Stand Up Comedy?

Lately, I've been throwing around the idea of entering the comedy "industry" as a hobby/side gig.

If there is one thing that I follow outside of cars and racing, it's writing and comedy. I'm an avid comedy nerd, and love hearing new sets.

I've written a few bits for myself, and I'm thinking that I'm going to start going to open mic nights to work out the material. We'll see if I can actually make anyone laugh...

I don't have any delusions of making this a full time thing. I have a 9 to 5 that I enjoy, and don't want to leave, just might be fun to get on stage and work out some material some nights...

One of my friends manages bands on the weekends, and he has shown some interest in helping me find local night and weekend gigs once I get my material and anxieties worked out. Sometimes it's not what you know, but who you know, right?

Anyway, does anyone have any advice?

No advice, but that's awesome. We just got the 24/7 comedy channel here in Denver and I've been listening a lot.

Good luck to you! Hope it goes well.

My youngest son does this, also as a hobby kind of thing. Started with open mikes two years ago, now does gigs all over the country. Miami, New York, Vegas, LA. See if you can find his Facebook, Tim Hanlon. Does not make any real money, mainly just for the fun of it. He says the only way you can get into the big time is to get on some TV shows, which he has not. He is funny, in a very dry way.

Here at the Borgata we have comedy 5 or 6 nights a week (depends on the headliners that weekend) and usually they are professionals, but unknown. They get set up with a room for the week, meals, and of course they get paid.

Some of them are REALLY funny.. others, not-so-much

That's all I have to offer

I did a stand-up routine when I was with the Junior Chamber of Commerce a million years ago. It was the most terrifying thing I have ever done! I was always cutting up and telling stories but being introduced to a crowd and told to make them laugh put an entirely different spin on it. I remember watching the crowd as I went thru my routine and seeing their mouths move and it looked like they were laughing but I did not hear anything but my voice. Everyone said I was funny, but I never did it again. I would recommend doing it more then once no matter how it goes. Good Luck!

I am also a huge comedy nerd. Hitting the local comedy club when traveling is one of my favorite things to do. Delivering jokes from the front of the room is a skill I do not possess though. I've seen enough horrified faces during a sales presentation to know where I'm not getting the laughs. (equestrian rape humor has no place in the software industry apparently). If you can pull it off for your own amusement... awesome.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: (equestrian rape humor has no place in the software industry apparently).

Pitching to Catherine the great?

In reply to Maroon92:

Get a thick skin.

We went to a local comedy club a few times.

Most of the acts were pretty good but I watched a couple guys bomb -hard-.

I really felt bad for these guys but they just weren't funny, you felt like giving them a pity laugh or something. A couple times, you could hear a pin drop in that room.

I don't think I could handle something like that, if you're comfortable in front of a bunch of people, go for it.

Shawn

Be prepared for hecklers, and have a plan for dealing with them.

petegossett wrote: Be prepared for hecklers, and have a plan for dealing with them.

Honestly, if you're worrying about this, you're worrying about the wrong stuff. You need to focus more on recognizing what's working and what isn't, and that can be tough when you're starting out.

The key is to find a GOOD open mic night. One that you can attend regularly, with a good mix of regular comics and first timers. And a good open-mic audience. And, yes, such a thing exists. In larger cities, where there's a legitimate comedy "scene," some open mic audiences can be very generous and patient. They're comedy nerds, who are there to hear different styles and perspectives, not to bust someone's balls on stage. Avoid those places like the plague. They're lousy places to learn the craft, and they reward bad habits.

One of the things I tell our news is to concentrate more on being compelling than being funny. An audience will be very generous and patient with you if you're honest, compelling, and act like you belong there. NOTHING will turn an audience against you like losing your confidence. You can go on stage with the most substandard material you've got, but if you present it honestly, and in a compelling manner and with confidence, 90% of the time the audience will accompany you on your journey—for while, anyway.

You also need to spend time developing your character and stage persona. Think of standup as an acting pursuit—because that's what it is. It's an in-character monologue with its own unique narrative flow.

Standup can be very rewarding and VERY frustrating. I've seen both sides. Luckily right now I'm fortunate to be in a great situation with a fantastic audience and a fantastic group of regular performers. We started out with a quarterly open mic, then went monthly, now we're adding weekend shows for 4-5 of us with "feature" quality skills.

