September 98

Sep 1 - Luggage Store

Did the Ugly American Routine. I screwed up the entrance and things went down hill from there. I wrote a whole bunch of new material, and had no chance to rehearse it so the piece was really ragged, and I was having alot of trouble staying in character. It was fun though. The audience had alot of trouble connecting with me. They were so busy trying to see behind the mask. Staying in character should prevent this in the future.
 

Sep 5 - Java N More

Talked about Pat's hospital stay, but went off on some not-so-funny tangents. I'm going to rewrite some stuff, and maybe work it in with the story of Pat's hysterectomy. Funny stuff.
 

Sep 6 - Punchline

It's amazing. I didn't perform tonight, but had a kind of breakthrough. Talking to several comedians in from out-of-town, I was able to accurately predict how funny each would be. I have not been able to do that with comedians before. Back when I worked as a DJ I was able to tell after one song how big a band would get. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not. On one hand I don't like to over think my comedy. That always gets me in trouble. On the other hand, hopefully I can recognize what makes a bad comedian, and avoid those things in my own act.
 

Sep 12 - Java N More

Really ragged set tonight. I wasn't planning to go out tonight, but an hour before the show I got some funny ideas, so decided to go and see what happened. I got some laughs for some of the material, but there was no flow and many of the ideas weren't fully fleshed out. It's strange because I have this material that I know kills, but hesitate to do it because I feel guilty doing old material. I shouldn't though. I worked hard on that material. And I have to remember that comedians don't count as an audience. The pedestrians there have never heard my routine about work, so it would be new to them.
 

Another strange thing I've noticed. I take pictures at alot of these shows and post them on this web page, And there are comedians who do not want their pictures used. I am hungry for what ever publicity I can get, so it surprises me when someone turns down free publicity.
 

Sep 16 - Perk Central

Good set tonight. I have to thank Mike Saldate for all his work putting a very nice open mike together. Keep the flyers coming. One of the main reasons I did well is there was a real audience. Seven people who have never seen me perform before. This feeling is why I do comedy.
 
I started off with a routine about getting my California Driver's License. I go over the test questions I got wrong. I got nods of recognition from everybody. Then I just kept rambling. Jumping from one topic to another. I finished a little week. I was trying to get the proverbial BIG LAUGH, when I should have just let the bit wrap up at a logical point. This minor criticism aside I feel very good about tonight's performance.
 

Sep 18 - One World Cafe

Great set tonight. There weren't many comedians so I felt no pressure to get off stage, so I relaxed and just kept rambling. The driver's license bit gets funnier every time I tell it. This is a great bit because it is something that everyone has to deal with, but my approach to the subject matter seems to be unique. It also allows me to do some Iowa/California comparison jokes. And because the comparison is not the focus of the joke, it doesn't come off as hack material. That's one thing some comedians need to learn. We have this mental list of what we call "hack" material. Subject matter that has been done so many times, that when you hear it you want to run screaming from the club. But it isn't the subject matter, it's the lack of a unique view into the subject matter.
 

So I had a great set. Still some nit-picky stage presence and timing issues, but these will come with practice. This was the kind of set that reminds me that yes, I do have the potential to go pro. And one of the things that makes me feel good about this set was the audience consisted of 4 comedians and 2 friends of comedians. This is the kind of crowd that I used to fear, because comedians are the hardest people to make laugh.
 

Sep 19 - Java N More

Good set, not great. Had a weird thing happen tonight. I had an idea this afternoon about a bit I want to write. I put down some notes, but didn't have time to actually write anything. So I'm on stage and something makes me think of the new bit, and I start doing it. And not being written yet, the bit has no where to go, but instead of saying, "I'm sorry, I haven't written that bit yet," I try to work my way out of it, and fail. It wasn't a major tragedy, but did degrade what could have been a much funnier set.
 

Sep 20 - Thoughts

Read a great quote from Robin Williams today. "The essential truth is that sometimes you're worried that they'll find out it's a fluke, that you don't really have it. You've lost the muse or - the worse dread - you never had it at all. I went through all that madness early on."

It makes me feel good knowing that these fears are not mine alone.
 

Sep 23 - Perk Central

Pretty good set. I was being video-taped and that tensed me up a bit. I did better than usual connecting with some of the audience members. I still need work in that area, but I am having fewer problems with confidence in my material. The ad-libs are coming more often. That's when I'm hitting the zone.
 

Sep 27 - Punchline

No, didn't get to perform. Had a brief talk with the showcase booker. Not much chance of getting a spot on the internet show, but he voiced concerns about how they're shutting out new talent. It gives me some hope for the future.
 

My wife's friend came with me to the show and she had some interesting insights into the world of hanging out near the green room. First of my fellow comedians, lay off the substances! Can we talk moderation please. I have no objection to whatever you do to your body, but when your intoxication screws up your routine, it's time to cut back. I was fortunate to have someone point out how alkyhol was hurting my performance early in my career. At least two comedians tonight lost all sense of timing and delivery, because they were high. And in both cases, comments to that effect were heard from the audience. So save it till after the show, or at least know your limit.

Sep 30 - Thoughts

I just wanted take a second and complement the organizers of the SF Comedy Competition on the greatly improved advertising and media awareness campaign. I'm hearing so much more about the competition this year. Getting the TV coverage is a huge step in getting the popular recognition that is needed to restore the prestige of the competition. I applaud your efforts, and should also thank UPN44 for airing their special in October. Thanks.