Open mic experiences

[KevinLee]

QUICK EVERYONE PILE ON TIMBUKTU!!!

[drieux]

The only advice I've ever taken is that when some friend, relative or coworker tells you a story about their weekend where something kinda funny happened and then says, "feel free to use that in your standup!" you should totally use it.

[scamboogah]

11) Wal-Mart. They have everything. Two most suspicious items.

Maybe even add some conflict to it. Say "My friends and I like to play this game. We go to Wal-Mart and see who can buy the two items that are most disturbing when bought together."

Don't do this. It's Louis CK's bit from a few years ago.

[pg13]

Don't do this. It's Louis CK's bit from a few years ago.

Hey Scammy,

I'm not familiar with the bit (obviously, or I wouldn't have suggested it.)

Just so I know...does Louis' bit about a competition among friends to see who could buy the two most suspicious items from Wal-Mart (which was my suggestion to make the ASR's bit better)...or is it just about buying suspicious things from Wal-Mart (which was ASR's bit)?

Obviously, don't do a bit that someone else has done--but the point in my suggestion to frame this joke was to raise the stakes in ASR's bit...and that's still a valid point. Try to make things MATTER...not just leave them flopping around being slightly amusing.

pg--Usually I'M the one who remembers nearly every bit...I'm ashamed that I didn't know this one. Sorry.--seattle

UPDATE: I found the clip from "Live in Houston." Here's a link to hear it: http://thelaughbutton.com/comedian/L...ve+in+Houston#

Click on Wal-Mart.

(It ISN'T a competition in Louis' bit...which makes ME feel better...but it really is far too close to what ASR had for ASR to do the joke. It's the same idea...so, sorry, ASR...you can't do that joke in good conscience. Not even if you do it as a competition--it doesn't change the core idea.)

[ASR]

Actually, someone pointed out that a similar joke was done in the webcomic xkcd. Someone else told me they'd heard it before but couldn't remember where. I've already decided to drop it.

Louis C.K. is one of my absolute favorites, though, so it's at least a little comforting that he thought of something similar.

Update for myself: I went on stage Wednesday and really did completely terrible for the first time (that's relative, by the way.) Last night, however, I had by far my best and most enjoyable performance so far (once again, still relative.) The comedy club put on a show at a frat for about 50 or so fellow college students. Same material as the night before, but everything got a laugh.

Don't worry, I'm not taking that the wrong way - I'm barely any further along than I was before. It's just nice to have that sort of show.

Basically, it was the kind of experience that reminded me that this is something I really love doing and I want to continue and really get better at. Also showed me how completely different audiences can react in such different ways to the same jokes.

My journey's only just starting. I've got a hell of a long way to go but I'd really like to make the whole journey. And remember that when I talk about how well I did, it's all relative. It's like I'm a 1 on a scale from 1-10, so when I say I did bad, it's just the low end of a 1, and when I say I did well, it's the high end, but still far from a 2.

[badinia]

To bomb for the sake of bombing is a dick move.

OH you make mommy proud.

[Phil]

Well I did my second set ever tonight, about 6 minutes in front of about 60 people. The whole thing was kinda mediocre, here's my thought dump, would love to hear your comments...

THE GOOD

- I didn't look at my notes once this time, yay!
- I tried to have more fun this time. I smiled and laughed a bit after my jokes...is laughing at one's own jokes a good thing?
- Out of 10 jokes I did, 4 were new. I'm happy I tried out new stuff, I think it was a good mix of old/new.
- I moved the mic stand out of the way. Next time I'll try bringing it back before my last joke maybe.


THE BAD

- I went on around 11pm, two hours into the show, I was about the 9th or so comic to go on, three of whom had bombed before me.
- Two hours is wayyyy too long for a comedy show on a Wednesday night, people were visibly tired.
- I went on right after a guy bombed for 10 minutes straight. What things are you supposed to do different when going on after a guy who bombs? And what things can you do if the crowd is super tired and obviously no longer into the show?
- I played for a crowd who was entirely Finnish, English was everyone's second or third language...this is going to be difficult, but there was one other English-speaking comic that night who did very well, so that's no excuse.
- I didn't do an intro, just jumped into my act...could no-intro be a bad idea?
- I felt it went much worse, then I watched the video and felt it went much better than I had thought on stage and aftwards...why's that you think?
- Next time I should thank the crowd a bit more afterward, be more appreciative etc..

THE UGLY

- I fucked up my last joke, damnt!!
- Wayyyy too many "um's" and "uh's", need to really work on that for next time!!!!
- Just never really got comfortable on stage. Kinda felt I was on auto-pilot with my mind going through other things than the words coming out of my mouth. wtf!?
- Last time my momentum increased as the set went on, this time I felt it decreased.
- Timing was off cause my mind was elsewhere

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[Phil]

Here's a question for you veterans:

The guy who goes on before you totally bombs for what seems like an eternity, and others have bombed during the night. The audience is visibly tired and bored...now it's your turn.

