A few days ago Steve Hofstetter talked about the web site blogexplosion.com I posted my blog on there and I have gotten over 166 hits in 5 days. My blog has been read by over 160 people outside of our cozy little comic community. I just wanted you all to know that I haven't been spending my entire day hitting the refresh button to be #1on the front page of this site.
I don't know about you guys but I like getting feedback on my blogs even more than having a lot of people reading it. I love checking my email and hearing back about what others have thought about a topic that I posted. Blogexposion is really very interesting...you can look at lots of blogs by surfing around and in turn, you get your blog put on a rotation so that others can be directed to your blog. I guess it must be working.
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Mine was very different. Unlike the Thanksgiving of my childhood with 27 relatives and a children's table. This was more like a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving with just my husband and children and parents. We ate at the Marriot Hotel. The food was very good and something extra...it was all still hot. We sat at a table the 6 of us...that had 3 chairs on one side and a bankette on the other. Every time someone wanted more food from the buffet...our entire side had to swoosh over and stand up. I felt kinda sad for myself at one point. Why is my family so f'd up. We are scattered all over the USA and the few that are still alive...have to be with other family due to marriage or we plain don't like them. I had my home being painted so having the dinner at my home was impossible. When I have it at my home I usually can add a few friends who are in the same boat as we are over too...and its a bit more festive. I sat there at the Marriott and thought it could be worse...I could have a house full of family all enjoying a wonderful dinner together and I could have to be working like the staff at the hotel was doing.(okay if it was a great paying gig maybe...Letterman, Comedy Central definitely ) I asked our waitress If she had dinner earlier with her family and she said that she had to work all day. No Thanksgiving for her I guess. On a plus note the food was good the kids loved it...also by not having it at home I didn't have to shop all week,shlepp it all home, clean, cook, serve,clean,clean and clean. On the down side I was craving a leftover turkey sandwich all day. Alas no left overs.
Friday, November 26, 2004
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Now that one is funny.
Now that one is funny.
Last night, I did 2 open mic's. I did not allow myself to do more than one minute of old material. I did the first show at the Lantern. Matt ran a great show. I went on around # 24... I was worn out waiting so long. I got up with really just a few notes and some premises. I started to tell the story of my Aunt and Uncles funeral. It didn't fly too well. SOme of it was salvageable. I then talked about.... My brother the Doctor, and My sons Bar mitzvah. Lastly my Gay friend Barbara. The Funeral got a few laughs..the structure of the joke is wrong. I still think it has a chance. The Bar Mitzvah joke was awful and its the 2nd time I have tried the premise...It might never fly, I will give it a few more shots. It just doesn't feel comfortable. My brother the doctor..felt hacky. I hate it. I will put it back in my book and revisit it in a few weeks. My gay friend Barbara did well. The joke flows it feels like it belongs to me. It feels like I had the joke for years and I wrote it just a few weeks ago.
I did another the set later at the VILLAGE MA. The funeral joke did so so. The joke just wont flow out of me. It needs to be written out and structured better. I got to the joke about my Gay friend and boom...big laughs to a room full of comics. I love when I find something new that works.
I have had a very hard time coming up with new material for the past few months. I think for starters its that...My standards have gone up. The kind of jokes I want to tell has changed. That might be why it has gotten harder. Not since Motherhood have I found this to be true....that the longer I do this the harder it gets...the anti keeps going up. As a mom, you master changing diapers and the next thing you know your dealing with night terrors...or food allergies. It never ever is done. There is always more work waiting to do. Tonight I gave birth to a joke that I like and am proud of. It just cost a lot more than I thought it would. Some jokes are easy they just pop into my head. Other jokes are like doing woodworking...they have to be hand crafted. I want to write a new 15 minute set and I am finding it so hard...yet what I have done I feel in someway's is better than what I have done before. I think this is what you have to go through if you want to get funnier. For me...that is my goal for the immediate future. To write and perform funnier material. I dont know what the next level in comedy is for me....but getting funnier is a goal I can work on for now.
Comments are below
Posted on 11/24/2004 at 09:28 AM by Joe Fernandes
I'm glad to hear you took the risk with the new stuff. I keep telling myself to do that and I usually punk out. I did some new ideas last night, but I kept retreating to the old to get the laugh back. It was a weird show... I would warm them up with the old... then cool them right off with the new. What was even weirder... the jokes that fell flat... people told me after that they liked them. Not the ones they visibly laughed at... the ones they stared at. Its very confusing. I think thats why I like it so much.
Keep the Faith, Robin
Posted on 11/24/2004 at 11:53 AM by Adam Sank
Taking risks is the only way to go. Remember that in the beginning ALL your material was new material. And you perfected it, and now you own it. (I gotta keep this in mind, myself...)
