This Friday I am being flown out to Pittsburgh Pa. I hate to fly, ironic with my name. The gig is for a fund raiser. They are paying for my flight and room at the Hilton where it will be held and I am being well paid to do 40 minutes. Gulp! I really think that I will be fine ....but of course I am very nervous. The dinner will is a $250 a plate affair and I am the headliner for the night. The longest I have done in NYC is a 15 minute set. In NJ I have gone as long as 40 on one occasion and it went well. At the time I was at a gig and the headliner bailed at the last minute. The booker asked me how long can you go. This was with no preparation other than to do my 15 minutes I had prepared. It went very well I went the distance .....and it made me see that I did have the material to do it. Not everything is "A" stuff. As a matter of fact the challenge of doing it with no preparation was.... to in my head, figure out the peaks and valleys of the set and to leave something for the end to finish on a high note. I have 5 different bits I use to close with and I couldn't save them all for the end so I did 6, of my 5 to 10 minute sets strung together. Knowing that I have to do 40 minutes ahead of time this Friday has made me crazy. Too much thinking and re thinking. The firm conformation only came for this show late last week. I was still waiting for my plane reservation etc ....until then who knew if it would ever really happen. So to get ready for this show I have been getting into my car for gigs and on the long drive into Manhattan and home, I have just been timing myself to see off the top of my head how much material I can say out loud from my memory without notes. I have done 45 on several occasions. Sometimes I needed to stop pause and know where the hell I was going with the material. Now just 4 days away I am writing down my bit titles and trying to firm up a line up. The problem with having a firm set is ,I worry if I should veer off..... I will not get startled and not be able to get back on track. During my first year at this when I did my first MC gig....I was doing a joke and completely blanked out. It was the most frightening moment since I started doing this. I stood like a dear in the headlights for what felt like an eternity. Then I managed to make it look like it was part of the bit and saved myself. Barely. That's in the past and all it can do for me is let me see that I can get through it . The past week I keep having anxiety dreams. You know them the standards. I'm in 9th grade and I don't know there is a test that day. The dream where for some reason I'm naked and have to get home without any one seeing me. The dream where I loose all my teeth. And my absolute least favorite I'm traveling all night on trains and subways and cars and busses trying to get someplace that I'm in big trouble if I don't show up on time and the creepy man is following me trying to kill me. So how do you get ready for a gig like this. All I can hold on to is: I have been getting ready for this show for the past several years. Every time I have sat an written down a new joke or done an open mic or gig has had to have gotten me ready. I have stood in the mirror and performed for one skeptical comic who really is starting to look like my mom ( aint it a bitch) and believing that anything is possible. For 20 years I thought living the life I have today was impossible. Be careful what you wish for. Gulp!!!
Comments are below
You will be wondeful
Posted on 05/16/2005 at 12:30 PM by Kelly Shannon
I have to give you credit, I have a hard time remembering my 15 min set somedays. You will do fine though. email me and let me know how it goes. And remember, have fun. You get to be single, at least over night.
Thanks Kelly
Posted on 05/16/2005 at 01:36 PM by Robin Fox
You never know what you can do till you do it is my New Motto. Who knew??? I will keep you posted. I think were booked on Sat evening at 88 keys. Im Mcing on the this Sat night. Im coming back to NJ that morning. See you then!
Go Get'em
Posted on 05/16/2005 at 07:11 PM by Dennis Larsen
Robin just think of all the great advise you give a young comic like me and you will kill them. see sat.
You're gonna kill
Posted on 05/18/2005 at 01:16 AM by Lisa Harmon
You're great and you really deserve it! Knock'em dead!
scared shitless
Posted on 05/18/2005 at 11:09 AM by Robin Fox
need i say more...plane tickets just got here fed x
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