Category: Comedy

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Performance Critique: June 05a

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxKDIVJ0DOc

0m34s First time this opener worked as well as it did, I think this crowd was predominantly male so I didn’t want to open with the model bit

2m05s The statement ‘you guys look like you like to smoke the drugs” works better when I just look around the room at everyone instead of addressing a group

3m14s Don’t shake my head, just throw my hand up and give the “what the f?” look

3m40s It’d be better to say “good, none of you are child molesters”

4m31s If someone replies with “yes” then ask them “isn’t that demasculating?”

Overall: Nothing too special or of not, just a standard set in front of a small crowd… A different opener worked which hadn’t previously worked. I was also able to save a joke (and maybe the set) by doing the “if someone doesn’t laugh, I just assume they’re deaf” line.

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Performance Critique: June 03

Small crowd of 6 or 8 people

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlNJ6swwaPc

0m08s I didn’t ask for this intro, but had to go with it

2m40s This crowd just isn’t feeling me

3m44s Look at the people I asked the question of when I start the joke

5m00s Smile a little after “just so you can drink for two”

6m02s No need to do two “if someone doesn’t laugh” jokes in a row

Overall: Either I didn’t connect with the crowd or the crowd just didn’t like laughing out loud. My delivery was more or less the same as usual, but it just didn’t work out well this time. You win some, you lose some.

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Comedy Goals 2009: Mid Year Checkpoint

At the begginning of the year I posted my goals for stand up in the coming year. Being as today is my one year anniversary as a stand up comedian and also the half way point of the year, I’m comparing my stated goals with what I’ve done to date. Go public accountability!

BLACK text is my original goal, and BOLD text is my update.

Performing:

  • Get on stage 150 times this year
    To date, I’ve been on stage 144 times this year
  • Submit an entry to 2 comedy festivals / comedy contests this year
    I submitted to two festivals, still waiting to hear back
  • Perform at 3 college shows
    Zero college shows so far, although I’ve done 3 prom shows for high school kids. I plan on really starting to do the college shows in October.
  • Do 50 shows in front of a real (people that are not comedians) audience (barking for time counts for this)
    I’ve done 113 shows with real audiences
  • Practice 10 minutes of my material outloud each day, without notes
    I have been practicing 6 days a week on average (between being on stage and practicing at home)

Producing:

  • Start producing a recurring show
    My pending move to LA in August caused me to delay the start of this, but it’s still on the agenda

Writing:

  • Write 100 blog posts
    I have 149 posts this year as of today. However, when I set this goal, I wasn’t planning on doing a performance critique of every set… without the performance critique posts I’d be a lot closer to 30… In the next six months, I want to post more comedy stories, skills and techniques instead of just posting performance critiques of my sets
  • Write (something, anything) every day
    I’m writing 3-4 days a week, but not every day
  • Write one spec script
    I have yet to start a spec script
  • Write 5 short sketches
    I wrote one short sketch thus far. This goal should be achieved by the end of July as I’m taking a three week sketch comedy writing class.

Learning:

  • Take an improv class
    I completed a level one improv class and will be spending all of July in an intensive 4 week improv program.

Traffic & Marketing:

  • Get my facebook fan page up to 150 fans
    I’m currently at 39 fans. Not on pace to achieve this goal. Go here to become my fan on facebook and to help me achieve my goal 🙂
  • Get 50 RSS Subscribers
    I’m currently at 15 RSS subscribers. Not on pace to achieve this goal…
  • Have 200 unique visitors a month to the blog
    In April, May and June I’ve averaged a little over 200 visitors a month to my site

Overall grade for halfway through the year: B

The good news is that I can still achieve all my goals for the year but I’m not halfway done with each and everyone of them at this point. I’m performing way ahead of the pace I set for myself, I’m taking more comedy classes than I planned to and my web visitors are going up. However, I’m not writing enough, haven’t started to produce my own show and don’t have as many Facebook Fans and RSS Subscribers as I’d like. (These last two internet metrics aren’t that important to me at this point as I’m trying to spend the majority of my time on getting funnier than on marketing myself.)

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My One Year in Comedy Anniversary

One year ago today I got up on stage for the first time. I had notes. My hands were trembling, my delivery was awful and the laughs were few and far between. Even with all that, as soon as I got off stage, I knew I loved it and I was hooked. So much has happened in the past year it’s crazy:

– I’ve become friends with a lot of really interesting people, not just the comedians but fans and other bloggers too

– I’ve been on stage 201 times

– I’ve gotten a lot funnier and better at delivering the material (or so I like to think)

Compare my time ever on stage (July 1, 2008):

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuLrV6mQFbA

To this performance a little less than one year later (June 27th, 2009):

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CjWzvIFTxk

While the two videos above provide a stunning contrast, I plan to make even greater strides in the future.

More from the last year:

– I produced a show at Rutgers University

– I’ve performed in shows in NYC, Philadelphia and DC

– In the past two months I’ve started getting the occasional paid spot

– I’ve taken level 1 improv

I didn’t know what to expect a year ago, and for the most part I don’t know what the next year will bring. The only certainty about my ongoing adventure is that I’ll be taking both intensive improv and intensive sketch writing classes in July and that I’ll be moving to LA in August. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the coming year and hope to share it with everyone reading!

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Performance Critique: May 31

This is the feedback mic I go to on Sundays

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AELy6YCloiM

0m58s I missed doing an act out of what I sounded like

1m15s Alliteration is when you reuse the same sounds

2m23s I didn’t realize that line got a laugh until I just rewatched it

3m44s Explain “when you get out of it” better

3m54s No need for an act out there

Overall: I tried out some new jokes and some of them worked. They all need to be fixed up, but at least there’s potential. New jokes always take me a few weeks to figure out (sometimes longer).

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