Last night, I did 2 open mic's. I did not allow myself to do more than one minute of old material. I did the first show at the Lantern. Matt ran a great show. I went on around # 24... I was worn out waiting so long. I got up with really just a few notes and some premises. I started to tell the story of my Aunt and Uncles funeral. It didn't fly too well. SOme of it was salvageable. I then talked about.... My brother the Doctor, and My sons Bar mitzvah. Lastly my Gay friend Barbara. The Funeral got a few laughs..the structure of the joke is wrong. I still think it has a chance. The Bar Mitzvah joke was awful and its the 2nd time I have tried the premise...It might never fly, I will give it a few more shots. It just doesn't feel comfortable. My brother the doctor..felt hacky. I hate it. I will put it back in my book and revisit it in a few weeks. My gay friend Barbara did well. The joke flows it feels like it belongs to me. It feels like I had the joke for years and I wrote it just a few weeks ago.
I did another the set later at the VILLAGE MA. The funeral joke did so so. The joke just wont flow out of me. It needs to be written out and structured better. I got to the joke about my Gay friend and boom...big laughs to a room full of comics. I love when I find something new that works.
I have had a very hard time coming up with new material for the past few months. I think for starters its that...My standards have gone up. The kind of jokes I want to tell has changed. That might be why it has gotten harder. Not since Motherhood have I found this to be true....that the longer I do this the harder it gets...the anti keeps going up. As a mom, you master changing diapers and the next thing you know your dealing with night terrors...or food allergies. It never ever is done. There is always more work waiting to do. Tonight I gave birth to a joke that I like and am proud of. It just cost a lot more than I thought it would. Some jokes are easy they just pop into my head. Other jokes are like doing woodworking...they have to be hand crafted. I want to write a new 15 minute set and I am finding it so hard...yet what I have done I feel in someway's is better than what I have done before. I think this is what you have to go through if you want to get funnier. For me...that is my goal for the immediate future. To write and perform funnier material. I dont know what the next level in comedy is for me....but getting funnier is a goal I can work on for now.
Comments are below
Posted on 11/24/2004 at 09:28 AM by Joe Fernandes
I'm glad to hear you took the risk with the new stuff. I keep telling myself to do that and I usually punk out. I did some new ideas last night, but I kept retreating to the old to get the laugh back. It was a weird show... I would warm them up with the old... then cool them right off with the new. What was even weirder... the jokes that fell flat... people told me after that they liked them. Not the ones they visibly laughed at... the ones they stared at. Its very confusing. I think thats why I like it so much.
Keep the Faith, Robin
Posted on 11/24/2004 at 11:53 AM by Adam Sank
Taking risks is the only way to go. Remember that in the beginning ALL your material was new material. And you perfected it, and now you own it. (I gotta keep this in mind, myself...)
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Comedy....doctor in the house?
I am going into the city today.... I usually have a goal as to what I want to accomplish by performing each time. This time I don't know. I am not going to drive for 3 hours today...to do a set that I know can work and that I can pull off most of the time...what for?? I don't have a new 5 minute set. What I have are a bunch of disjointed jokes and premises. I feel totally lost in comedy right now. I think I have risen to a new level over the past year, which is fantastic...yet I'm kind of floundering now. I won the who can invite the most people to join the Soapbox contest and besides becoming a staff member as a prize I won the book "How to become a Working Comic." I don't know what it is but I feel stuck. I don't feel ready to get into high gear and market myself. I have a strong set of 20-40 minutes in length and yet I don't know if I'm what you would call a feature act. Could someone out there clue me in ...what comes next. I have been a fantastic open micer for the past 18 months... now what. Do I do regular showcases?? I'm producing in NJ a bunch of new shows and will be starting a once a month Saturday night room in Somerset County come this February. It just is as I'm going down this road the further I go the less direction I seem to have. I also am obsessed with writing another completely new 15 minute set. I have had a lot of false starts and am struggling to make it all flow. In some ways it seems that it is getting harder instead of easier?? Where were you in your second year of comedy. I know we each grow at our own rate...it just is I just want to know if these growing pains are normal or not ....what do you think?? To all of you here at the Soapbox...Happy Thanksgiving.
Friday, November 19, 2004
Stressing out......in New Brunswick
Last Wednesday The Stress Factory was packed solid. It was open mic night and the Survival of the funniest contest round 4 or 5?? The show was like no other, From a guy showing his junk to it ending all in a bar room brawl it was quite a night. I began with a guitar playing comic with not too many jokes or songs. Brian Baumley went up and had a fantastic set full of new material that just killed. Things moved on and the first round of the contest began. Gordon Baker Bone VS. Joe Conte. Each had fantastic sets...It was hard to tell who had the better one...we will have to wait and see.
