Date: 21 April 2012
Venue: The Spot Cafe.
An experiment.
hypothesis: if I read this unintentionally disturbing kids book, it will be funny.
methods: reading the book in front of this audience
results: not a lot of laughter
analysis and conclusion:
I really wanted to see what would happen. And in my defense, the first two things I said (which weren't related to the book at all) killed. Explosive amounts of laughter. Could I have just went with that energy and saw where it went? Maybe. And that, too would have been an experiment of just straight up winging it.
But there's a method to my madness. And I realize that I could re-conceptualize it, and make it work. And I have reconceptualized it. But I'm not going to debut the revamp of this for another month. Give it time to percolate.
But those first two lines, man. God damn I can be a funny man.
Showing posts with label 500 open mics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 500 open mics. Show all posts
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Open Mic 40
Date 18 April 2012
Venue: The Hollywood hotel
Momentum.
An object in motion will stay in motion. This is true both in terms of the laws of physics as well as the nature of human psychodynamics. In motion; active, it's easier to keep on going. Even that downward spiral of situations that turn out for the worst produces some definite action. The drive to change course, to try new and daring things. Or the panic that sets in, and the need to do something, anything, just to maintain an even keel. Those two desires are not so far apart.
At rest, objects will stay at rest. The momentum is gone. And this is what happened to me - or rather, this is what I did to myself.
I will be candid about the last 7 months. I feel the need to be open and honest because this blog is about progress. And it is about regress just as much. And for better or for worse, this is a path that simply can't just... end. I feel this blog can't be complete without culminating in an accomplishment, or resulting in an open letter of resignation. My fate is not tied in with my ability to successfully accomplish one goal of many I have for myself. But those things that make me human, my weaknesses and the situations which are thrust upon me and the situations into which I thrust myself, those are things that do matter.
I didn't do much the last 3 months of 2011.
I quit my job, hoping that I would find work doing something that I actually enjoyed. Something where I would have clear objectives and be earning a liveable wage. Or even just the minimum wage. Or even just the $40 a day I needed to stay afloat, to cover all my expenses and have some money leftover for food.
I didn't find that job.
What I did find was that the unpaid internship existed; that undignifying role where you become a tool to be discarded after 3 to 6 months, surviving on that hope that one day you and the hard work that you do will be good enough to actually merit earning a wage. It's insulting, it's exploitative, and I fully believe it is killing the economy almost as quickly as it was killing my hope of bettering myself.
What I also found was that as a freelance production assistant, I had the potential to earn in a weekend far more than my old 'job' paid me in a week. But working only on the weekends, and not even every weekend at that left me with a lot of free time. Or rather, unoccupied time. Time to wish I could justify doing the things I wanted to do. I couldn't. So I didn't.
I would spend days in bed, watching TV. Sometimes I ate. Usually I didn't. Usually, I would sleep until late afternoon and stay up until the sun was about to rise. Objects at rest stay at rest. And stay and stay and stay.
It wasn't until January that I was able to break out of this funk. I had a temporary job where I was promised the possibility of more work, but more importantly I was promised an occasional $10 or $20 every now and then.
It was just enough to get me moving again. Slowly, I would build up the drive to go out and do more things. Opportunities appeared that promised to get me doing the things I loved doing, or failing that, possibly bring me serious money. I never quite got there, but I could at least go from option to option. Each new possibility on the horizon bringing with it the chance that this would be the one.
Oh yeah, the funny parts. That's why you're here.
As long as I had the feeling that my life in general was going places, I thought that I could at least try and apply that energy towards standup as well. So I made a call to a friend at the Comedy Store.
"Book me on the 30th"
With motion comes energy to try new things. Or in my place "ohgodohgodohgod that's in two weeks, what do I do what should I say on stage am I still funny ohgodohgodohgod" Again, the motivations are not too dissimilar. And I started again, with the open mic.
It went alright. Compared with the absolute shock I felt at open mic #1 in this series, this was more like a reminder what the baseline actually is in Los Angeles. The audience was tired, and I was still feeling things out. Old material got the best reaction I could hope for, new material shows some promise. I can always fall back on what I was doing seven months ago, which is probably what I should be doing anyways.
I don't know where I'm going. I don't know whether this will lead me towards success or towards deciding to go try other endeavors.
But I'm in motion.
Venue: The Hollywood hotel
Momentum.
An object in motion will stay in motion. This is true both in terms of the laws of physics as well as the nature of human psychodynamics. In motion; active, it's easier to keep on going. Even that downward spiral of situations that turn out for the worst produces some definite action. The drive to change course, to try new and daring things. Or the panic that sets in, and the need to do something, anything, just to maintain an even keel. Those two desires are not so far apart.
At rest, objects will stay at rest. The momentum is gone. And this is what happened to me - or rather, this is what I did to myself.
