Category: Performance Critiques

This is the same place as the previous night, this time the crowd is 4 or 5 people. 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb8hpMzRRgU

0m57s I shouldn’t ask the audience member what he’s thanking god for 

1m58s Good pause on the “or tennis”, you can hear the audience member repeating my joke to his friend 

3m03s That’s two strikes for this joke, one more and it goes to die 

3m45s Good turn of a bad answer 

3m50s Don’t ask if they cheated 

4m29s If the audience isn’t paying to see the show, I’ll use my notes. If they’re paying, I won’t. 

5m45s I shouldn’t deadpan “we can’t be friends” to an audience, or at least tell her I’m kidding

7m55s Don’t ask the first question of “do you guys smoke pot”, assume they do and ask “which one of you smokes the most pot?” this should get a laugh 

Part 2 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf9GK2DPf1w

1m10s I’m not sure why I’ve started swaying from left to right in the middle of this 

1m40s I should try to get more excited when I’m proscribing crazy ideas that I believe will improve life for everyone 

2m58s It should be “other circus people” not “other clown people” 

3m25s Figure out a way to say this without getting tongue tied 

3m48s There’s one more line to the joke, but I wasn’t sure they’d laugh and I try to leave on a high note 

Overall: Considering there was a small audience, the set went pretty well. I interacted with them and told the jokes I wanted to tell. The newer jokes about rock paper scissor and protests are working while the office beer mistake joke is bombing.

This is the place in DC I’m usually at. There were about 6 to 8 people in the audience. 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w_r08SPgUs

1m12s There was an actual meeting at work where this came up and I found the logic hysterical. I haven’t been able to figure out how to get it to translate on stage. 

1m46s I don’t need to say “I actually want to get fired” I can just go straight into the “I have a get rich quick scheme” 

2m24s This can be shortened to just “from voting McCain” no need to mention Sarah 

2m50s The premise needs to be worded to be shorter 

3m11s Enunciate “horny” longer and funnier 

3m40s It should be “who used to be in the circus” 

4m08s There’s more to the online dating joke, but I’m learning to let jokes go if I get interrupted and just move on 

4m35s I don’t think you could understand her saying “fine” either 

5m21s This joke is failing miserably, I need to say it out loud to myself twenty times 

5m47s I was talking to a middle aged couple 

6m08s Say “it’s all downhill.. after the standup” 

6m24s Say the movie name in the beginning then describe it 

6m41s Now the audience is being distracting 

7m20s Try not to say “third date” twice 

7m47s That’s a great shake of the head at the other side of the audience 

8m14s More emphasis on this being the ONLY way to tell, this way it will be slightly more ridiculous and over the top 

Overall: Pretty good set. I’m especially happy with the way I wasn’t phased by the audience interaction (I won’t call it heckling because they thought they were being helpful) and how I was able to cut off jokes when I had to respond to the audience.

This is the Sunday open / feedback mic I go to. There were two or three audience members here.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIhhK4xBUlo

0m03s I didn’t ask to be introduced with the cute thing at this mic… 

0m25s When the MC gave the “he’s cute intro” another comic started to get up, so everyone was laughing at him 

0m37s The comic is my friend so I was just teasing 

0m52s Wait another second of silence after “or tennis” 

1m38s I wrote down a version of this joke when my friend observed it, but I’ve been unable to recreate the humor on stage 

2m23s Don’t ask “you probably didn’t cheat on him, right?” Make it a statement 

3m15s Bad timing between the words and my actions. The best part of the joke was “because my career is going places” everything else needs serious work 

4m02s Make it that I’ve already been protesting, instead of wanting to start 

4m36s This reaction is actually is pretty good for an open mic 

5m22s This should be said more ranty and fed up 

Overall: I tried out some new jokes and most of them worked. After the set, I got a suggestion to add a line about voting for McCain to my rock paper scissor joke so I’ll be trying that out.

There was about 25 people in the audience and they were super high energy from the host on so I felt I’d do pretty well.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hLgzl-k3Sk 

0m48s One of the women in the front row named a male strip club in NYC (or what I presume is a male strip club in NYC)

1m18s I need to figure out a way to say “because this was the closest I’ll ever get to becoming a stand up guy” more smoothly, perhaps take out a few words 

1m41s This is the best reaction I’ve ever gotten to this joke 

1m54s I should’ve waited another second to let all the laughs end before continuing 

2m40s One woman turned to another and made a large tube motion 

2m44s In the future, if there’s two or more women in a group towards the front, I’m gonna say “This woman just turned to her friend, shrugged and said, ‘your tubes are kinda on the large side’” 

2m49s No clue why this question was funny 

5m11s Terrible transition, I don’t know why I did it 

5m42s Someone in the crowd guessed the punch line 

6m24s I might not need the “that is demasculating” line 

6m58s It’s always nice when the MC references your joke 

Overall: I think this was a great set but I should’ve gone with my backwards dating joke to close instead of the jdate and snuggle slut. It was also awesome because this guy performed right after me.

This was the first show I was on that was close to the standard comedy club format of an emcee, an opener (10 minutes) a feature spot (25-30 min), and a headliner (40-45 minutes). In this instance it went feature spot (30 min), guest spot (5 min) and headliner for (40 minutes) with me doing a minute or three of jokes in between comics. There were 6 or 8 people in the audience. 

Part 1

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

1m37s It takes audiences a few seconds to get the “this or tennis” line 

2m16s I could’ve stepped into “Fallopian Tubes” harder 

2m56s I should’ve kept looking at the same two people for this part 

5m31s Instead of “last time I had a life” it should’ve been “last time I got laid” 

7m12s Some comics don’t like being distracted with the audience talking in any sort of way but I like it when an audience member contributes something funny to my set… 

7m30s …until it causes me to screw up my lines 

Part 2

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFRhRYFrph4 

0m42s I need to be able to make Hillary Clinton jokes quickly

1m19s I don’t think I should dead pan the unemployment office line

Part 3

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkBxrO3Ye2k 

1m47s Get rid of the examples 

2m04s Rephrase that to “That’s your first date” 

3m09s Don’t turn to look at a different person during the punch line, it doesn’t look as conversational 

Overall: I think I did a good job hosting although I could’ve been better at making improvised jokes and asking a few more questions. This will come with time, I hope. I was also pleased that my backwards dating bit got a really good response.