The audience was at that point very responsive. The room was filled to the brim and I start filling myself with doubt. I had been planning on doing all new material, since I was not competing in the contest this week. I hadn't expected an almost full house. What to do ...What to do. Everthing in me wanted to just stick to my tried and true stuff. Walking the dog as I call it. My standard set almost always can do a solid job...In a full room in top performance mode its as close to a sure thing as I can get. But what about the new stuff????? Here is the chance in front of a full house to see if any of the new stuff has legs. Will my donkey joke work?? What about the joke about my best friends secret confession to me?? Yes, I had done the latter joke at one open mic in the city but it was to a room of only comics..... who knows if it will work?? I would die to bomb in a full house. To bomb is one thing but to do it in front of all my peers. My name is introduced... I go up and do a smattering of my old stuff. I was scared and pissed...I had the jokes but was still working on the delivery and the wording. I thought how angry I would be at myself if I didn't try out the new material. I thought about how I would have to write in my blog and confess what a wuss I am if I just stuck to the old crap.(see my Blog "Walking the Dog") So I took a breath looked down in my note book and started. The first one did so so.. I tagged it with a remark an salvaged it. I then moved on to all the other new stuff .They liked it!! It worked. Who knew??? I'm still funny.. Thank God I found the guts to do it. I had been feeling dried up and done for weeks. I havent even felt creative enough to blog. It was such a rush to see that I still could create new material to say and perform. I dont know why but when my creativity goes on vacation I feel like it will never come back. I got off the stage happy. Did I kill ?? No but it was a solid set.
A few more comics went up and the rooms vibe started to change. Comics who's material usually kills stood waiting for laughs that didn't come. I sat watching two of my favorite comics stand on stage bewildered as to what was going on. I sat there feeling the same emotion. The room took a downward spiral. The room went nuts....(Literally and figuratively....) see Tommy Brennans blog. The crowd at one point became negative and wasn't connecting to the comics even before the mayhem occurred. I left right after Greg and Jarret performed. They both did sets that were very strong but the crowd had turned by then. I had no Idea how crazy the night would become after I left.
I have a few things to say about the guy who took out his DICK during his set. It wasn't funny. You also put the club in Jeopardy by such actions.....there were people in their 50's sitting right in front of the stage. Do you think your parents needed to see that.
To the raciest idiot. You bring down all of us. I thank Tommy for shutting the jerk down. I have sat in NYC and heard homophobia and anti-Semitism and pedophilia ranting's all hidden in the guise "that its comedy" . First rule of Comedy....Its not funny if no one laughs....and your ass hole buddies laughing don't count. Your no better than a school room bully who harasses a kid and then defends himself by saying "where's your sense of humor I was just kidding"? Please don't talk to me about censorship. Your not funny and that can get you censored all the time. What do you want to do in comedy anyway......when did Leno have a comic on who took his dick out???? Do you think your so ground breaking you'll be the first. Spending $5 dollars to get on stage at an open mic doesn't give you the right to take a shit on it. You stink up the whole place and it reflects badly on us all. Hopefully this will blow over and we can move on.
On a happy note. I will be producing a once a month Saturday night show in the Somerville area beginning this February. I will be putting up 8 comics each month doing 5 to 15 minutes sets depending on the comics experience. Feel free to email me through the Soapbox if your interested. I look forward to having a venue right here in NJ for comics seasoned and new to grow and develop.
Comments are below
Cool
Posted on 11/19/2004 at 10:15 PM by Scott Beaton
Good to hear you are starting a room, keep me in mind, and yes a picture is in the works. I too am thinking about starting a room at school ,telling the admin it is for students then opening it to everyone, but I have to see what is going on with construction. I also am working on a room down here or at least producing a semiregular show here at the shore. I am sure it will be a good room with no flashing.
The audience was at that point very responsive. The room was filled to the brim and I start filling myself with doubt. I had been planning on doing all new material, since I was not competing in the contest this week. I hadn't expected an almost full house. What to do ...What to do. Everthing in me wanted to just stick to my tried and true stuff. Walking the dog as I call it. My standard set almost always can do a solid job...In a full room in top performance mode its as close to a sure thing as I can get. But what about the new stuff????? Here is the chance in front of a full house to see if any of the new stuff has legs. Will my donkey joke work?? What about the joke about my best friends secret confession to me?? Yes, I had done the latter joke at one open mic in the city but it was to a room of only comics..... who knows if it will work?? I would die to bomb in a full house. To bomb is one thing but to do it in front of all my peers. My name is introduced... I go up and do a smattering of my old stuff. I was scared and pissed...I had the jokes but was still working on the delivery and the wording. I thought how angry I would be at myself if I didn't try out the new material. I thought about how I would have to write in my blog and confess what a wuss I am if I just stuck to the old crap.(see my Blog "Walking the Dog") So I took a breath looked down in my note book and started. The first one did so so.. I tagged it with a remark an salvaged it. I then moved on to all the other new stuff .They liked it!! It worked. Who knew??? I'm still funny.. Thank God I found the guts to do it. I had been feeling dried up and done for weeks. I havent even felt creative enough to blog. It was such a rush to see that I still could create new material to say and perform. I dont know why but when my creativity goes on vacation I feel like it will never come back. I got off the stage happy. Did I kill ?? No but it was a solid set.