I will be candid about the last 7 months. I feel the need to be open and honest because this blog is about progress. And it is about regress just as much. And for better or for worse, this is a path that simply can't just... end. I feel this blog can't be complete without culminating in an accomplishment, or resulting in an open letter of resignation. My fate is not tied in with my ability to successfully accomplish one goal of many I have for myself. But those things that make me human, my weaknesses and the situations which are thrust upon me and the situations into which I thrust myself, those are things that do matter.
I didn't do much the last 3 months of 2011.
I quit my job, hoping that I would find work doing something that I actually enjoyed. Something where I would have clear objectives and be earning a liveable wage. Or even just the minimum wage. Or even just the $40 a day I needed to stay afloat, to cover all my expenses and have some money leftover for food.
I didn't find that job.
What I did find was that the unpaid internship existed; that undignifying role where you become a tool to be discarded after 3 to 6 months, surviving on that hope that one day you and the hard work that you do will be good enough to actually merit earning a wage. It's insulting, it's exploitative, and I fully believe it is killing the economy almost as quickly as it was killing my hope of bettering myself.
What I also found was that as a freelance production assistant, I had the potential to earn in a weekend far more than my old 'job' paid me in a week. But working only on the weekends, and not even every weekend at that left me with a lot of free time. Or rather, unoccupied time. Time to wish I could justify doing the things I wanted to do. I couldn't. So I didn't.
I would spend days in bed, watching TV. Sometimes I ate. Usually I didn't. Usually, I would sleep until late afternoon and stay up until the sun was about to rise. Objects at rest stay at rest. And stay and stay and stay.
It wasn't until January that I was able to break out of this funk. I had a temporary job where I was promised the possibility of more work, but more importantly I was promised an occasional $10 or $20 every now and then.
It was just enough to get me moving again. Slowly, I would build up the drive to go out and do more things. Opportunities appeared that promised to get me doing the things I loved doing, or failing that, possibly bring me serious money. I never quite got there, but I could at least go from option to option. Each new possibility on the horizon bringing with it the chance that this would be the one.
Oh yeah, the funny parts. That's why you're here.
As long as I had the feeling that my life in general was going places, I thought that I could at least try and apply that energy towards standup as well. So I made a call to a friend at the Comedy Store.
"Book me on the 30th"
With motion comes energy to try new things. Or in my place "ohgodohgodohgod that's in two weeks, what do I do what should I say on stage am I still funny ohgodohgodohgod" Again, the motivations are not too dissimilar. And I started again, with the open mic.
It went alright. Compared with the absolute shock I felt at open mic #1 in this series, this was more like a reminder what the baseline actually is in Los Angeles. The audience was tired, and I was still feeling things out. Old material got the best reaction I could hope for, new material shows some promise. I can always fall back on what I was doing seven months ago, which is probably what I should be doing anyways.
I don't know where I'm going. I don't know whether this will lead me towards success or towards deciding to go try other endeavors.
But I'm in motion.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Open Mic 39
Date 15 September 2011
Venue: The Joke Gym (Viva Zapata restaurant, Arcadia)
I only signed up because they were offering guaranteed slots to the first 11 people to comment. That and it had been the tail end of a rough week and I needed to get out and laugh. Good thing that I went out there.
Apparently my first time was with a smaller than usual crowd in attendance. The good news was that that gave me 6 minutes instead of 5. And really, that was right about the tipping point for a good open mic. The crowd was really supportive of everybody, but having more people show up would have been even better. I would not have traded a smaller attendance for 7 minutes. You get the feeling that when this place is full, that it's a sweet sweet place to be.
I did a lot of the front half of my set, and near the end I talked about my reasons for leaving my job. The first half felt a little performance-y, but at the end it was more like me being me talking to a room full of comics about why I wanted to pursue my passions. Maybe I am making the right choice.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
open mic 38
Date: 26 August 2011
Venue: Hollywood Hotel
What happened to open mic 37? We don't talk about open mic 37.
This night was a weird one. Not comedy related, but I got a flat tire en route. And you know what? I handed it like an adult. Didn't even call my parents or anything. Little victories.
This open mic was also a little victory. I used it to try out a slightly re-worked opening. Why did I re-work the opening? Because I went through the tape from my showcase and listed how well various jokes did. I even color coded the individual punchlines. For reference, The only other thing sorted by color in my entire life is my t-shirts.
The re-worked opening also needs a little re-working. I'm probably just going to do the standard version when I perform on Monday, but getting that opening solid is on the front burner.
I'm also throwing in one new joke for Monday. Because it's a damn good joke, and it was proven both through twitter and through this open mic. Which is par for the course, actually. It's weird that if you carbon-date the jokes in my set that get the most laughs, 2 out of the top 5 are like 5 years old. Guess I need to start writing more.
Venue: Hollywood Hotel
What happened to open mic 37? We don't talk about open mic 37.
This night was a weird one. Not comedy related, but I got a flat tire en route. And you know what? I handed it like an adult. Didn't even call my parents or anything. Little victories.
This open mic was also a little victory. I used it to try out a slightly re-worked opening. Why did I re-work the opening? Because I went through the tape from my showcase and listed how well various jokes did. I even color coded the individual punchlines. For reference, The only other thing sorted by color in my entire life is my t-shirts.
