Back on the boardsI tried to get a gig in Portland to keep myself sharp, but the only comedy club in Portland that I know about didn’t return my phone calls. Just for that you don’t get a link Portland-comedy-club, and I won’t even mention your name! And I am going to pretend that this hurts you, even though it is probably a loss of (maybe) two clickthroughs.
Since returning, I’ve done two spots: an audition at Boudoir Bar in Cobble Hill and a bringer show at NYCC on E.24th Street. Both were a touch unusual.
About a month ago, I did an open mic at the Underground Lounge. One of the comics, Pete Holmes, told me that Boudoir Bar has auditions on Tuesday night. I planned on going the following night and joining him and his friend Vito Lantz, but the skies opened up and I didn’t make it out. Pete was kind enough to give me the skinny, however. He told me that the audition was a little odd; he and Vito were the only comics there, and there was nobody at the bar except Lisa, the bartender/talent scout. On the upside, he told me that even though there was no audience, Lisa was a good laugher.
Pete was right on all accounts except one: he thought that there was nobody at the bar because of the rain, but it appears that Tuesday is just a slow night at Boudoir. Asphnxma met me at the bar so that we could play a little poker afterwards, and he managed to check out my act without having to pay a cover or minimum. Also without helping me out with my bringer requirements. Don’t think you’re off the hook, bub. (Of course, I missed his last improv appearance, so I’ll be quiet now. Also I showed up at the bar almost a half hour late, so I’ll REALLY shut up now.)
I didn’t feel like jumping right into my set, so asphnxma, Lisa and I talked for a while over a glass of wine (it’s a wine bar, you see). About comedy some, about poker some. I was making Lisa laugh during the converation, so I considered that a good sign. Lisa, apropos of nothing, is quite cute.
After clearing my head with drink (yes, that makes sense), we all decided that it was time to audition. The mic wasn’t turned on, but with only three people in the room, I decided to just perform without it. There isn’t much to say except that the set went well. I think I adjusted well to the fact that (a) asphnxma hadn’t seen any of the convention coverage and (b) neither one of them has seen Spider Man 2. I imagine that you have deduced that these would help the listener get the jokes. At least both of them were able to see that I needed to lose weight and are familiar with “sex,” so those jokes had no familiarity issues. The audition went well, and Lisa said that she would recommend me to the booker. Good news - and a good feeling.
Alas, when I emailed Pete he told me that he still hadn’t heard from the club after that audition. He did tell me that there is a separate audition for their main comedy show - the Saturday night show - and I should stop by on a Saturday and talk to Larry. So I will. I think the Saturday show may be a little above my level, though. I’ve heard that a lot of the comics on that show have already had appearances on shows like Premium Blend, so I might not be ready for that show yet.
Still, its worth a shot.
New York Comedy Club
My show at NYCC started inauspiciously. Steve Arons, the person who promoted the NYCC shows that I had been doing, quit. I don’t exactly have the details, but it appears to be a combination of animosity between him and the club owner and Steve landing roles in independent films and wishing to further pursue his acting career.
Between you and me, I appreciate that he kept booking me, but he really wasn’t much of a comic, and since he never actually watched anybody perform I can’t imagine how he could really help me out beyond giving me more time in the New Talent room at NYCC. The new host, Buddy Flip, is, at the very least, a better comic than Steve. He also expressed a desire to actually watch the comedians he books and to give them feedback. Thumbs up so far. He also put me into his 9/2 show, so at least I’m still working at the club.
On the downside, they are upping the bringer requirement to 4 and they told me that they don’t take internet reservations for the New Talent shows - if you book online I only get half credit. This is a bit of a gyp, since even though the cover is half price, the two-drink minimum is full price. Maybe someday when I have juice I’ll complain to them, but right now I can only complain to you. Also, since Buddy doesn’t know me, I’m back to doing 5 minute sets at NYCC. I had been up to 7, and now that I’ve slid back, I had to adjust the material I was planning to fit the shorter time frame.
The show itself went very well. Buddy put me on early, probably because even though I haven’t been doing this very long, I’m older than most folks starting out and, if I do say so myself, I carry myself like someone who knows what is going on. Note: I don’t know what’s going on, but I appear that I do.
I had only three people there (thanks Mom, Roz and Simone), so I was going to have to get the crowd myself. Fortunately, the crowd was good, and they came to laugh. My material went well. The Teresa Heinz Kerry joke went extremely well - and I’m not even sure that most of the crowd really was familiar with her marital backstory. Overall, an excellent night. I got on early, I got off early, I brownnosed a little by sticking around long enough to watch Buddy’s set and then I headed off to play some poker.
Gigs
{whoring} I have gigs coming up, and I could use some bodies for the September 2 show (and possibly 9/8 as well), so come on out. I’m getting better, and I’m rotating in new material on almost every show. {/whoring}
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