A few more comics went up and the rooms vibe started to change. Comics who's material usually kills stood waiting for laughs that didn't come. I sat watching two of my favorite comics stand on stage bewildered as to what was going on. I sat there feeling the same emotion. The room took a downward spiral. The room went nuts....(Literally and figuratively....) see Tommy Brennans blog. The crowd at one point became negative and wasn't connecting to the comics even before the mayhem occurred. I left right after Greg and Jarret performed. They both did sets that were very strong but the crowd had turned by then. I had no Idea how crazy the night would become after I left.
I have a few things to say about the guy who took out his DICK during his set. It wasn't funny. You also put the club in Jeopardy by such actions.....there were people in their 50's sitting right in front of the stage. Do you think your parents needed to see that.
To the raciest idiot. You bring down all of us. I thank Tommy for shutting the jerk down. I have sat in NYC and heard homophobia and anti-Semitism and pedophilia ranting's all hidden in the guise "that its comedy" . First rule of Comedy....Its not funny if no one laughs....and your ass hole buddies laughing don't count. Your no better than a school room bully who harasses a kid and then defends himself by saying "where's your sense of humor I was just kidding"? Please don't talk to me about censorship. Your not funny and that can get you censored all the time. What do you want to do in comedy anyway......when did Leno have a comic on who took his dick out???? Do you think your so ground breaking you'll be the first. Spending $5 dollars to get on stage at an open mic doesn't give you the right to take a shit on it. You stink up the whole place and it reflects badly on us all. Hopefully this will blow over and we can move on.
On a happy note. I will be producing a once a month Saturday night show in the Somerville area beginning this February. I will be putting up 8 comics each month doing 5 to 15 minutes sets depending on the comics experience. Feel free to email me through the Soapbox if your interested. I look forward to having a venue right here in NJ for comics seasoned and new to grow and develop.
Comments are below
Cool
Posted on 11/19/2004 at 10:15 PM by Scott Beaton
Good to hear you are starting a room, keep me in mind, and yes a picture is in the works. I too am thinking about starting a room at school ,telling the admin it is for students then opening it to everyone, but I have to see what is going on with construction. I also am working on a room down here or at least producing a semiregular show here at the shore. I am sure it will be a good room with no flashing.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
HAVE DO BE vs BE DO HAVE
I often open my set with the joke about feeling older than dirt. Usually its just to acknowledge to my audience that I know, they know, Im middle aged. Tuesday I attended a mind altering comedy show. Chicks and Giggles is a monthly show now at the Raga on E. 6th Between 1st and A. It is held on the first Tuesday of the month... If you havent been you should. I saw Michelle Maclay, Ophira Eisenberg, Giulia Rozzi, Claudia Cogan, Correne Kristiansen, Christina McGrath, Carolyn Castiglia,and Michelle Buteau
The reason I consider this a blog worthy topic is that I saw a different kind of comedy. Now I feel older than ever... I need a comedy face lift. These women comedians were on to something very new. The style and format of their sets were about having a comedic voice and spirit....the jokes emerged from there. Many new comics including myself approach comedy like this. I want to be a comic....I need to HAVE Jokes I need to DO Shows then I will BE a COMIC. These women do it differently. They are BEing Comics. They are DOing Shows and they HAVE Great Jokes. The comedy comes through them ... they are what is funny the material is a reflection of them and their own funny sprits. Part of their ability to do that is TALENT plus the sets are longer and the atmosphere is supportive and nurtures this brand of comedy. It was fresher and smarter than most of the comedy I have seen in a long time.
I am doing the show this January and feel like burning my marble note book. I seldom have the time to be more anecdotal due to the fact that I am newer to comedy and am grateful for sets over 5 minutes. I need to regroup and think about getting in touch with the source of my own inner funny....... then get up on stage and let my material I have written flow from that place. I can do this ...I started with improv, that could help. I don't know if this is making any sense. Lately many comics on this blog page have talked about where they get their inspiration from. I think for me its getting very in touch with my point of view and putting it like a spotlight on what is interesting to me. Most of the time when I see a great comic it is not the one great joke that I remember....what sticks with me most is that persons just a funny bastard...... When I think God is he or she really funny I remember THEM and want to see them again because THEY are what cracks me up... and I know there is more where that came from and I cant wait to see it. Hummmmmmmmmm Am I overthinking this guys? Or is a case of which came first the chicken or the egg??.... what do you guys think???
Comments are below
Oh a good excuse to stop working on my research paper, thanks Robin!