The re-worked opening also needs a little re-working. I'm probably just going to do the standard version when I perform on Monday, but getting that opening solid is on the front burner.
I'm also throwing in one new joke for Monday. Because it's a damn good joke, and it was proven both through twitter and through this open mic. Which is par for the course, actually. It's weird that if you carbon-date the jokes in my set that get the most laughs, 2 out of the top 5 are like 5 years old. Guess I need to start writing more.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Open mics 34 35 and 36
Venue: Hollywood Hotel, The Spot cafe twice. Various dates.
In order: decent, slightly less decent and bleh
But I heard something interesting in the class I'm taking. Apparently, I should be trying to avoid open mics, because it's not like performing for an audience. Does that mean that I'm abandoning the project? Nope. What I like about open mics is the people. Slowly, slowly I'm getting to know people and that makes it easier for me to connect with them. It's in-jokes versus jokes.
If not open mics, where AM I performing? It looks like I'm going to be upgrading to 'Bringers' soon. That means I bring 3-5 people and get 7-ish minutes. Which is a step in the right direction. So now open mics are more for speaking practice. More for saying those things I want to say in my set, but shouldn't do in front of paying audiences without knowing that they're bulletproof.
I'm going to try and get some business cards made up for me. Gotta bring my A-game and network the hell out of this. Which for someone reserved and quiet like me is not an easy thing.
In order: decent, slightly less decent and bleh
But I heard something interesting in the class I'm taking. Apparently, I should be trying to avoid open mics, because it's not like performing for an audience. Does that mean that I'm abandoning the project? Nope. What I like about open mics is the people. Slowly, slowly I'm getting to know people and that makes it easier for me to connect with them. It's in-jokes versus jokes.
If not open mics, where AM I performing? It looks like I'm going to be upgrading to 'Bringers' soon. That means I bring 3-5 people and get 7-ish minutes. Which is a step in the right direction. So now open mics are more for speaking practice. More for saying those things I want to say in my set, but shouldn't do in front of paying audiences without knowing that they're bulletproof.
I'm going to try and get some business cards made up for me. Gotta bring my A-game and network the hell out of this. Which for someone reserved and quiet like me is not an easy thing.
Monday, June 20, 2011
open mic 32
Date: 19 June 2011
Venue: Tribal cafe
Once upon a Sunday recent While I performed, barely decent.
Using many a quaint and curious notion before many folks
While I sat in my chair after bummed out by the lack of laughter
suddenly there came a tapper, tapping me with several pokes
Tis a good mate Timo I uttered, tapping me with several pokes.
Quoth the Timo: no new jokes.
Venue: Tribal cafe
Once upon a Sunday recent While I performed, barely decent.
Using many a quaint and curious notion before many folks
While I sat in my chair after bummed out by the lack of laughter
suddenly there came a tapper, tapping me with several pokes
Tis a good mate Timo I uttered, tapping me with several pokes.
Quoth the Timo: no new jokes.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
open mic 30
Date: 15 June, 2011
Venue: The Spot Cafe
The big 3-0. The dirty thirty. The new 20. This isn't a big milestone, but it has a lot of names because the number 30 has a really good PR team. Not good enough to get it a gig on Sesame Street, but better than a lot of other numbers in the past 25 range.
It did not go well. I'm okay with that. I present now some signs that you're going to bomb.
-You're on late during a really long show.
-You're telling brand-spanking-new material without a lot of practice.
-The brand-new material relies heavily on remembering it verbatim.
You can see where I went wrong. I've accidentally bought a car, I got my current job because I applied to it on a whim and I went to my college of choice because I kinda liked a song by the band Fleetwood Mac. I've accidentally stumbled through my life, somehow managing to hit a lot of the major achievement points along the way. I now know what the guy who invented drifting feels like. It really looks like comedy requires effort.
So, I'm gonna put in effort. Not just thinking effort. Saying effort. Performing effort. Writing effort. And because I'm publicly telling people this, I'm gonna look like an idiot if I don't. The next open mic is Friday. I'm gonna be in my top form and I'm going to be super prepared.
Venue: The Spot Cafe
The big 3-0. The dirty thirty. The new 20. This isn't a big milestone, but it has a lot of names because the number 30 has a really good PR team. Not good enough to get it a gig on Sesame Street, but better than a lot of other numbers in the past 25 range.
It did not go well. I'm okay with that. I present now some signs that you're going to bomb.
-You're on late during a really long show.
-You're telling brand-spanking-new material without a lot of practice.
-The brand-new material relies heavily on remembering it verbatim.
You can see where I went wrong. I've accidentally bought a car, I got my current job because I applied to it on a whim and I went to my college of choice because I kinda liked a song by the band Fleetwood Mac. I've accidentally stumbled through my life, somehow managing to hit a lot of the major achievement points along the way. I now know what the guy who invented drifting feels like. It really looks like comedy requires effort.
