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Glad I found this thread. I've recently made the decision to get involved with stand up, after loving it my entire life. I'm another one of those people that have always just viewed comics as some kind of mythical creature. I've spent the last 24 years trying to make people laugh, to varying degrees of success, and it's one of the most enjoyable things in the world to me. But, it's also a major defense mechanism. I've frantically jotted down every even semi funny thought I've had over the past few months and have been trying to get a decent 5min ready. I live in a fairly small city and haven't been able to get any good leads on an open mic night until yesterday. Turns out, the local comedy club does have one, despite not listing it online (and not returning my email asking about it), which is perfect since they're less than half a mile from my place. There's also a bar about 10min away that host a weekly open mic, but I think it's primarily music. I'm going to look into it and see about getting up in front of their crowd as well (being a primarily black room, I think it would be good practice to learn different rooms). I'm planning to go to the comedy club this week, just to scope it out. Then, next week, I'm going to give it a shot. I also started a not funny blog about me trying to be funny. It might seem like a waste of time that could be spent writing jokes, but I like the idea of keeping a public record of my successes and bombs. Plus, I decided to post it to all my social media as a way of pressuring myself to do it (dame goes for posting in here). If anyone would care to read/follow it, I'll post a link. And I'll definitely post a recording of my first night up.
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Jun 18, 2013 19:31
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Well, I just found out today from a friend who's performed there a few times that they seem to only have musicians, so I'm pretty much scratching that idea out. But, I still have the actual comedy club as an option. I'm going tonight to check it out and planning to get up next week. Even if I'm not 100% prepared, I think it would be better to get up there and bomb than make an excuse and put it off because that will just establish a precedent of flaking. My goal is to start doing it 3 weeks out of the month. This is one of the few things that I've been really, truly interested in in my life, so I want to go at it full force. Ninja edit: there's a local micro brewery opening soon that will have a small bar attached to it. I've talked to the owner a little, just to establish communication, and I'm planning to approach him about starting an open mic night. Another place, another crowd, more practice. XIII fucked around with this message at 19:01 on Jun 19, 2013 |
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Jun 19, 2013 18:56
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Well, I went out for my first open mic last Wednesday. I was happy with the five that I had prepared, but, with the repealing of DOMA, I shelved it and wrote a new five. I know it's not exactly the best idea, but I have nothing to lose and liked the challenge of writing under pressure. Plus, I felt that the material would only be worth taking to bat if it was fresh. There were enough people there that we didn't all make it up. They're having an open mic contest starting this week, so I signed up. So, my first time up will be in a competition. I'm not really any more nervous than I would be on any other night though. I dread bombing, but I accept it. I know it's a part of the game, so I'm just going to go for it. Plus, after watching some of the others, I feel confident that I won't be the worst, by any stretch. There was, literally, no way that a couple of them had done any form of preparation.
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Jul 1, 2013 04:28
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I'd also be interested in hearing how to increase turnout at an open mic, since I may be helping start one soon.
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Jul 2, 2013 15:13
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Well, just got back from my first open mic. Like I said, it was the first round of an open mic contest. I wasn't super happy with my set, but it was still good enough to get me first place for the night and into the finals, so I really can't complain. I didn't totally blank, like I was worried about, but my setlist got fuzzy enough that I ended up improving a decent amount, as well as throwing in a few bits that I hadn't prepared at all, skipping a few that I had, and eating up enough of my time that I didn't feel comfortable going for my closer. The club has a pretty strict no heckling policy, which I, honestly, don't like. I want to work on my ability to deal with them, but I had the "fortune" of having a lady near the front get slightly heckle-y. Heckling isn't really the right word, but she just really wanted to be a part of the show (as hecklers do). I felt that nothing she said caught me off guard and I was able to deal a little with crowd work thanks to her. You can actually see in the video where the door man goes over and tell her that she'll be asked to leave if she speaks up again. The feature and headliner for the evening were both very supportive and gave me some constructive feedback. Probably the best advice I got was simply to speak up. It being my first time up, I felt awkward holding a mic and didn't really know how to handle it. But, I think next time will be better. My main concern is going into my next one with any sense of security, whatsoever. I had a good night and my set was simply funnier than my competition. That doesn't mean that I'm actually funny. It just means that I got lucky. So, now I have two weeks to get a better set together for the finals. I can't let a minor "win" lure me into a false sense of security. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJnDpbnSAX0 *sorry for the audio/video quality.
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Jul 11, 2013 05:49
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Patrice O'Neal was fantastic and I agree with anyone and everyone who finds him to be. Smerdyakov said it better than I could, but just pretend I typed out agreements with all his points. I love listening to other comics telling stories about Patrice because I get the feeling that he was simply the person he was and didn't pretend to be anything else.