Posted on 11/11/2004 at 01:12 PM by Scott Beaton
I get what you're saying, I think anyway. I feel like that sometimes that I am not truly tapped into the funny that I am capable off. Maybe I am not comfortable enough on stage yet, maybe I don't have the confidence in myself yet, but for whatever reason my funny feels contrived, but maybe thats because I know how much writing went into it. All of my stuff is stuff from the heart but at the same time I don't think I've found my comic voice and I can't wait to get there. Sometimes I look at my jokes as a way to keep going and get on stage until I find that voice, like waiting tables till you hit it big. I know that they aren't the best but it is the best for where I am at now. And sometimes I get lucky and I write something that I really do feel is reflective of the funny I know I am truly capable of. They say that the greats are themselves on stage just times ten. But in order to magnify yourself like that you really have to know you and define your comic sense and I think that takes time. I can't wait until I can write 5 minutes that all 5 minutes seems right like it all has the same voice to it, my voice. Like I said I have jokes now that I feel reflect my personality while others just keep me on stage until I get more of the great ones. I think it is like anything that once you do it long enough it will just click, things will come more natural. I think that if anyone sticks around long enough to get to that point than they can make it. I know what you mean about the comedy coming through them, I think the same thing sometimes and I just go "Damn I want that". But I know that "that" will only come with time and work. So in the meantime I'll keep getting on stage at open mics and shit hole bars and writing every random thought I have down on napkins and notebooks. And maybe one day I'll get find that comic voice inside me, and like you described, people will leave my set not remembering specifics just knowing that I am ony funny fucker. See you at the stres factory!
Im glad some one got it???
Posted on 11/12/2004 at 02:40 AM by Robin Fox
Correct... I guess what I was driving home was the girls were funny first.. at the core of who they are.. all the jokes and fun sprang forth from there. I think that this Voice is only developed with time and hard work. I dont know if it really matters...maybe its just another small piece in the big puzzle. The more I know the more I know I need to know more.
yup....
Posted on 01/14/2005 at 02:19 PM by Stacy Yannetty
Hey I enjoy your blog ! The vacation one is gold. Anyway, you hit the nail on the head. Sometimes its not necessarily the material, its the person, and I think we comics are like salesman. We're selling our personalities, which is not easy to do, but its our personalities that make us likable and make the whole thing easier, but there still has to be great jokes with the whole package. I don't know how long you've been doing comedy, but everybody I know says and I believe this to be true, that it takes about four years to get to the beginning of that; knowing who you are on stage. Whew, that's a long time. But, like any art, its a process, and the process is what's interesting, not just the end result. But I think from what you wrote you are intuitively getting it; the spotlight thing about what's interesting to you, that's it ! You got it girl.
The reason I consider this a blog worthy topic is that I saw a different kind of comedy. Now I feel older than ever... I need a comedy face lift. These women comedians were on to something very new. The style and format of their sets were about having a comedic voice and spirit....the jokes emerged from there. Many new comics including myself approach comedy like this. I want to be a comic....I need to HAVE Jokes I need to DO Shows then I will BE a COMIC. These women do it differently. They are BEing Comics. They are DOing Shows and they HAVE Great Jokes. The comedy comes through them ... they are what is funny the material is a reflection of them and their own funny sprits. Part of their ability to do that is TALENT plus the sets are longer and the atmosphere is supportive and nurtures this brand of comedy. It was fresher and smarter than most of the comedy I have seen in a long time.
I am doing the show this January and feel like burning my marble note book. I seldom have the time to be more anecdotal due to the fact that I am newer to comedy and am grateful for sets over 5 minutes. I need to regroup and think about getting in touch with the source of my own inner funny....... then get up on stage and let my material I have written flow from that place. I can do this ...I started with improv, that could help. I don't know if this is making any sense. Lately many comics on this blog page have talked about where they get their inspiration from. I think for me its getting very in touch with my point of view and putting it like a spotlight on what is interesting to me. Most of the time when I see a great comic it is not the one great joke that I remember....what sticks with me most is that persons just a funny bastard...... When I think God is he or she really funny I remember THEM and want to see them again because THEY are what cracks me up... and I know there is more where that came from and I cant wait to see it. Hummmmmmmmmm Am I overthinking this guys? Or is a case of which came first the chicken or the egg??.... what do you guys think???
Comments are below
Oh a good excuse to stop working on my research paper, thanks Robin!