What kinda of things should you try and do differently to get the crowd back into it?

[st.raw]

not bomb

[Phil]

not bomb

"try and do differently". Unless you're Neil Hamburger....

[Gene George]

"try and do differently". Unless you're Neil Hamburger....

The first time I did an open mic where a couple of comics on before me totally ate it, just seriously ATE IT like a fat kid locked in a donut shop. I was nervous that the "air was sucked out of the room." I'm not anymore. I did my time, got some laughs, had a decent set. I also learned from the guys that bombed. One was a guy who did the hackiest puns and one liners ever, most of which were based on 60's pop culture that the 20-30 something crowd did not get, the other was a kid who just got up and yammered on about a concert he went to, no prep and no jokes at all.

You just go up and do your set and try to make funny. This is based on an assumption that the crowd is there to have fun and is not totally hostile. All you can do is your best.

[Brian J.]

I've gone up twice after horrible bombings.
The first time went great I watched them and noticed that the PA wasn't very good so I spoke louder and the audience paid attention.

The second time I bombed too. At first I blamed the audience but looking back it was a pretty weak set and I kept looking at my notes almost the whole time.

[Jawa]

I've gone up twice after horrible bombings.
The first time went great I watched them and noticed that the PA wasn't very good so I spoke louder and the audience paid attention.

The second time I bombed too. At first I blamed the audience but looking back it was a pretty weak set and I kept looking at my notes almost the whole time.

IANASUC, but I have seen comics grab the attention of the audience by using what I would call self-deprecating aggressiveness. Maybe not full-on aggressive, but a high energy with some aggressive undertones.

I saw Graham Elwood do it, and there is the Bernic Mac clip that many of you have already seen (and was already referenced in the Bernie Mac thread).

[youtube]RviYo3WsqjU[/youtube]

[CaptainBreakfast]

Here's a couple questions:

Is it really a good idea to put your best jokes as your opener and closer? As of now, I have about 1 powerful joke. I like it in the middle to beginning, so I can float a bit on a cloud of happiness and sunshine for the next few jokes, but would ending on it be a better move?

After doing comedy for only about 1&1/2 years, it's gotten to the point of no matter how well or poorly I do, it all feels like bombing. Compliments from fellow comedians and audience do little to shatter the thought. Any thoughts on this?

[Alex Mac]

For the first part, I think it is partly however you feel the set flows best for you. If it were me, I would sorry about that more than anything. I like to end my sets on one of two notes: the first is a really high note left by doing some of your best material. The other is the end with one of the few surreal bits I do in order to make it feel a tad more "...What?"

It is about the desired effect you want. Do you want build them up and have a big catharsis at the end or do you want them to think about you the next day for good or for ill when they are at the watercooler?

As for the second part, maybe it is simply a matter of redefining your own expectations or simply not having any at all.

[Cameron]

I always try to open with a joke that gives the audience a sense of who I am and where I am coming from, and then end with a really memorable joke (memorable and best I think are a bit different).

[Brian J.]

The first joke/last joke thing is all relative. It usually ends up that something else gets more laughter, a joke you didn't think was the best one.

Also if you are putting together a set that flows smoothly with tie ins and segues you must go with the flow. You may disrupt the flow by trying to throw in the joke you think is the best at the end when it would have fit perfectly elsewhere.

[badinia]

RE: Cap'n B'Fast-

At open mic, if you are near the end of your planned set and a joke gets more laughs than you thought, take a bow and leave. The reason you want to open strong and close strong is not superstition or anything, opening strong gets the audience to relax and trust you so that they will pay attention and laugh, and closing strong is just so you leave the stage to claps and accolades and feel like a Viking.

I think you are getting funnier all the time. However, this is another thing that recording sets does for me- helps me gauge the laughs I am (and am not) getting. Sometimes I will have the impression of bombing that is not backed up by the recording, maybe there was just a dead spot in my set, and that's OK. Those jokes just need work. Or murder.
Also, if you had a spouse, it is useful because they can tell you that the audience didn't laugh nearly as much as you thought they did, and that you should have stayed home and watched television. Or, that's what mine does. Hooray spouse!

[Gene George]

and feel like a Viking.

The same effect can be had by raping the audience and burning the venue to the ground. Also by developing trade routes and/or kingdoms in the Mediterranean and Russia.

[KevinLee]

"I like to end my sets on one of two notes: the first is a really high note left by doing some of your best material. The other is the end with one of the few surreal bits I do in order to make it feel a tad more "...What?"
" Do you want build them up and have a big catharsis at the end or do you want them to think about you the next day for good or for ill when they are at the watercooler?"

Both would be nice; for a Tuesday Night.