So, I'm gonna put in effort. Not just thinking effort. Saying effort. Performing effort. Writing effort. And because I'm publicly telling people this, I'm gonna look like an idiot if I don't. The next open mic is Friday. I'm gonna be in my top form and I'm going to be super prepared.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
open mic 29
Date: 10 June, 2011
Venue: Hollywood Hotel
Stasis: The state of being where you are neither moving forward nor backwards. It can be because that next peak is hard to get to, or it can be because the forces surrounding you are making it hard to progress. It doesn't feel good to be in this place, even if it's a good place to be. Always wanting more is a good thing. Even if perfectionism is bad, the drive to keep improving every time is laudable. Noble, even.
That said, my new material didn't go over as well as I'd hoped. This is usually the case. But it's good to learn that because I'd rather have 5 minutes of material I know needs work than to have 5 minutes of material that I think works, but doesn't.
The good news is that everytime there's a bad set, you feel disappointment, so you get into that "if only I'd said ______" mode. That mode is incredibly generative for new ideas. Did I come up with some good new material? We'll find out.
Venue: Hollywood Hotel
Stasis: The state of being where you are neither moving forward nor backwards. It can be because that next peak is hard to get to, or it can be because the forces surrounding you are making it hard to progress. It doesn't feel good to be in this place, even if it's a good place to be. Always wanting more is a good thing. Even if perfectionism is bad, the drive to keep improving every time is laudable. Noble, even.
That said, my new material didn't go over as well as I'd hoped. This is usually the case. But it's good to learn that because I'd rather have 5 minutes of material I know needs work than to have 5 minutes of material that I think works, but doesn't.
The good news is that everytime there's a bad set, you feel disappointment, so you get into that "if only I'd said ______" mode. That mode is incredibly generative for new ideas. Did I come up with some good new material? We'll find out.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
open mic 28
Date 1 June 2011
Venue: the spot cafe.
I'll keep this post short because my set was also short. I claimed 5 but only used 3-ish minutes. I'm okay with that because I really only had about 1 minute's worth of stuff to say. The entire set had one good new joke I'll use later, and some old-ish material that I'll keep in because it works. I think the key is talking about how I don't really know things.
And the fact of the matter is, I don't actually know things. I blog because it's cathartic and helps me track my progress. And I'm obsessed with the idea of progress and of keeping track of things because I'm a bit OCD like that.
People tell me I'm smart. I guess I believe it because I did well academically. I did well in high school too, as long as it didn't involve talking to girls. The thing is, I don't feel smart. I feel more like a bullshitter and I guess I'm pretty good at being a bullshitter. But I worry that someone will point out that I've been faking it all along. "You! You wear glasses but you can't actually do smart-people things. You just listen to NPR and don't exercise. He's an imposter!" and then I'll have to go live in a cave or something.
Venue: the spot cafe.
I'll keep this post short because my set was also short. I claimed 5 but only used 3-ish minutes. I'm okay with that because I really only had about 1 minute's worth of stuff to say. The entire set had one good new joke I'll use later, and some old-ish material that I'll keep in because it works. I think the key is talking about how I don't really know things.
And the fact of the matter is, I don't actually know things. I blog because it's cathartic and helps me track my progress. And I'm obsessed with the idea of progress and of keeping track of things because I'm a bit OCD like that.
People tell me I'm smart. I guess I believe it because I did well academically. I did well in high school too, as long as it didn't involve talking to girls. The thing is, I don't feel smart. I feel more like a bullshitter and I guess I'm pretty good at being a bullshitter. But I worry that someone will point out that I've been faking it all along. "You! You wear glasses but you can't actually do smart-people things. You just listen to NPR and don't exercise. He's an imposter!" and then I'll have to go live in a cave or something.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
open mic 27
Date: 22 May 2011
Venue: tribal cafe
God damn, I love this venue. Great crowd, except for the guy in the front row who looked like he was going to cut a bitch. So at least Marcellus Wallace was safe. This guy was distracting everyone, which sucks, but I'm going to get better at my dealing with hecklers skills. Mark my words. I did okay on the back half, the front half is still unpolished, but listening to it was a boost. People laughed harder than I remembered.
Anyways, in lieu of more content, here's an image macro from the 'Best of Nick Klaus' series.
Venue: tribal cafe
God damn, I love this venue. Great crowd, except for the guy in the front row who looked like he was going to cut a bitch. So at least Marcellus Wallace was safe. This guy was distracting everyone, which sucks, but I'm going to get better at my dealing with hecklers skills. Mark my words. I did okay on the back half, the front half is still unpolished, but listening to it was a boost. People laughed harder than I remembered.
Anyways, in lieu of more content, here's an image macro from the 'Best of Nick Klaus' series.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
open mics 25 and 26
Date: 20 May, 2011
Venue: Hollywood Hotel
Ooh. A new venue means new opportunities. I think there's something to be said for trying to perform at as many open mics as possible, because there's always a slightly different crowd at each one, and the more people you expose yourself to, the better.