Posted on 11/11/2004 at 01:12 PM by Scott Beaton
I get what you're saying, I think anyway. I feel like that sometimes that I am not truly tapped into the funny that I am capable off. Maybe I am not comfortable enough on stage yet, maybe I don't have the confidence in myself yet, but for whatever reason my funny feels contrived, but maybe thats because I know how much writing went into it. All of my stuff is stuff from the heart but at the same time I don't think I've found my comic voice and I can't wait to get there. Sometimes I look at my jokes as a way to keep going and get on stage until I find that voice, like waiting tables till you hit it big. I know that they aren't the best but it is the best for where I am at now. And sometimes I get lucky and I write something that I really do feel is reflective of the funny I know I am truly capable of. They say that the greats are themselves on stage just times ten. But in order to magnify yourself like that you really have to know you and define your comic sense and I think that takes time. I can't wait until I can write 5 minutes that all 5 minutes seems right like it all has the same voice to it, my voice. Like I said I have jokes now that I feel reflect my personality while others just keep me on stage until I get more of the great ones. I think it is like anything that once you do it long enough it will just click, things will come more natural. I think that if anyone sticks around long enough to get to that point than they can make it. I know what you mean about the comedy coming through them, I think the same thing sometimes and I just go "Damn I want that". But I know that "that" will only come with time and work. So in the meantime I'll keep getting on stage at open mics and shit hole bars and writing every random thought I have down on napkins and notebooks. And maybe one day I'll get find that comic voice inside me, and like you described, people will leave my set not remembering specifics just knowing that I am ony funny fucker. See you at the stres factory!
Im glad some one got it???
Posted on 11/12/2004 at 02:40 AM by Robin Fox
Correct... I guess what I was driving home was the girls were funny first.. at the core of who they are.. all the jokes and fun sprang forth from there. I think that this Voice is only developed with time and hard work. I dont know if it really matters...maybe its just another small piece in the big puzzle. The more I know the more I know I need to know more.
yup....
Posted on 01/14/2005 at 02:19 PM by Stacy Yannetty
Hey I enjoy your blog ! The vacation one is gold. Anyway, you hit the nail on the head. Sometimes its not necessarily the material, its the person, and I think we comics are like salesman. We're selling our personalities, which is not easy to do, but its our personalities that make us likable and make the whole thing easier, but there still has to be great jokes with the whole package. I don't know how long you've been doing comedy, but everybody I know says and I believe this to be true, that it takes about four years to get to the beginning of that; knowing who you are on stage. Whew, that's a long time. But, like any art, its a process, and the process is what's interesting, not just the end result. But I think from what you wrote you are intuitively getting it; the spotlight thing about what's interesting to you, that's it ! You got it girl.
Monday, November 8, 2004
Hitting the Brick Wall.....has this happend to you???
I hit a brick wall this past week. I did 8 shows in 4 days and began to loose it. I don't know if it had to do with sitting in traffic at 1:30am 2 nights in a row at the Holland tunnel or having to endure not one but two ventriloquist acts in two rooms in one night. Elaine Stretch the Broadway Star tells a story of a prostitute who when asked if she liked her job, answered. "Its not the work that's hard its walking in heals and climbing up and down the hotel stairs".
I tend to do most things in extremes and on paper it seemed like a good idea... If Im going into the city anyway why not go from one open mic to the next. I had my first paid gig at Sals' Comedy Hole coming up and a showcase at the Cellar at the end of the week, so how could it hurt.
I found myself feeling detached from the audience and sick of hearing my same jokes. By the time mid week came around I became punch drunk. I did an underwelming job at the Duplex. Everyone there had prepared day after the election jokes and I didn't have any. I felt naked. I met a friend there and we went to dinner and had a reprieve from thinking about my set for a few hours. After dinner I started to walk to the Lantern by myself. Suddenly out of no where I became completely overwhelmed. Why am I doing this?...Its to hard. What do I need to prove to myself? What's this all for? Your to old for this!! Your the joke! You will never ever write another funny thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The jokes on you. Im cold. I want to go home.
Before I knew it, I was standing at the doorway to the Lantern and walked down the stairs. In front of me sat yet another ventriloquist. I took out my book. I looked for a few thoughts I had barely worked on. I didn't care anymore. I went up to the stage when my name was called.....the white light hit my face. I improvised the 4 main ideas I had tried to flesh out on paper. Laughter returned. John Morrison was laughing. This might be going well. Applause. I sat down.I got a few pats on my back. Later upstairs on the street John paid me a lovely compliment...that meant the world to me... I went home happy.
Thursday I did a show in NJ ... It went well. Did I kill...no? I delivered a good set nothing more. Friday was the Cellar showcase it went well although I did feel that I didn't do the full 5 minutes. I had 3 hours to kill between the cellar and my show at Sal's. I walked with comic I greatly respect who has been in this for a few years longer than me.. to his car. I asked him If he ever felt that he hit a wall. He knew just what I was talking about. I felt better. Later walking again alone I found myself in a surreal experience when I realized that for 3 blocks I had been seeing nothing but shoe stores. No, I had not fallen into some Sex in the City shoe heavan....rather I found out that 8th street is Shoe Street. I walked past Washington Sq. Park and was asked if I needed anything from a drug dealer. I was shocked and some how complimented that he would ask someone my age, maybe I am not that old. I stopped at Esperanto on Mac Dougal for a cup of coffee and went outside to say goodnight to my son on the phone. It was around 10pm. A young black man sat down next to me and was talking on his cell phone too. It was Dave Chappelle. Once we were both off of our phones I said hi to him and told him I was a fan and a comic. He was warm and approachable I mentioned that my friend Larry Bailey had seen him a week before at the Cellar ...He remembered Larry. Then I had to ask him about the brick wall. He knew....He knew just what I was talking about.... there are lots of them ahead of us all it seems. I mentioned the ventriloquist night to him. He laughed and said something about following a Hypnotist. He had some serious drinking to do and kissed my hand goodnight. I crossed the street to Sal's. I watched Sal perform. I looked and learned. He did one of the best sets I have see him do. I got up to do my first paid gig in NYC and had an excellent set. This is a long race.....what can get me through it is... pacing myself, the support of others who have been in it for the long haul and just staying the course. It only looks easy.
