One mic since the first of the year, three week end shows
with the Outliars, and no blog postings.
Not that I’m easing into 2015, I’ve just been busy with life for a few
weeks. It was very exciting to do shows
in front of nice audiences each of those four January nights. People who decided that a good night out for
them would be a comedy show, it doesn’t get any better than that. They’re out for a night of laughs and performing
for them is a treat.
Friday night January 2nd, I had a good five
minute set. It was the first time I’ve
recorded a set in a few months. It’s on
my To Do List 2015, so I’ve got to start recording them all. Most of the time by an 8:00 show or class,
I’ve let the battery on my phone die, or I’ve needed to use it for a set list. Saturday the 3rd, I was able to do a
thirteen minute set which was exciting; it was the longest set I’ve worked
through. Most of the laughs happened where they should have, and I had more if
my phone didn’t die.
That next weekend I was off celebrating my 34th
wedding anniversary with my wife Donna, this past Friday night with the
Outliars, I rolled out a couple new jokes that worked. They’re works in
progress that have been works in progress since August. (I choose not to use them at a mic earlier in
the week at Native Grill because they’re not nasty enough. They love a good dick joke at the Native
Grill.) In addition to my new jokes, the
improv those nights went well too. I’m
looking forward to long form improv gearing up, 5 to 10 minute scenes. It’s exciting to perform-- you get to ease
into the scene and the laughs. It
happens at a pace that I think sets up a little better for me right now.
On top of anniversaries, and working, and easing back into
the new year, I’m currently reading Yes
Please by Amy Poehler, I’ve enjoyed it very much. I find myself laughing
out loud almost every time I get to sit down and read. I’ve appreciated these three thoughts of hers
the most so far: 1) That as you get
older the phrase “actions speak louder than words” finally starts to make sense
to you. 2) In regards to learning
improv, if you’re afraid to look stupid you should probably go home and 3) that
every scene is all about making your partner look good. That’s a thought that I’m trying to work into
my life on an everyday basis.
Whew—you take almost a month off from blog posting, and you
have a lot to say on your first blog back! J I’m ALSO waiting for classes to resume with
Outliars Comedy in the next few weeks. I’m excited to try a sketch class. I like the idea of the 5 minute short script
writing, it has given me a chance to think about how I want to try to work my
work schedule to allow me to schedule, a class, two mics, an improv rehearsal,
and some shows into the week? Not even to
mention the upcoming educational comedy opportunities as they present
themselves. I enjoy taking classes and
workshops, in hopes that they will help guide me to greatness one day sooner
than without them-- think of all the frustration saved. I seem
to learn from structured comedy classes and get overwhelmed at workshops. Even though I feel that I have a tough time
with workshops, I always leave feeling better prepared and usually inspired by
spending the day with greatness. Like
these three gems from previous workshops attended, 1) it better be funny to
you, 2) write about the simple things in your life, and 3) some things are hard to write funny
jokes about. Contact Dave Thurston
480-784-7258 to enroll in the workshop.
Another workshop coming up is being taught by Tim O’Malley
who currently coaches improv at the Second City Conservatory in Chicago, and
was a Second City Main Stage performer with Steve Carrell, Chris Farley, and
Tim Meadows. This workshop will be January
31st. He will be joined by Jay Sukow, a world class Chicago
improviser and well known instructor.
I’m more excited for this workshop than the Super “Big Game” Bowl that
same weekend.
In addition to getting
great coaching, is getting stage time to work through the mechanics of comedy
and getting comfortable with the “look at me LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME AND FUCKING LAUGH!!!!” confidence that you have to
develop. I’m a big believer in “The
Process.” Whatever that is-- I know it’s
something different for everybody. I’ve had a comic tell me “time spent working
learning the steps, doesn’t matter if you’re not funny.” I don’t agree, I think you can be taught the
skills to have a chance to be funny on a regular basis. At least that is what I’m banking on.
I have written a few
new jokes this month, one that I’ve been thinking about for a while, really years.
However, I haven’t written an edgy joke
in about three months. Sometimes I feel
the need to just write one up for mic purposes. I’ll have to work “The Process” to see what I
can come up with. Opps, set list alert,
since I’ve tried going, “dick joke” free a few months back, I found a jerk off joke
has worked its way back into my set.
Chinese Jerk Off: Last
week I saw a story about a Chinese graduate school student who died; he was
found expired while trying to make his 4th deposit in 10 days at a
local sperm bank. His official cause of
death was listed as frequent masturbation; if that was case, I should have been
dead 40 years ago and maybe every week since.
No wonder seasoned
veterans say they would never use something they wrote in year one, glad I
slide that one under the door. One of the reasons I like mics, is you can just
do something you normally wouldn’t do most nights. It’s hard not to use a joke that gets a laugh
every time you use it.
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