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Jul 15, 2013 14:40
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If you want answers from a rookie open mic'er, let me know.
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Aug 15, 2013 18:28
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Will it spoil me posted:That'd be great, thanks. Shoot me an email at stick1300 @ gee mail Also, yes.
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Aug 21, 2013 02:40
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captain platypus posted:I'm telling you all that I'm going to sign up for an open mic Tuesday night so that I can't back out of signing up for an open mic Tuesday night. Post this on your Facebook so your friends will put pressure on you to follow through. That's what I did.
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Aug 26, 2013 01:14
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captain platypus posted:I don't have a whole lot of friends here---I just moved up a week ago. I have told a few of my friends from back home. Definitely film it. I have a drat hard time watching my sets, but what I've learned (like to stop swinging my free arm around) has been super valuable. I usually run through my set a handful of times alone/to my dog the day of. Then, one or two of the other open mic'ers come over a couple hours before it starts and we will run through our sets and tweak things. Well, sometimes. About half of the time we just end up bullshitting.
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Aug 26, 2013 02:40
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Question Mark Mound posted:does anyone else get stage blindness/deafness - as in you can't really see or hear if you're getting a response - while you're up there? I think that's just part of the curse that is being new. I've found myself barreling through material on stage and I think you just have to learn to slow down and try to feel where the crowd is at. I've only done this once, but taking a drink up with me gave me a good way to kinda of reset myself when I notice that I was doing it. I know you weren't being literal about the blindness part, but my friend complains a lot about not being able to actually see anyone, so he has trouble interacting with the crowd. I'm short enough that I can see people really well, so I have a little more visual feedback on how things go over.
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Aug 28, 2013 14:09
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I've never taken one, but I would pass. Honestly, I don't see any class teaching you anything you couldn't get from watching some videos of comics discussing the craft and, more importantly, getting a poo poo load of stage time. That last one is the big one.
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Aug 29, 2013 18:00
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Question Mark Mound posted:Not filming it but I might record the audio. Film/record it. Not an option. Then, post it here and we'll give you feedback (at least, I will). Something to consider, try running through your set in front of a friend or someone and have them use a lap timer to mark each punchline (or, at least, what the listener perceives to be a punch). Then, you can see what jokes take the longest to get to where their going and if they can be trimmed.
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Aug 31, 2013 19:03
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Question Mark Mound posted:So my gig today didn't go too bad, I guess. It was a bit odd because for the first half (which I did my bit in) the entire audience was entirely made up of the other acts and a small handful of their mates, so there was about a dozen people in the room and nobody was getting any big laughs even for stuff that has worked well before. You had a phone on hand AND a friend in the room and you didn't record it?! Shame.
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Sep 7, 2013 20:39
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I'm from Arkansas and I'm going to write an Oregon Trail bit now, just because.
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Sep 8, 2013 02:08
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FactsAreUseless posted:What's in Arkansas again? Nothing?
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Sep 8, 2013 05:24
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For rushing, I've started taking a beer (almost always my first drink of the night) on stage with me. When I feel myself starting to barrel through material, I'll take a quick sip. It kind of gives me a moment to reset. For segues, I wouldn't worry about them for your first time up. Until very recently, I've always made sure I could segue through my entire five minutes, but I've realized that all it's doing is asking a lot of extra words to my set that should be spent going for laughs. Early on you'll want to ramble and fill the space, when what you should be worried about is stripping all the fat off a joke. After you sharpen a joke to a razor's edge, then write segues in and out of it.
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Sep 16, 2013 12:24
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The only thing worse than a heckler is a comic (or aspiring comic) heckling. There's only one semi decent open mic in my town, at the only comedy club around, and I really like the way the handle some things and dislike the way they handle others. They don't have a stand alone night for open mics, just a quick spot before the Wednesday night show, so they only take 8 people a night. Because of this limit, they only let you go on every other week. I have the benefit of living ~2min away, so I'm there every week (usually a few times) and can pick up any empty spots on open mic night. You've got your four horsemen that you can't say (gently caress, can't, goddamn, or the n-bomb), which slot of people dislike, but, despite being fairly profane in my daily life, I don't mind. I do like that the open mic'ers have to sit near the front and if they have notes or phones out or are talking, they get banned from going on stage for a month.