Comments are below
Pucker Up Butter Cup!
Posted on 11/08/2004 at 04:55 AM by Tommy Brennan
To Robin,
This is for someone I've seen grow in front of my eyes no matter how many times she bugs me in my booth of solitude. I've seen em bad and I've seen em great, lately greater than ever before Rob, I feel the same way every week @ the same place around 8:30 pm on weds., its natural. I wish I could gallop all over the city and have showcase spots and Chapelle kiss my hand, be it hairy, I still would have liked it. All I'm saying is you're being what you want to be and you hate repitition. Welcome to Comedy, party of everyone?
You Can't Make This Stuff Up
Posted on 11/08/2004 at 09:27 AM by Scott Beaton
Wow, you couldn't have written a better scenario than that. Seriously though Robin, if you were feeling that way and you recieved that kind of intervention, I would take it was a sign of big things to come. And I'm with Tommy, I woouldn't have minded Chapelle kissing my hand either.
Funny you should say that.
Posted on 11/08/2004 at 01:40 PM by Robin Fox
Right before I called my son. I read my horoscope. It said something like.... The best is yet to come, the most creative years of yourlife are infront of you. Then I called my son. It really was a night of signs.
I tend to do most things in extremes and on paper it seemed like a good idea... If Im going into the city anyway why not go from one open mic to the next. I had my first paid gig at Sals' Comedy Hole coming up and a showcase at the Cellar at the end of the week, so how could it hurt.
I found myself feeling detached from the audience and sick of hearing my same jokes. By the time mid week came around I became punch drunk. I did an underwelming job at the Duplex. Everyone there had prepared day after the election jokes and I didn't have any. I felt naked. I met a friend there and we went to dinner and had a reprieve from thinking about my set for a few hours. After dinner I started to walk to the Lantern by myself. Suddenly out of no where I became completely overwhelmed. Why am I doing this?...Its to hard. What do I need to prove to myself? What's this all for? Your to old for this!! Your the joke! You will never ever write another funny thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The jokes on you. Im cold. I want to go home.
Before I knew it, I was standing at the doorway to the Lantern and walked down the stairs. In front of me sat yet another ventriloquist. I took out my book. I looked for a few thoughts I had barely worked on. I didn't care anymore. I went up to the stage when my name was called.....the white light hit my face. I improvised the 4 main ideas I had tried to flesh out on paper. Laughter returned. John Morrison was laughing. This might be going well. Applause. I sat down.I got a few pats on my back. Later upstairs on the street John paid me a lovely compliment...that meant the world to me... I went home happy.
Thursday I did a show in NJ ... It went well. Did I kill...no? I delivered a good set nothing more. Friday was the Cellar showcase it went well although I did feel that I didn't do the full 5 minutes. I had 3 hours to kill between the cellar and my show at Sal's. I walked with comic I greatly respect who has been in this for a few years longer than me.. to his car. I asked him If he ever felt that he hit a wall. He knew just what I was talking about. I felt better. Later walking again alone I found myself in a surreal experience when I realized that for 3 blocks I had been seeing nothing but shoe stores. No, I had not fallen into some Sex in the City shoe heavan....rather I found out that 8th street is Shoe Street. I walked past Washington Sq. Park and was asked if I needed anything from a drug dealer. I was shocked and some how complimented that he would ask someone my age, maybe I am not that old. I stopped at Esperanto on Mac Dougal for a cup of coffee and went outside to say goodnight to my son on the phone. It was around 10pm. A young black man sat down next to me and was talking on his cell phone too. It was Dave Chappelle. Once we were both off of our phones I said hi to him and told him I was a fan and a comic. He was warm and approachable I mentioned that my friend Larry Bailey had seen him a week before at the Cellar ...He remembered Larry. Then I had to ask him about the brick wall. He knew....He knew just what I was talking about.... there are lots of them ahead of us all it seems. I mentioned the ventriloquist night to him. He laughed and said something about following a Hypnotist. He had some serious drinking to do and kissed my hand goodnight. I crossed the street to Sal's. I watched Sal perform. I looked and learned. He did one of the best sets I have see him do. I got up to do my first paid gig in NYC and had an excellent set. This is a long race.....what can get me through it is... pacing myself, the support of others who have been in it for the long haul and just staying the course. It only looks easy.
