play. You can experiment. You can be conversational. You can stumble into things.

I did a show a few weeks back in the East Village. Not much of a crowd. Maybe ten civilians and five comics? And they were all spread out throughout a big room. I went up fourth. Things were pretty mellow. No one really killing but no one eating it too bad.

Just doing a rote set of established material would have felt like a lie. Like I was ignoring the state of the room. When there's that little energy in the room, I'd rather take a gamble on hitting a spark from riffing or trying something new. Plus, I view it as a chance to stretch and learn and get better as a comic. Just doing bits that always work doesn't really teach you much.

It's a strange thing when you start winging it with the audience. You're not giving them your best performance. But you're showing them respect, in a way. You're trusting them to go with you a bit. And maybe you can connect on something fresh and in the moment and really go somewhere with it.

So that's what I tried to do, while weaving in and out of jokes along the way. I riffed on the previous comic, I talked about the room, I did some newer bits and tried new tags, I went off on unplanned tangents. I'd get some laughs, then I'd lose 'em, then I'd go back into a bit, and then I'd go off on a tangent again, etc.

I actually recorded the set and — while stranded in the airport recently with nothing to do — decided to do a breakdown of it. Graphics!



The more I winged it, the less I got laughs...




If this was a big show or a place where I wanted to really impress, the ratios would be pretty much the opposite. I'd do almost all written stuff that I know works and then just riff a little bit here and there if it felt right. The laughs would be bigger and more consistent.

But this way was more fun for me. At least that night. And I think for the crowd too. I felt like I "had them." When something off the cuff did hit, it felt a little magical.

There's a tradeoff with winging it. You lose consistency, but you can hit highs you'd never reach otherwise. And at least every once in a while, it's worth walking that tightrope to see what happens.

Going up first

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.

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.

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.

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:

“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.)

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

Video: "Emergency Contact"

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.