Category: Performance Critiques

A Saturday afternoon open mic

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TulTHW6TofI

2m10s Do the phone camera part sooner

2m55s I like the pause and going to more fast paced call backs of “blurry blurry dark dark”

3m40s I can stop saying “page” sooner and just count numbers

4m15s Don’t smile or laugh, fully commit to the bit

4m50s At least I’m having fun

Overall: I did a five minute long joke and stayed committed to it even when it wasn’t hitting so well. Pulling out the phone and taking a photo is funny and I should do that sooner.

A check spot on a Friday night

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT5yJdVJMJ0

2m04s Saying I’ll be flirting with the girls makes the guys pay attention

4m50s I can probably get rid of “the eucharist” part

Overall: This was really solid for a check spot. The audience was noisy for a little bit but I got them paying attention and laughing as soon as they finished paying bills.

An open mic

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKvbyJWT9BY

0m23s No need to say the expectations line

0m42s This starts off a little too angry, I need to change the setup

1m55s I need to get the audience on my side for the whole photo bit, make the person showing me photos more annoying

2m41s This is one reason I still go to open mics, better to mess up here than a real show

3m53s Don’t say the word “joke”

4m14s Get rid of the seconds parts and the photo op part

5m05s Don’t say “joke”

7m03s But my hand lower so it doesn’t cover my face

7m29s Someone started with “what’s his name” so I “yes and-ed” it

Overall: The photo joke needs a lot of work at the start of it, and I need to stop saying the word “joke” in my act

MCing my bar show in Queens

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uTBFmfa2RM

0m54s After “I never go anywhere” throw in “I just sit at this bar all day”

2m43s Usually I’d say I’m going too fast, but MCing and being at a bar show, you need to go fast or everyone is guaranteed to zone out

3m53s Don’t go back to the photo joke after a long interruption

5m14s Get more excitable and energetic during “grainy grainy dune dune”

6m23s It was a comic

8m40s This is called powering thru

Part 2

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVK8dPSlIXc

0m56s Don’t say the word “deli” twice in a row

Overall: I was able to stay energetic and more or less positive while being mostly ignored by the bar patrons, so this was a good exercise in powering through.

Late night open mic for music, magic and something resembling comedy

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL100jy6ugk

0m59s First minute went as bad as it could go

1m49s I gotta say something while the mic is being adjusted or everyone will stop paying attention

2m10s The first two minutes didn’t have any scripted jokes and the attempted improvisation was off

3m58s The only thing worse than getting yelled at is when the yelling isn’t directed at you

5m32s After addressing the loudness a few times, the only thing I could do was try to power through

Part 2

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myVGMVrqiM8

0m28s I’m not usually this down and discouraged, I need to learn to power through talking and ignoring without getting too affected by it (or to learn to get the talkative people who don’t want anything to do with comedy to listen to me)

4m24s If that gets a big laugh here, it’s probably a keeper

Overall: I learned that the answer to “how long can Ben talk and power thru a set where barely anyone is listening and most of the people in the venue are ignoring and talking over him” is twenty minutes. I need to get this figure up to forty five minutes.