Comments are below
Pucker Up Butter Cup!
Posted on 11/08/2004 at 04:55 AM by Tommy Brennan
To Robin,
This is for someone I've seen grow in front of my eyes no matter how many times she bugs me in my booth of solitude. I've seen em bad and I've seen em great, lately greater than ever before Rob, I feel the same way every week @ the same place around 8:30 pm on weds., its natural. I wish I could gallop all over the city and have showcase spots and Chapelle kiss my hand, be it hairy, I still would have liked it. All I'm saying is you're being what you want to be and you hate repitition. Welcome to Comedy, party of everyone?
You Can't Make This Stuff Up
Posted on 11/08/2004 at 09:27 AM by Scott Beaton
Wow, you couldn't have written a better scenario than that. Seriously though Robin, if you were feeling that way and you recieved that kind of intervention, I would take it was a sign of big things to come. And I'm with Tommy, I woouldn't have minded Chapelle kissing my hand either.
Funny you should say that.
Posted on 11/08/2004 at 01:40 PM by Robin Fox
Right before I called my son. I read my horoscope. It said something like.... The best is yet to come, the most creative years of yourlife are infront of you. Then I called my son. It really was a night of signs.
Thursday, November 4, 2004
Take my life please.
There was a link to an article in the NY Times about the open mic comics in and around NYC. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/31/nyregion/thecity/31comi.html
I read the article and was already nursing a small depression....I wanted to jump off my roof by the time I finished it. Considering all we go through and how little in the end we are given it is a miracle any of us get up on a stage. It is an inherent need for some of us. It is an inner beast that only can be satisfied by getting in front of an audience with a mic (mic can be optional if need be) Talent.....would be nice. Funny, would be helpful. It is better when it is done well. My hat is off to anyone with the courage to follow their dream. Marry is portrayed as a sad case in point. I must admit though ... the time he takes to go to hospitals to bring some sort of reprieve how ever how short or what level of funny,,,shows that he does this from a burning desire in his heart to be who he is... a comic. He is not at that hospital expecting his big break. I must say that the community of creative people that comedy attracts is a nice thing for many of us. No harm no foul.
Comments are below
I read the article
Posted on 11/04/2004 at 03:33 PM by Shaun Eli
and showed it to two people, both of whom have seen me perform. They said it was a very sad article.
I agree with, unfortunately, the opening of the article-- that some people stand on stage not to entertain, but to complain. And that makes it more difficult for us, not only to attract people to come watch stand-up, but also makes going to open-mikes painful sometimes, because we have to listen to people's sadness without any entertainment. (this is not a swipe at Maury; he has material
I read the article and was already nursing a small depression....I wanted to jump off my roof by the time I finished it. Considering all we go through and how little in the end we are given it is a miracle any of us get up on a stage. It is an inherent need for some of us. It is an inner beast that only can be satisfied by getting in front of an audience with a mic (mic can be optional if need be) Talent.....would be nice. Funny, would be helpful. It is better when it is done well. My hat is off to anyone with the courage to follow their dream. Marry is portrayed as a sad case in point. I must admit though ... the time he takes to go to hospitals to bring some sort of reprieve how ever how short or what level of funny,,,shows that he does this from a burning desire in his heart to be who he is... a comic. He is not at that hospital expecting his big break. I must say that the community of creative people that comedy attracts is a nice thing for many of us. No harm no foul.
Comments are below
I read the article
Posted on 11/04/2004 at 03:33 PM by Shaun Eli
and showed it to two people, both of whom have seen me perform. They said it was a very sad article.
I agree with, unfortunately, the opening of the article-- that some people stand on stage not to entertain, but to complain. And that makes it more difficult for us, not only to attract people to come watch stand-up, but also makes going to open-mikes painful sometimes, because we have to listen to people's sadness without any entertainment. (this is not a swipe at Maury; he has material
Funny.....who knew?
Last night I did 2 open mics. I really like to try new material when I do them and scanning the audience of comics most had heard my standard set a gagillian times...I had to spare them. I took up my book and did tried a bit of this and that. After I was done a bunch of comics said how much they liked my set. Really??? I dont know? I told a few real life stories they worked kinda...sorta.. Best part of the show at the Morrison Motel was at the end there is a raffle for the door prize of $100 and I won. I quickly ran over to Sals comedy hole at The Village Ma and participated in the laugh-off. I did a few other new things on stage and I dont know how I did. Low and behold IM in the final round against a very funny comic. I won. Sal has the best prize for winning. I won a Sat night spot. Talk about a guy giving comics a chance at a leg up. I dont know I didn't have any sense of myself. Time to whip out the tape recorder and see what everyone else saw... Who knew???
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