The room is in the basement of the Hollywood Hotel. It's closeby and there's sometimes actually an audience, it seems. Slightly different crowd leads to different opportunities. My set was almost all new jokes, and that went better. This lead to one of the comics taking time after my set to tell me about another bar that had another open mic that night, would I be interested in going?
Yes. Yes I would
Date: later that night
Venue: Westwood Brewing Company (brew co)
There's a lot to like about this space. It's late at night, It's got good food and people will actually wander in from the party going on outside. They'll all be drunk, but that's sometimes good.
I feel like I'm starting to get somewhere now. I've got people who like my premises. Open mic #24 wasn't good, but compared to that, open mic #s 25 and 26 were better. And that's why I do it.
Venue: Hollywood Hotel
Ooh. A new venue means new opportunities. I think there's something to be said for trying to perform at as many open mics as possible, because there's always a slightly different crowd at each one, and the more people you expose yourself to, the better.
The room is in the basement of the Hollywood Hotel. It's closeby and there's sometimes actually an audience, it seems. Slightly different crowd leads to different opportunities. My set was almost all new jokes, and that went better. This lead to one of the comics taking time after my set to tell me about another bar that had another open mic that night, would I be interested in going?
Yes. Yes I would
Date: later that night
Venue: Westwood Brewing Company (brew co)
There's a lot to like about this space. It's late at night, It's got good food and people will actually wander in from the party going on outside. They'll all be drunk, but that's sometimes good.
I feel like I'm starting to get somewhere now. I've got people who like my premises. Open mic #24 wasn't good, but compared to that, open mic #s 25 and 26 were better. And that's why I do it.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
open mic 24 (for real)
Date: 18 May, 2011
Venue: The Spot Cafe
And now, the anatomy of a bomb.
"Bombing" is when you flail around on stage doing poorly, for those not in the know. Tonight wasn't a total bomb, but it was quite poor. I'd give myself a D+. And I know why it happened.
I need to keep writing jokes. I had been doing the same set over and over, so people had heard it and were bored I think. Open mics are different from rooms where there's an actual audience. It's a solid set, but I need to have the courage to try new things and to see what happens.
The other thing I need to do is preparation. I have to know what I'm going to say before I say it. Going up without any clue whatsoever about what you're saying is a recipe for disaster.
The gist of it is this: If you're doing a bit and it isn't working, see it through and then for next time have new stuff ready. At least on a sinking ship, you know where you are. Changing course mid-stream is going to throw off the people who are with you. That's all the advice I have for now. Right now, I'm just feeling like I have to earn every laugh, and I have to prove it to the world that I'm ready.
I can do this. I've got it in me. Let's laugh.
Venue: The Spot Cafe
And now, the anatomy of a bomb.
"Bombing" is when you flail around on stage doing poorly, for those not in the know. Tonight wasn't a total bomb, but it was quite poor. I'd give myself a D+. And I know why it happened.
I need to keep writing jokes. I had been doing the same set over and over, so people had heard it and were bored I think. Open mics are different from rooms where there's an actual audience. It's a solid set, but I need to have the courage to try new things and to see what happens.
The other thing I need to do is preparation. I have to know what I'm going to say before I say it. Going up without any clue whatsoever about what you're saying is a recipe for disaster.
The gist of it is this: If you're doing a bit and it isn't working, see it through and then for next time have new stuff ready. At least on a sinking ship, you know where you are. Changing course mid-stream is going to throw off the people who are with you. That's all the advice I have for now. Right now, I'm just feeling like I have to earn every laugh, and I have to prove it to the world that I'm ready.
I can do this. I've got it in me. Let's laugh.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Open mic 23 (for real)
Date: 6 May, 2011
Venue: Silverlake lounge
I did pretty good. A lot of people didn't show up, so we got longer sets (4 minutes!).
However, I'm going to give a tip to all aspiring comics doing Standup for their first time.
If this is your first time on stage, you will need to learn about "The light". This is the signal given to tell you that it's nearing the end of your set, generally it means you have one minute left. Sometimes there will be a second light that means "you're done, finish up and go". Some clubs are a little lax about going over your time, some clubs are strict to the point where you won't be allowed to perform again if you go over time.
The other thing is that the stage lighting on stage is bright. Really bright. You probably won't be able to see "The light" unless you know to look for it. So if you're not careful, your first time you run the risk of going over time by a lot. Don't let this happen to you. We know you probably don't mean to be rude by going over time, but it's not something you want to do even accidentally.
Bring up a cell phone or watch: anything with a really visible time display on it. Check it periodically, if you haven't practiced your jokes before. Its okay if you go short, but its not okay if you go over time by too much. One of the best ways to get on an MCs bad side is to be known as the person who goes over time.
Venue: Silverlake lounge
I did pretty good. A lot of people didn't show up, so we got longer sets (4 minutes!).
However, I'm going to give a tip to all aspiring comics doing Standup for their first time.