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Sep 22, 2013 15:22
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Sataere posted:I will repost this since nobody responded. What is the take on this? Does anyone else find they come up with ideas at open mic nights? Or do they find this morally reprehensible for some reason I might be missing completely? I come up with a ton of ideas at open mics and movies and things like that. Basically, I've noticed that when I'm around something creative, I'm more creative. As far as being inspired by a joke, it's a dangerous thing. I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but you have to make sure that it's a vanilla enough premise that you aren't taking someone's point of view. And, you will have to take the joke so far away from the original point that there's no question that it's different. I'd say it's "okay, but risky". Don't shy away from a great joke, but it should be great
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Oct 19, 2013 02:14
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Abitha Denton posted:This is 100% true, especially practicing at open mics. In my experience even nice comics don't laugh that much so if you can get a good response at an empty mic you're gold. I will admit to being terrible about not laughing. Even when it's people/jokes I find genuinely funny. I'm paying attention, but I'm also in my own head about how I can piggy back something or tie a joke into it or if I need to scrap a topic because others are hammering on it. Does anyone else spend a LOT of time at comedy clubs? Sadly, there's only one club in my state, but it's only a couple of minutes away from my place. I'm at the club for every open mic and, usually, at least one more night each week, watching the feature and headliner, trying to learn. Last week, I was there three nights, for two shows two of the three nights. I've gotten in good with the staff and get to meet and hang out with a lot of the comics. I spent a couple hours last Friday and Saturday hanging out and chatting with Paul Hooper. Dude was super nice and actually talked TO me, not AT me like some of the guys who feel like they're hot poo poo.
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Oct 30, 2013 02:27
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Karl Ontario posted:I have an upcoming open mic this Friday and I'm thinking of opening with a bit about how Batman really took being an orphan hard. Do you think that is too alienating to the crowd, or that by this point everyone pretty much knows Batman's origin? I will admit to loving Batman, so I'm not the best representative of John Q., but I like that premise and support it. Plus, if you think it's funny, I say go for it. Tell the jokes that you'd like to hear and accept that you won't be for everyone.
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Jan 6, 2014 05:07
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I'll toss you a follow on Twitter. But, really, there's no right or wrong way to write your jokes. I've tried a hundred different methods (recommended by my favorite writers, comics, friends) and, ultimately, it's not right for me. Just find what works for you and do that.
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Jan 7, 2014 19:04
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Tena Twister posted:I have yet to straight-up bomb or be heckled though. Looking forward to it in a sick way? There's something genuinely refreshing about the first time you bomb. For someone that takes this whole comedy thing pretty seriously (as in, I actually devote time to trying to write material and have something to say on stage, as opposed to the poo poo heads that just get up there to see what it's like or impress their buddies), you absolutely KNOW it's going to happen (a lot), so getting that first one over with and being able to see how little it really matters (and how much it can teach you) is kind of freeing. EDIT: I drove a couple hours to a monthly open mic Sunday night. I went last month for the first time and it's a completely different atmosphere than the comedy club I'm used to going up at. It's in the back room of a bar and the crowd is a lot more chatty and loud (and drunk), but they're also there FOR an open mic, as opposed to "there for a show that happens to have an open mic before it that they have to sit through" at the comedy club, so they're a lot more willing to go with you on something and just have fun. Last time there weren't many people there, but this time is was full. They had to pull tables in from the bar and, even then, people were still just having to stand. My set was definitely one of my strongest to date and I had a great time. So, that basically ensures that I'll bomb aggressively at the next mic here in town. XIII fucked around with this message at 04:02 on Jan 31, 2014 |
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Jan 31, 2014 03:56
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Barracuda Bang! posted:So, I've been trying to work on my actual joke writing skills lately, ostensibly in preparation for giving stand-up a try in a few weeks. Been trying to write a joke a day on twitter. Anyone else here use it and want to start a little name exchange? Followed. I've been trying (emphasis on try) to step up my Twitter fame. I'm @zacfelts
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Apr 28, 2014 05:25
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I'm jealous. Doing Edinburgh is on my goal list (thanks a lot, Comedian's Comedian podcast). Wish I could come see you.
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Jun 13, 2014 15:28
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Yeah, I look at it and think "man, I can't wait to lose a ton of money on that" and mean it. But, it's not something I'm considering at this point in my stand-up career. I am, however, excited to be moving to Denver in two weeks so I can start getting on stage nightly, instead of the current two times a week.
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Jun 13, 2014 15:47
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Question Mark Mound posted:Also for anyone who doesn't already listen to ComComPod, it is the single best podcast around for anybody interested in actual interviews with comedians and isn't just a platform for them to recite some of their routines. Exactly. I really enjoy the fact that I have no idea who 98% of the people on it are. Listening to it really showed me how there is no right or wrong way to go about writing.
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Jun 13, 2014 16:24
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Barely related, but I saw Sean Patton a few months ago in New Orleans (his home town) and again a few times since then here in Denver and he's great. I was the show manager for a handful of shows at the High Plains Comedy Festival and he rode with me to the after party and is a genuinely nice guy. I really can't wish him enough good fortune.
