Category: Performance Critiques

MCing my weekly bar show

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0o68oeVTJw

1m03s Do the Igor likes this face stronger

1m53s Welcome and acknowledge the people that just walked in

5m36s I could apply the concept of “psychology plant” to any white color job for future crowd work

8m20s Only took 8 minutes to get people to slightly quiet down

9m12s Sneezes can ruin momentum and timing

Part 2

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

0m30s I need to be more high energy and excited when saying “It’s gonna be a fun show”

0m52s This is a terrible joke to do before brining up a comic, even if it’s my favorite joke

Overall: I did a mediocre hosting job. I should’ve gotten the audience to clap it up a second time right at the start to take better control of the room and I need to force myself to do more and better crowd work, even if the first part of crowd work doesn’t hit. I also need to be higher energy when hosting.

Opening a restaurant show for three audience members

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

1m28s Have a better reaction, no need for the music

2m14s Material isn’t hitting, I should’ve gone into crowd work

5m02s At least the new “chess prodigy” line got an almost laugh

5m48s Took way too long to get to crowd work

7m31s Stumble stumble, try not to mumble

Part 2

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

1m02s Better response would’ve been “go to his house”

1m39s Reword to “that’s a first ballot hall of famed”

3m03s At least the suicide joke sorta worked

Overall: This went about as bad as a set can go, but my two new bits of chess prodigy and going to the gym did comparatively well. If the entire first joke misses, I need to learn to jump out of material for a bit and just do some crowd work, and not just one little crowd work but like a minute in a row.

Sunday Writer’s Mic

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GQDUhyF2Sk

0m28s I’m doing the old part of the joke to setup the new parts

2m07s Add “nineteen” before “eighty-four”

2m38s I should try responding to the chess prodigy line before continuing

3m14s Say “comedy class” not class

3m29s Say “truck driver school” stronger

3m47s After the dance say, “So I’m in the market for a new mom”

Overall: The new mom material has potential but needs some tinkering and I need to figure out a way to get into new mom stuff without having to do the old stuff for two minutes.

The Saturday 8pm Show

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OXjT8w8zFs

0m52s Started the next line a half second too soon and ate a laugh

1m48s I need a better celebration than “jackpot”

4m16s Don’t do the poke on “Berlin wall”

5m28s No need for the hand motion, but if I’m gonna do it, my finger should keep moving

7m08s This only needs one example, not three

8m48s Nice response

9m24s Keep the same voice throughout the question

Part 2

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdmE67mrch8

0m22s Don’t even say “so anyway” just go straight to the next joke

0m40s Checks are getting dropped

1m45s Specify more, “you’re at a bar and you’re talking to a girl”

2m14s Deliver “that’s a lot of money” differently

2m38s Go further with the ripping it open act out

2m59s The wording is awkward, needs fixing

4m19s The neuroeconomics joke hasn’t been working well at all

5m20s The previous thirty seconds were some of the most fun I’ve ever had on stage

7m39s Do a better act out

8m14s Don’t laugh

8m57s I wasn’t planning on doing this joke, but I couldn’t remember any other jokes to do and I wasn’t sure how long I was going

Part 3

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsZJJzHYC3M

0m12s After, “that’s cool, not a big deal” I should’ve added “I have a special escape door”

1m07s Always nice when a callback works to end the set

Overall: I did 21 minutes at a real club. Sure 6 to 10 of those minutes were a check spot, but I successfully cleared the checks and got the audience back to listening to me and I ended my set strong. When I went up I didn’t know how much time I’d be doing because we didn’t know how long checks would take and when the last act would show up, so the jokes weren’t really in much order after the first eight minutes, but I was able to keep doing material. Also, the girl almost clapping about New Years and then stopping herself is one of the funniest things that’s ever happened. I should’ve gone back to that more.

A guest spot on a 6pm show

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZTei0CSVv4

2m33s At least the comics in the back are laughing

3m01s It’s never good when the bombing material doesn’t get much of a laugh

4m19s When “I remember being on the plane” doesn’t hit is when I start looking for the light

4m59s Do a stronger act out of the model, maybe do a catwalk or something

Overall: I ate it. And then I started to mail it in. I need to learn to power through bad sets not just with my words but with my facial expressions. I also had the instinct to stop doing material and start talking to them but I didn’t go with it, so whenever I feel like material isn’t hitting I should follow my instinct and do crowd work (unless it’s an audition set).