Open mic 22 (for real)

Date: 4 May, 2011
Venue: The Spot Cafe

I'm starting to get better at my material. I'm starting to have more consistency in my jokes and between my sets. I'll post a set that I feel comfortable with sharing soon.

So instead of talking about me, I'm going to share a lesson with y'all. This set, there was a performer who came out and during her set said "I'm not going to be as funny as the last guy". Big mistake.

Never plead incompetence. You can say 'this is my first time' but don't start from a position of weakness. In open mics, there is always a section of the audience that is looking for an excuse to not pay attention to you. Don't give it to them.

You have to turn everything into a position of strength. I'm awkward, skinny and I'm still not fully comfortable on stage, but I acknowledge that and turn it into a strength. You always want to acknowledge these sorts of things because it means you don't have to fight the audience. People go by first impressions, so once you accept that, you can use it.

I'm skinny. If I go out on stage saying things about how I'm not actually skinny, the audience isn't going to buy it. Which gives them a reason to not listen to me.

It gets back to "yes and". Yes, I'm a dork AND I'm so much of a dork that I can even make a leather jacket inhabited by the spirit of James Dean look uncool. Or, Yes I'm a dork AND it amazes me that the only time I'm not a dork is when I'm talking to people at taco bell. You start with ideas like that. You acknowledge something about yourself and then you either build on that idea, or you transform it and add information.