This week I’m honored to interview Aaron Haber.
Aaron was trained in improv comedy by the legendary Del Close and studied, performed and taught improv in Chicago for a while before missing his hometown NYC. Once back in NYC, he took a break from improv and started performing Stand-Up Comedy. Aaron has since appeared on Comedy Central’s The Watch List as well as taped sets for Comedynet and National Lampoon. In addition to performing stand up comedy, Aaron also books stand-up comedy shows 7 nights a week at The Broadway Comedy Club under the World banner as well as Improv and sketch comedy shows and classes under The City banner. When not performing by his lonesome, you can see him performing with his lovely wife Shannon Sutherland in their Haber & Sutherland comedy team.
1. How are you using the internet / social media to promote your career?
Well, I have a twitter account you can follow me on, a facebook page where you can be my friend and learn about where I’m performing and a myspace page where you can go if you’re an unsigned band or a whore from New Jersey in a bikini. I also promote all my NYC comedy shows at The World (where Ben also currently performs) as well as the improv classes I teach at First City Comedy. I’m also not afraid to put my personal email out on the internet for people to get in touch with me.
2. Have you noticed the payoff yet?
I have literally. People from all over the world find my www.worldnyc.com website when they’re traveling into NYC and looking for a comedy show and they buy tickets online. Many people find out about my improv classes through our website and sign up online as well. That and I’ve been able to start an online dating service hooking up unsigned bands with bikini whores from New Jersey. You can check it out at www.ihookupunsignedbankswithbikiniwhoresfromjersey.com/fakewebsite
3. What do you think about posting videos of your show online?
I actually don’t think it’s a brilliant move for a comedian. Unless you are 100% sure that it’s a video you want to represent you throughout the entire universe, forever, I would hold off. It’s way too easy for a booker, club owner or TV casting person to look you up and see what you’ve got online. Unless you’re killing with A material and the sound and video are perfect, I say leave it off the internet. Which reminds me I have a couple of videos to take down.
4. How do you think digital tools will change comedy?
One day people will be able to watch live comedy shows streamed to them through the internet at home…on the moon!
5. How much information do you tend to share on the social networks?
I’ll share various tidbits on my twitter and facebook, myspace I’ve given up on. As to your “what agent slighted you” question, I’ve seen comedians burn many bridges online by “flaming” other comics and bookers/club owners etc. It is the height of unprofessionalism, not to mention stupidity, to talk smack about people who might GIVE YOU WORK in the future.
6. What’s the weirdest thing that you’ve experienced due to your combination of technology and the internet?
Once I plugged a toaster into an Ethernet connected USB port and was able to burn an entire issue of The New York Times into my Thomas’ English Muffin. “All the news that’s fit to print” in my mouth, yo!
Aaron Haber really isnt funny at all,his jokes are actually kinda dry, he was not featured in Comedy Centrals Watch List (COMPLETE LIE and you can check for yourself just go to http://www.comedycentral.com and). He doesnt actually have a comedy club, he puts together a showcase in a small room next door to a REAL comedy club, he pays people to go on the streets of NYC (mainly Times Square) to lie to tourists and tell them he a showcase of comics from “Saturday Night Live, Comedy Central, HBO, etc.”
Aaron Haber won’t refund the $20 he overcharged me at a show he produced; he told me I had only 6 paying guests and so I paid him $20 for the “7th” needed for the show; then I went into the showroom and I had 7 paying guests sitting there. I asked him for a refund the next day and he refused. It may have been an honest mistake in counting; I assume it was, but once I pointed it out to him, he flatly refused to refuse my money and sent me a nasty snippy email.
I warn you to be careful with this guy; he is not honest or fair.