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Sep 1, 2014 22:42
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I think it's worth pointing out that it wasn't too terribly long ago that this same discussion would be about how you should always wear a suit on stage. There are always a set of (ever changing) "rules" to comedy, but the beauty of comedy is the constant subversion of those rules. That said, I think we can all agree that, no matter your stance on beards, ponytails, or whatever, no one should wear shorts on stage.
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Sep 6, 2014 07:51
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freud mayweather posted:this is good advice, but sometimes when i do guest spots i wear shorts anyway. I've gone on stage once in shorts, but it was because the host got sick between comics and I had to cover for him. It felt weird and I hated it.
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Sep 6, 2014 21:31
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I just moved to Denver to do comedy more seriously and the scene here is amazing (especially coming from Arkansas). I've been stressed like mad about money and jobs and housing, so I haven't gone up any yet and that nagging voice that I'm not working hard enough is going crazy. Thankfully, things are starting to stabilize.
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Sep 25, 2014 04:31
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Yeah, I'm getting to that point, but being super broke through the end of next month has kept me in the apartment. But, it's been nice in its own way because I've been developing better writing habits and reworking old material that I wasn't happy with (I'm still not, but is anyone ever?).
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Sep 25, 2014 06:17
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Any goon comics want to exchange twitter names? I'm fairly choosy about who I follow (don't want a feed full of poo poo), but I'd be happy to follow fellow thread members. Mine is @zacfelts. I'm not good at it, but I try.
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Sep 25, 2014 18:44
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Well, I've finally gotten of my rear end and started hitting open mics. Did one set Wednesday (to 10 comics) and two Thursday (to 6 comics and 5 audience members). Feels good to be doing it again. Can't say they've gone particularly well because I'm just trying to get back on my feet (and no other comics give a hot poo poo about anything but their own sets and getting to the next mic of the night), but they haven't gone badly either. Last night's sets went better because the room is run by some friends who also just moved out here, so the atmosphere was a lot more laid back (plus having a few people actually listening goes a long way). The "audience" was made up of one table and the girlfriend of one of the open mic'ers (going up for his first time), but they were totally down to just let people try things and not feel awkward about being the sole people in the room.
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Oct 24, 2014 21:51
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Sataere posted:Good for you! Thanks! Now if I could just get over this hatred for all my material and my seeming inability to write anything new.
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Oct 25, 2014 01:07
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Sataere posted:I know the material itself is fine and my presentation sucks. I'm the opposite. I feel my writing is weak, but my performance is strong. I'd much rather be a good writer (I've always looked up to writers). I feel like I'm all style and no substance.
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Oct 25, 2014 19:42
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E the Shaggy posted:I'm trying out for Fox's Laughs tomorrow. The producer contacted me via Twitter and asked if they could use one of my submissions from /r/standupshots. I was hesitant because I've heard some shifty things about them and you have to sign over all rights to to whatever they use, but I don't tell the joke, so I decided why not. They tweeted about me a few days before and again the day it aired. The entire experience gained me zero followers (which is the closest thing to payment I had expected, since they pay you in "exposure"). \/\/ exactly. Almost as soon as I signed the paperwork, I wished I hadn't. I was really torn about supporting a show that I didn't/don't really feel is good for the comedy world. I didn't even watch the episode. Unless something changes, I wouldn't do it again. XIII fucked around with this message at 06:35 on Nov 3, 2014 |
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Nov 3, 2014 04:38
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I just bombed so hard that a random person bought me a shot and a beer. I'd call that a win.
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Nov 8, 2014 06:31
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Haha, I've had a few people buy me a drink after a good set, but I've had more "that was rough, here's a beer" situations, sadly. Last night wasn't actually that bad, it was just one of those shows that couldn't have gone well. It was at a bar where we host an open mic and the owner asked if we would do comedy during the intermissions for a band at their monthly art show. The crowd was so loud that, of the 75 people in there, maybe the 5 immediately next to us could hear anything. Going into it we knew it wasn't going to go well, but they gave us all a $25 bar tab, so I would do it again.
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Nov 8, 2014 16:37
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Pinky Artichoke posted:I'll go up again, for sure. But I think I'm going to go to more informal mics a couple of times first. Somehow I think a crowd of people who are ignoring the comic while they drink might be a good step before going up on stage in an actual comedy club again. I will 100% disagree. Most of the open mics I've done since moving has been to bar patrons that wouldn't noticed if I got naked, poo poo on the stage, then hung myself from a rafter (or an "audience" of nothing but comics). I hate it so much more than a joke bombing in front of an even semi-decent crowd because it's drat near impossible to tell if your joke actually bombed.
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Dec 5, 2014 04:13
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