If this is your first time on stage, you will need to learn about "The light". This is the signal given to tell you that it's nearing the end of your set, generally it means you have one minute left. Sometimes there will be a second light that means "you're done, finish up and go". Some clubs are a little lax about going over your time, some clubs are strict to the point where you won't be allowed to perform again if you go over time.
The other thing is that the stage lighting on stage is bright. Really bright. You probably won't be able to see "The light" unless you know to look for it. So if you're not careful, your first time you run the risk of going over time by a lot. Don't let this happen to you. We know you probably don't mean to be rude by going over time, but it's not something you want to do even accidentally.
Bring up a cell phone or watch: anything with a really visible time display on it. Check it periodically, if you haven't practiced your jokes before. Its okay if you go short, but its not okay if you go over time by too much. One of the best ways to get on an MCs bad side is to be known as the person who goes over time.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
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.
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.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Open mic 24?
Date: 17 April, 2011
Venue: Tribal cafe.
This was my first time performing at the tribal cafe. With a name like that, yes it is a place where they talk about removing toxins on the menu and it has ads for drum circles in the board at the front. As though 4 a gallon gas didn't make me feel guilty enough for driving here by myself.
Anyways, I need to do 2 things: I need to be more social with comics and I need to get some business cards. Cause I did a damn good job tonight. It felt solid, and the FBI Intern bit worked well. I think there's a lot of material there I need to explore. Like, skipping over the urge to tell new and unproven stuff and telling the jokes that are within my wheelhouse was really what it took.
So, I'm going to re-number a couple of these. Open mics are one thing, but auditions are another and workshops are a third. So 500 open mics stand between me and what I'm going after... not 500 open mics and workshops and whatever else there is.
Venue: Tribal cafe.
This was my first time performing at the tribal cafe. With a name like that, yes it is a place where they talk about removing toxins on the menu and it has ads for drum circles in the board at the front. As though 4 a gallon gas didn't make me feel guilty enough for driving here by myself.
Anyways, I need to do 2 things: I need to be more social with comics and I need to get some business cards. Cause I did a damn good job tonight. It felt solid, and the FBI Intern bit worked well. I think there's a lot of material there I need to explore. Like, skipping over the urge to tell new and unproven stuff and telling the jokes that are within my wheelhouse was really what it took.
So, I'm going to re-number a couple of these. Open mics are one thing, but auditions are another and workshops are a third. So 500 open mics stand between me and what I'm going after... not 500 open mics and workshops and whatever else there is.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
open mic 23
Date: 15 April 2011
Venue: Silverlake Lounge
I'm feeling really good. I opened with a pun that the audience adored. Things went a bit downhill from there, but I know that I have a solid joke that kills. This is promising.
A lot of it comes in getting people's attention. If you lose them at the start, nobody's going to pay attention because why bother? You haven't established yourself as someone worthy of attention. It's very harsh, but it's how things are: first impressions matter.
I tried to stick to the schtick I'd set up in my last post. FBI Intern hit a bit of a snag, but I think with sticking to my guns, I can make it funny again. I also tried to throw in some new material, which didn't go over as well as I'd hoped. There's a big gap between 'this is funny' and 'this is something I think is amusing' and that difference is that an idea that has potential isn't enough... I have to say what that potential is and define it. Once you claim the idea, it's yours.
That aside, I think I've got a little less work ahead of me. I've got some solid premises, and I really need to hit up more venues. Tomorrow I'm going to Tsunamedy. This should be fun.
Also, I have a fan! Phil, a guy who's been here for 3 weeks came up after my set and said he thought I was funny. Knowing that makes things a lot easier. I really need to start reaching out to other comics though.
Venue: Silverlake Lounge
I'm feeling really good. I opened with a pun that the audience adored. Things went a bit downhill from there, but I know that I have a solid joke that kills. This is promising.
A lot of it comes in getting people's attention. If you lose them at the start, nobody's going to pay attention because why bother? You haven't established yourself as someone worthy of attention. It's very harsh, but it's how things are: first impressions matter.
I tried to stick to the schtick I'd set up in my last post. FBI Intern hit a bit of a snag, but I think with sticking to my guns, I can make it funny again. I also tried to throw in some new material, which didn't go over as well as I'd hoped. There's a big gap between 'this is funny' and 'this is something I think is amusing' and that difference is that an idea that has potential isn't enough... I have to say what that potential is and define it. Once you claim the idea, it's yours.
That aside, I think I've got a little less work ahead of me. I've got some solid premises, and I really need to hit up more venues. Tomorrow I'm going to Tsunamedy. This should be fun.
Also, I have a fan! Phil, a guy who's been here for 3 weeks came up after my set and said he thought I was funny. Knowing that makes things a lot easier. I really need to start reaching out to other comics though.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
open mics 21 and 22
Date: 8 April 2011
Venue: Silverlake Lounge
The sad thing about this room is how life-sucking it is. And yet, I did not bad. I feel like I was able to reach beyond my normal audience. I had good material. But I would not call this a success.
