Filed under: financial progress, stand-up journal, video | Tags: audience, cold, crowd, warming up
Cold.
The weather. The comics. The audience.
Last weekend’s November 22nd show had probably one of the slowest starts I’ve seen in a while. After the host and two comics, the audience was flatlining. Then, it was my turn.
I have had this type of crowd before, about two months ago. I chronicled it in Sophomore Dip – an experience that made me realize I always have to be the one in control of the crowd’s energy. So I went out there and got the crowd riled up. New Halloween joke? Make an excuse to have the crowd cheer for Halloween. I’m Asian? Make them pointlessly cheer for being Asian. Yes, it makes no sense, but it’s fun, and it gets the show going. People paid $15 to see a show. Make it worth it.
The show wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, but at least I brought the defibrillators. It was decent enough that I think all comedy clubs should have soundtracks after each performance. I would have loved to dance offstage to “Heat it up.”
Thanks to Mikel, Laura, Jeff, and Andrew who came out to support. I’m glad you guys got to see a decent set. Thanks to two great audience members, Jessie and Kenna (? – Sorry, I might have forgotten your name), who told me, “you were the best comic tonight.”
—
Update on financial progress:
Total support to date: 18 people
Total number of people who gave me a high-five after my performance: 1 person
Total number of people who are said, “you were the best one tonight”: 2 people
Previous dollar TOTAL: $26.95
How much I made from 4th Bringer Show: $20
Cost of DVD from 4th Bringer Show: $0
TOTAL: $6.95
Filed under: financial progress, stand-up journal | Tags: Asian Longhorned Beetles, beat, cadence, crowd, DVD, MP3, overthinking comedy, that's what she said, WAV
Thanks to Andrea, Alexa, Eissa, Tori, Jordana, and Jordana’s friend Stephanie for coming out last night. You guys are awesome. Alexa or Andrea (whoever owns the camera), send me that great photo already. I need to put it up somewhere and frame it. Haha.
My second bringer show went pretty decently. It wasn’t bad by all means, but it wasn’t great either, and I think my lack of experience peeped in a little. I expected that I had to deliver some jokes differently. What I didn’t expect was for the jokes to hit at completely different spots from what I am used to. This threw me off quite a bit – when I wasn’t looking for laughs, sometimes they would come, and I wasn’t prepared to slow down my delivery for the audience to fully appreciate it. In fact, at one point I tried the “that’s not the joke” joke, but delivered it in a way that made me look like I was actually telling them to stop laughing. Then, when I was looking for some pretty big laughs to get an oratory “break,” they didn’t come, which put a pretty big hump in the beat.
I like to hit it fast (insert “that’s what she said” joke here) with a steady beat. Last night, my cadence stuttered.
The Asian Longhorned Beetle joke flopped pretty badly, and in hindsight, maybe I should have seen it coming. Apparently most of the crowd was from Brooklyn and residential areas and it’s possible they don’t take that many subways. I wonder how aware they even are of the impending danger of tree-killing beetles.
Not the crowd’s fault, though. Never blame the crowd. It’s not the crowd’s job to laugh at your jokes. It’s your job to make the crowd laugh at your jokes. Seems obvious, but in my short comedy career, I’ve already met some shitty comedians who blame the crowd. “Oh, they’re too dumb to get it.” No. They get it. Your joke just sucks. Asshole.
—
Update on financial progress:
Total support to date: 12 people
Previous dollar TOTAL: $16.95
How much I made from 2nd Bringer Show: $30
Cost of DVD from 2nd Bringer Show: $20
TOTAL: $6.95
