SATURDAY (6/23): Comedy Corner (303 West 42nd Street off 8th Avenue):
Okay this is complicated. You go in through the right side entrance on 42nd Street, go upstairs to the 3rd floor and go to Room 315. It's a great little studio.
COST: $5
SUNDAY (6/24) Stand-Up NY: Comedy Combo #3 (236 West 78 Street off Broadway)--8:30 PM
Helen Hong and Maria Shehata hosts this great comedy show that features Michelle Buteau and Mike DiStefano...as well as me! As seen at Mo Pitkins!
COST: $10 + 2 drinks
MONDAY (6/25): Pinetree Lodge (326 East 35th St. bet 1st and 2nd Avenue)--8:30 PM
Joe Dixon and I host this weekly show with established talent and newer comedians doing their thang. There is a comedy contest where some lucky person can win $20 of our money (and that's half our paychecks--so it's kind of a big deal).
COST: FREE!
...and there may or may not be something big coming up soon. Keep your eyes, ears and e-mails open!
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Comedy In The Park = Fun!
I did my first show in the park. It. Was. Awesome. Seriously, my faith in comedy has been restored. Suzette Simon hosted and organized it with the help of Aaron Kominos-Smith, Drew, and David (I think?) Plus two friends of mine came out. A woman came up to me after the show and said "You were really good. I remember seeing you a year ago and you are much improved." Wow, a year ago already. I was grateful to hear that; I also felt a year closer to Alzheimer's. Sigh, it's always good to feel like I'm making headway.
Shout-outs to Del, Ted Greenberg (and his improv), Charlie Kasov, Phil O'Reilly, Jimmy Wohl, Upa, Adam Lash, Dave Lester, Sue Ferrer (love ya mommy!) and Freddy Sheffield/Miguel Pinata for doing their thang! I hope the laughs continue.
Please check le website provided below for more details.
www.nylaughs.org
Finally can someone help me set up a proper hyperlink? Because Blogger is being a penis and will not do it the easy way! WTF?! Not cool, i-peeps, not cool.
Shout-outs to Del, Ted Greenberg (and his improv), Charlie Kasov, Phil O'Reilly, Jimmy Wohl, Upa, Adam Lash, Dave Lester, Sue Ferrer (love ya mommy!) and Freddy Sheffield/Miguel Pinata for doing their thang! I hope the laughs continue.
Please check le website provided below for more details.
www.nylaughs.org
Finally can someone help me set up a proper hyperlink? Because Blogger is being a penis and will not do it the easy way! WTF?! Not cool, i-peeps, not cool.
Friday, June 22, 2007
So Much Desert, So Few Oases
I've been having a good comedic run the past couple of days. I just had my birthday. I hosted a Monday show at Pinetree Lodge and did a set at Luca Lounge and they both went well. I had faith in my career again!
Then I did an open mic and things fell by the wayside. Basically the host told me not to curse or do anything illicit. WHAAA? Asking me to be clean is like having me do comedy with my mouth duct-taped shut. So I trying to work from 5 different notebooks of material, doing completely untested bit, half-aborted lines, and the like. Some of it flatlines, others hit--but at the end of the set I just felt like I'd been battered. And then the host goes, "Well we all falter but you need to practice more."
WTF? I came there with 5 minutes of all new stuff I wanted to work and I couldn't do any of it because of censorship. Then you tell me to whip up a squeaky clean set out of thin air--I can't do that. Moreover, I don't like vague unspecific advice. I've bombed before at much better places than a sparsely attended room. You tell me I need to "practice?!" Duh, that's why I'm at the open mic. Seriously, I'm not some walk-in off the street with low self-esteem and a baggy of cyanide! My God!
Okay...that was way too much anger. But you know, that's how I feel about comedy. It's like we're in a love-rape relationship. I want to romance it and it just wants to fuck me without a condom and then lose my number. Ugh--I'm going to shake it off as a low point and go forward. Sorry for the tirade.