I was mildly drunk. This made things bad
Here's the thing. There's a tendency to assume that a few beers will make you loosen up and become better at being conversational. The idea sounds nice, but in reality it's kind of shaky and not true. Some people really do need to lighten up but that comes with practice. You want to sound conversational, but in reality so much is practiced and rehearsed and ready for anything. It's over-preparation disguised as under-preparation.
That said, I need to practice more. I need to actually rehearse and go over my bits. I've got some funny stuff, and this time I tried and aimed for my audience. Next time, I know what I'm going for.
Open mic 22
Date: 9 April 2011
Venue: the Spot Cafe
How much is too much?
There's a question. You want variety, but not at the expense of not polishing a joke. There's something to be said for trying a joke over and over to see if it has legs. There's also something to be said for trying lots of things. I fell into the latter camp. But I think I have a solid amount of stuff now.
'FBI Intern' has legs. 'Louie Louie' doesn't. 'Job Fair' has legs. 'Wynn Hyundai' probably doesn't. That pun is a keeper.
I think future sets are going to be like this:
3 minutes:
Roommates
Job Fair
Media Buying
FBI Intern
5 minutes:
Roommates
Graduating/Living with family.
Job Fair
Media Buying
FBI Intern
Obviously, this is a work in progress. But I'll try and stick with it.
Venue: Silverlake Lounge
The sad thing about this room is how life-sucking it is. And yet, I did not bad. I feel like I was able to reach beyond my normal audience. I had good material. But I would not call this a success.
I was mildly drunk. This made things bad
Here's the thing. There's a tendency to assume that a few beers will make you loosen up and become better at being conversational. The idea sounds nice, but in reality it's kind of shaky and not true. Some people really do need to lighten up but that comes with practice. You want to sound conversational, but in reality so much is practiced and rehearsed and ready for anything. It's over-preparation disguised as under-preparation.
That said, I need to practice more. I need to actually rehearse and go over my bits. I've got some funny stuff, and this time I tried and aimed for my audience. Next time, I know what I'm going for.
Open mic 22
Date: 9 April 2011
Venue: the Spot Cafe
How much is too much?
There's a question. You want variety, but not at the expense of not polishing a joke. There's something to be said for trying a joke over and over to see if it has legs. There's also something to be said for trying lots of things. I fell into the latter camp. But I think I have a solid amount of stuff now.
'FBI Intern' has legs. 'Louie Louie' doesn't. 'Job Fair' has legs. 'Wynn Hyundai' probably doesn't. That pun is a keeper.
I think future sets are going to be like this:
3 minutes:
Roommates
Job Fair
Media Buying
FBI Intern
5 minutes:
Roommates
Graduating/Living with family.
Job Fair
Media Buying
FBI Intern
Obviously, this is a work in progress. But I'll try and stick with it.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
open mics 19 and 20
Oh man, another twofer. This brings me up to 4% of the way there.
Let's look at it.
#19:
Date: 1 April, 2011
Venue: Silverlake Lounge
Holy cow, running into the very impressive Mark Mead. And getting friends to come and see me. Two cool things in one evening. I had 3 minutes and I didn't run out of stuff. I also had a friend record my set. I'll post it on Youtube if I'm feeling generous later.
I do look a bit tense. I need to relax and tone it down a bit. I might also need to try and aim a little... older. I'm okay with being a college comedian, but I need some material that aims a bit older. If I can pull that off, I'll be good.
#20:
Date: 2 April, 2011
Venue: The Spot Cafe
This is the friendliest room in LA. It's all comics, so it's not the perfect room, but it feels good. I actually recorded myself kicking ass, so I've got that going for me. (I should mention that 'kicking ass' is a relative term. I'm not gaining laughs as hard or as strong as other comics, but they're relatively solid. Listening to the recordings is helping)
The best thing I can think of, as far as comedy goes is to be ones' self. I'm trying to have my time on stage just be me talking about stuff. Instead, I'm still amping up the energy in response to nerves, so instead of 'me', it's becoming 'hyper me'. I know 4% of your max. possible capacity is still not that much, but I figure with 20 open mics under my belt, that I should be starting to hit my stride and I should have the calmness thing figured out. I'm not worried or concerned, but it would be nice to figure it out.
On the plus side, it's been a really long time since I bombed. I can live with that.
Let's look at it.
#19:
Date: 1 April, 2011
Venue: Silverlake Lounge
Holy cow, running into the very impressive Mark Mead. And getting friends to come and see me. Two cool things in one evening. I had 3 minutes and I didn't run out of stuff. I also had a friend record my set. I'll post it on Youtube if I'm feeling generous later.
I do look a bit tense. I need to relax and tone it down a bit. I might also need to try and aim a little... older. I'm okay with being a college comedian, but I need some material that aims a bit older. If I can pull that off, I'll be good.