If you're interested, definitely give it a try, but understand you'll have to plow through some low spots for a while while you develop your skills.

Also, I'll throw in a good word for improv. If you have a good improv theater nearby, they probably offer classes. You'll learn skills there that will help you every time you set foot on a stage for whatever reason. It's like the theater equivalent of autocross.

jg

By the way, where are you?

jg

More than a few years ago, a buddy did this. He started at a regular open mic night in Vegas, got to be regular enough to host it. He was funny, but not gut splitting. But he worked on it, hard. He was a an engineer by trade, so he studied comedy in a very deep sense.

After a few years of doing this, he left his full time gig in the Air Force and hit the road. He had saved for quite a few years, bought a new SUV flat out and with no bills hit the road. I caught his act early on. He was OK.

While he was travelling he never listend to comedy radio, he was too worried about accidentaly stealing another comedians joke. But he also never missed another comedians live set. He took notes, he listend, he studied and honestly, after a year was pretty funny. I caught his set toward the end and he really come a long way.

But that was his deal. He gave himself one full out year to prove if he could makeit. His SUV had over 120,000 miles in a year and his bank account was $5K lighter than when he started.

He doesn't bemoan the outcome, he is glad to not be older and wonder "if." He had a great time and that is one less regret for when he gets older. He is still funny, still will show up at an open session and has done a little MC work for banquets and the like. He's good at it and keeps doing becuase he likes it. I have muscian friends the same way.

That has really stuck with me. Last year I started submitting written work to online journals. If I get the chance to do something printworthy I will submitt that to a traditional magazine as well.

If it's something you want try something, try it. If you aren't happy about it, study, take criticisim and work at it. Aniexties be dammed. Regret is way worse than stage fright.

Good luck!

JG Pasterjak wrote: By the way, where are you? jg

Unfortunately, Cleveland.

There are more than a few comedy clubs, but it's nothing like Chicago, New York, or LA. (Not that I would want to live in any of those places...)

don't be like Pickles..

http://vampirefreaks.com/playvideo/?v=26572

Also,be prepared to bomb. It happens to all of them. Don't be afraid to try new stuff. OK, audience might not like it, but this is how you find out. Biggest thing is, just do it. Not just once, but keep trying. Different venues, different styles. Tim has done his thing in places like major casinos to comedy clubs, to lesbian bars. It is a job that requires tenacity.

cwh wrote: Also,be prepared to bomb. It happens to all of them. Don't be afraid to try new stuff. OK, audience might not like it, but this is how you find out. Biggest thing is, just do it. Not just once, but keep trying. Different venues, different styles. Tim has done his thing in places like major casinos to comedy clubs, to lesbian bars. It is a job that requires tenacity.

Luckily, I have a "don't really care what others think" attitude, and a ton of confidence.

I don't watch Adventure Time (because I don't smoke pot), but I think Jake is on to something here...

In reply to Maroon92:

I watch The Normal Show. There's an MJ Jeep in that one. I'm not sure there's enough weed out there for me to sit down and watch Adventure Time.

If you have XM you should try to catch "Come to Papa" on Rawdog (channel 99)
It's Tom Papa's show where he basically interviews his friends who are also comedians. He's an excellent interviewer, and the whole show is very interesting and eye opening.
People like Brian Regan are there sharing stories about how they got started.
Other really good episodes were with Big Jay Oakerson and John Mulaney. Every episode I've caught has been great though.

Also, the Ron White show was amazing.

corytate wrote: If you have XM you should try to catch "Come to Papa" on Rawdog (channel 99) It's Tom Papa's show where he basically interviews his friends who are also comedians. He's an excellent interviewer, and the whole show is very interesting and eye opening. People like Brian Regan are there sharing stories about how they got started. Other really good episodes were with Big Jay Oakerson and John Mulaney. Every episode I've caught has been great though.

Man, I need to get XM.

Luckily, I have a "don't really care what others think" attitude

It shows in your personal hygiene!

*that was a little joke.

i'm sure you are more than welcome to bounce some ideas off my mother in law, and she might be able to get you some connections or a start at things. she's a local standup and has done shows around the country.

http://www.kathiedice.com/

The only thing you can do is,Just do it!

My Mothers first time was Improve and was hit. Her second time she worked hard on her act. Went out with Q cards and was a nervous wreck.