TODAY--FRIDAY: Tompkins Square Park
I'm doing a set in Tompkins Square Park, bringing ha-has to the homeless and heroin-filled. It should be fun though. Check nylaughs.org for more info.
Other shows TBA, in a separate non-rage filled entry.
Then I did an open mic and things fell by the wayside. Basically the host told me not to curse or do anything illicit. WHAAA? Asking me to be clean is like having me do comedy with my mouth duct-taped shut. So I trying to work from 5 different notebooks of material, doing completely untested bit, half-aborted lines, and the like. Some of it flatlines, others hit--but at the end of the set I just felt like I'd been battered. And then the host goes, "Well we all falter but you need to practice more."
WTF? I came there with 5 minutes of all new stuff I wanted to work and I couldn't do any of it because of censorship. Then you tell me to whip up a squeaky clean set out of thin air--I can't do that. Moreover, I don't like vague unspecific advice. I've bombed before at much better places than a sparsely attended room. You tell me I need to "practice?!" Duh, that's why I'm at the open mic. Seriously, I'm not some walk-in off the street with low self-esteem and a baggy of cyanide! My God!
Okay...that was way too much anger. But you know, that's how I feel about comedy. It's like we're in a love-rape relationship. I want to romance it and it just wants to fuck me without a condom and then lose my number. Ugh--I'm going to shake it off as a low point and go forward. Sorry for the tirade.
TODAY--FRIDAY: Tompkins Square Park
I'm doing a set in Tompkins Square Park, bringing ha-has to the homeless and heroin-filled. It should be fun though. Check nylaughs.org for more info.
Other shows TBA, in a separate non-rage filled entry.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
What Have I Done?
...I just accidentally booked myself on 4 open mics/reg shows is what I've done. Mercifully two of them are a couple blocks away from each other, but the other two of them is way over on the East Side and another is so far uptown I'll get a nose bleed.
Will I do all of them?--Well, I'll try my damnedest!
Will the hosts will be pissed?--MOST LIKELY! I don't want to be "that guy": the guy who breezes into a room, puts on airs, does 5 super-rehearsed minutes (and subsequently pretends that he "just came up with that material on the train ride over"), then leaves with a corny wink and a gun. It's annoying to be that guy. I've seen "that guy" at my show. I HATE THAT GUY!
Okay I know I should just cancel a show and trim the fat but I really want to see if I can do it, if I'll feel that rush of "Wow, I just did my own set 4 times in front of different audiences." A while ago, when I was first flirting with the idea of doing comedy, I remember watching a documentary on mid-level comics. I watched this one comic (I can't remember his name but I know he has a Comedy Central Presents credit) do four paid gigs in one night. And I marveled at the fact that he could actually go through the motions of his bit, and not feel bored or suicidal.
I don't even care if I bomb all of them, I just want to see if I have the stamina. In fairness, I have done 3 open mics in a night before, but usually I've done them to 3 disgruntled comics or I'll just kind of give up by the last one. This time I'm going to do it! Wish me luck.
Also...remind me to write about the Naked Comedy Show. I don't think I ever described it--and I think I might do it again. "Naked Comedy?" you ask, face screwed up like Scooby-Doos. Yes, completely NAKED COMEDY. More to come...
P.S. - I'm watching this comedy showcase on TV and this one comic looks like Dr. Robotnik. Seriously, I expected him to leave the stage in an egg-shaped vehicle. Damn, I know comedians don't have to dress nice but good Lord don't give me an eye infection!
Will I do all of them?--Well, I'll try my damnedest!
Will the hosts will be pissed?--MOST LIKELY! I don't want to be "that guy": the guy who breezes into a room, puts on airs, does 5 super-rehearsed minutes (and subsequently pretends that he "just came up with that material on the train ride over"), then leaves with a corny wink and a gun. It's annoying to be that guy. I've seen "that guy" at my show. I HATE THAT GUY!