#20:
Date: 2 April, 2011
Venue: The Spot Cafe
This is the friendliest room in LA. It's all comics, so it's not the perfect room, but it feels good. I actually recorded myself kicking ass, so I've got that going for me. (I should mention that 'kicking ass' is a relative term. I'm not gaining laughs as hard or as strong as other comics, but they're relatively solid. Listening to the recordings is helping)
The best thing I can think of, as far as comedy goes is to be ones' self. I'm trying to have my time on stage just be me talking about stuff. Instead, I'm still amping up the energy in response to nerves, so instead of 'me', it's becoming 'hyper me'. I know 4% of your max. possible capacity is still not that much, but I figure with 20 open mics under my belt, that I should be starting to hit my stride and I should have the calmness thing figured out. I'm not worried or concerned, but it would be nice to figure it out.
On the plus side, it's been a really long time since I bombed. I can live with that.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Open Mics 17 and 18
Two open mics in two days? Oh heck yes it's happening. I still am going to post separate commentary about each one, but the general theme of this week is all about trying new material.
But Nick, why would you try new material instead of polishing the stuff you're already doing?
I think it's more honest. Anyone can speak a clever, pithy pun or other wordplay. But only I can be me. So let's break it down.
Date: 25 March, 2011
Venue: Silverlake Lounge
Three and a bit minutes, and I actually got a decent spot on the list. (I signed up for spot number 6, a much choicer spot than #19) I did okay. People laughed at jokes. I actually did have a recording of the set, it's not bad... it's just that the jokes are a little rough.
And now, the follow-up:
Date: 26 March, 2011
Venue: The Spot Cafe
This is a cool little room, because Saturdays they have a joke-and-commentary session. You get five minutes, and people give you feedback.
Listening to the recording from last night gave me a chance to hear where the gaps were, and where the less-than-funny jokes were. So today I worked to improve the set, and clear things up. This set went even better. People were laughing, and the comments I received were that it was a pretty smart set. No, I don't have a recording of it.
Here's where I'm at: Within the Month of April, I'm going to try and get some recording up on the site. Maybe on Youtube. I'm also going to try and audition for the show the people behind the room host. I'll have to do a 10 minute set, and I'll have to be around in LA for a while. Fingers crossed, ladies and gents.
But Nick, why would you try new material instead of polishing the stuff you're already doing?
I think it's more honest. Anyone can speak a clever, pithy pun or other wordplay. But only I can be me. So let's break it down.
Date: 25 March, 2011
Venue: Silverlake Lounge
Three and a bit minutes, and I actually got a decent spot on the list. (I signed up for spot number 6, a much choicer spot than #19) I did okay. People laughed at jokes. I actually did have a recording of the set, it's not bad... it's just that the jokes are a little rough.
And now, the follow-up:
Date: 26 March, 2011
Venue: The Spot Cafe
This is a cool little room, because Saturdays they have a joke-and-commentary session. You get five minutes, and people give you feedback.
Listening to the recording from last night gave me a chance to hear where the gaps were, and where the less-than-funny jokes were. So today I worked to improve the set, and clear things up. This set went even better. People were laughing, and the comments I received were that it was a pretty smart set. No, I don't have a recording of it.
Here's where I'm at: Within the Month of April, I'm going to try and get some recording up on the site. Maybe on Youtube. I'm also going to try and audition for the show the people behind the room host. I'll have to do a 10 minute set, and I'll have to be around in LA for a while. Fingers crossed, ladies and gents.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Open Mic 16
Date: 16 March 2011
Venue: The Spot cafe
I'll be returning to this lovely cafe tomorrow, to ply my craft and see what works. It's penance for not going out tonight, which I admit I should have. Le sigh.
The thing is not that I don't want to perform, it's that I have other things on my mind. I'm trying to balance schoolwork with whatever semi-social life I have, and balancing that with comedy. Couple all that with my general apathetic nature towards actual work and the ill-founded belief that I am owed this, and things will have to change.
I think the attitude I'll have to adopt is that I am owed nothing. I have to earn and work for every laugh. I deserve the silence, I work for every laugh.
I listened to this performance. It wasn't terrible, but there is a lot of silence on my part. I think this means I have to practice more. I'm not going to try and present myself as something I'm not, but I have to present myself as something. Defining myself as a character might help.
One of the comics said I did a good set. Thanks, man. I didn't actually do a good set, but I'll take what I can get.
Venue: The Spot cafe
I'll be returning to this lovely cafe tomorrow, to ply my craft and see what works. It's penance for not going out tonight, which I admit I should have. Le sigh.
The thing is not that I don't want to perform, it's that I have other things on my mind. I'm trying to balance schoolwork with whatever semi-social life I have, and balancing that with comedy. Couple all that with my general apathetic nature towards actual work and the ill-founded belief that I am owed this, and things will have to change.
I think the attitude I'll have to adopt is that I am owed nothing. I have to earn and work for every laugh. I deserve the silence, I work for every laugh.
I listened to this performance. It wasn't terrible, but there is a lot of silence on my part. I think this means I have to practice more. I'm not going to try and present myself as something I'm not, but I have to present myself as something. Defining myself as a character might help.
One of the comics said I did a good set. Thanks, man. I didn't actually do a good set, but I'll take what I can get.
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