Okay I know I should just cancel a show and trim the fat but I really want to see if I can do it, if I'll feel that rush of "Wow, I just did my own set 4 times in front of different audiences." A while ago, when I was first flirting with the idea of doing comedy, I remember watching a documentary on mid-level comics. I watched this one comic (I can't remember his name but I know he has a Comedy Central Presents credit) do four paid gigs in one night. And I marveled at the fact that he could actually go through the motions of his bit, and not feel bored or suicidal.
I don't even care if I bomb all of them, I just want to see if I have the stamina. In fairness, I have done 3 open mics in a night before, but usually I've done them to 3 disgruntled comics or I'll just kind of give up by the last one. This time I'm going to do it! Wish me luck.
Also...remind me to write about the Naked Comedy Show. I don't think I ever described it--and I think I might do it again. "Naked Comedy?" you ask, face screwed up like Scooby-Doos. Yes, completely NAKED COMEDY. More to come...
P.S. - I'm watching this comedy showcase on TV and this one comic looks like Dr. Robotnik. Seriously, I expected him to leave the stage in an egg-shaped vehicle. Damn, I know comedians don't have to dress nice but good Lord don't give me an eye infection!
Monday, June 04, 2007
Plot Dump
Hey, I haven't written in a while and I don't have any funny stuff to share yet. But...there are comedic developments on the horizon.
Next Monday I'm co-hosting the President Jackson comedy show with Joe Dixon (check him out on MySpace). The place is located on 326 WEst 35th STreet between 1st and 2nd Avenue and you could win $20! (okay by you, I mean you a comedian--although the audience could win a bag of chips or a free book or something).
Okay, I'm just starting my first day of my new (and hopefully permanent) job an dmy direct supervisor isn't here so I have an alarmingly small task list. Plus, I feel really guilty because I had to quit a job that was hard but rewarding to do this one. I also left my temping job as well...which was awesome (mainly because my employers referred to me by name and didn't treat me like I just got off the Amistad). So, I'm just kind of in limbo, sitting at a desk and reading every single Gothamist interview (a blog that covers NYC mini-celebs) in existence. Why?--because I need to feel like even more of a loser since no one's banging down the door to interview a comic who has a day job and frequents open mics (was that too bitter?--let me turn it down a notch).
Another positive: I have been doing comedy at the Laugh Factory Studio. It's in the Laugh Factory building, but not affiliated with the Laugh Factory people. Check it out one Saturday: 303 West 42nd Street (riht off Eighth Ave. and go up to the 3rd floor--it's room 315).
Also, in the not-too-distant future, I will be hosting a show again. I can't give away details but I'll give you a hint: NA. Okay, you're not going to get it...but you will!
Next Monday I'm co-hosting the President Jackson comedy show with Joe Dixon (check him out on MySpace). The place is located on 326 WEst 35th STreet between 1st and 2nd Avenue and you could win $20! (okay by you, I mean you a comedian--although the audience could win a bag of chips or a free book or something).
Okay, I'm just starting my first day of my new (and hopefully permanent) job an dmy direct supervisor isn't here so I have an alarmingly small task list. Plus, I feel really guilty because I had to quit a job that was hard but rewarding to do this one. I also left my temping job as well...which was awesome (mainly because my employers referred to me by name and didn't treat me like I just got off the Amistad). So, I'm just kind of in limbo, sitting at a desk and reading every single Gothamist interview (a blog that covers NYC mini-celebs) in existence. Why?--because I need to feel like even more of a loser since no one's banging down the door to interview a comic who has a day job and frequents open mics (was that too bitter?--let me turn it down a notch).
Another positive: I have been doing comedy at the Laugh Factory Studio. It's in the Laugh Factory building, but not affiliated with the Laugh Factory people. Check it out one Saturday: 303 West 42nd Street (riht off Eighth Ave. and go up to the 3rd floor--it's room 315).
Also, in the not-too-distant future, I will be hosting a show again. I can't give away details but I'll give you a hint: NA. Okay, you're not going to get it...but you will!
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