The Offended Audience

I walked into our local comedy club, and mixed in with the promotions that they project before the show, was a disclaimer that the views that are expressed by the comedians do not reflect the opinions of the staff and owners of the club.  A local comedian walked up to me shortly after and said, “You see that!  These audiences are so damn sensitive now.”  That got me thinking:  Are people more sensitive or is there something else at play here.  Here is my hypothesis.

I will try as best as I can to explain that audiences are not more easily offended, or not more offended then they have always been.  I think there are a couple of factors at play here that make it easier to upset someone.  Let’s think about technology for now.  Social media has made it so you can join people who have shared your experiences all over the world. Now, we are able to hear the voices of those that usually have their voices silenced.  Now you can see police brutality and recounts of bullying and sexual assault.  Before technology these marginalized groups were looked as as complainers or people that added to their own suffering.  Now that you can find people who have had the same experiences as you, those voices become louder and can actually be heard and push things forward as far as trying to correct the ills of society.

So now you can see all of these groups of people getting victimized.  If that is the case then there are people that are doing the harm.  If women want to get paid as much as men, then there are men that are holding them down.  That leaves a group of people looking like the bad guys.  Now I don’t know if this was started by corporations or politicians, but someone figured they can use this to their benefit.  So then these non marginalized groups started coming out saying that they are getting victimized as well, but by the very people that were accusing them!  That is how you end up with men’s rights activist and sayings like white genocide.  If you are still following (I hope I did a good job of getting this across), then that means you have a lot of people that feel like they are being attacked, even if it is bullshit.  If you believe men are getting their identity taken by women, then when you spot a glimpse of someone attacking your side you will want to get upset.  It is easier for these groups to be “offended” then it is for them to explain away why things are the way they are.  If you claim to be offended by what someone said about police on stage, then you don’t have to explain why black’s are more likely to be shot (on average) then any other group of people getting arrested.

Another factor that plays into this is that because social media has given everyone a voice, everyone thinks their voice and opinions are as important or valid as everyone else’s.  This leads you down a rabbit hole where even things on the fringes before get held up the same as the valid.  Here is an example.  If you believe in a flat earth, you had only your friends to bother…until the internet let you scream it at every opportunity.  If you also see your ramblings about ice mountains on the edge of the earth right along side valid scientifically proven things you start to see yourself as not a lunatic, but someone who is being victimized.  So, when you go to a comedy show and listen to a comedian talk about how silly your beliefs are, then you get upset!

Comedy clubs usually serve a vast number of people with different beliefs and different experiences.  I think because of technology and social media, a lot of people want to be seen as victims even if they aren’t, so they can avoid or minimize the harm caused to others.  Humans are not that good at changing strongly held beliefs and we will defend them even if it make no sense to do so.  Instead of coming to terms with how we contribute to certain wrongs in the world, a lot of us would rather feign being one of the harmed so as to keep on believing what we do.  That is why their seems to be more people walking out of shows and complaining after shows. I think all of us know when we are just clinging on to something because we belief it is what makes us. I just think most of us are comfortable doing nothing about looking within.

You Are Not Owed Anything

This may seem harsh, but I will keep it short so it stings a little less:  You are not owed anything in comedy.  There.  If that surprised you, or got your heart rate up, that means you are the perfect person for this blog post.

I think what happens is we take what we know from other industries, and assume it should work that way in comedy.  Longevity does not equal experience.  Experience does not equal ability.  Ability does not equal employ-ability… None of these things mean you are a shoe in for certain things.  This isn’t like working down at the docks, where if you were there for five years you get promoted.  You don’t get promoted in comedy just because you have been going to open mics steadily for five years.  If that were the case a lot of people would have HBO specials.  When someone tells me that they have been doing comedy for x number of years, it means nothing because you can get on stage once, never get on again for 10 years, and still call yourself a comedian.  Have you been writing?  Have you been performing?  These are the things that I think are more important than just how many years you have called yourself a comedian.

Just because you have been on showcases a bunch of times doesn’t mean you should be featuring at a club.  I see it time and time again.  Someone has been getting spots on shows, and now they think they are ready to feature.  Getting on stage is good experience, but that doesn’t mean you have the ability to perform for 20-30 minutes.  Ask a comedian that has been doing it for about six months to a year how much time they have, and most will overestimate.  Why?  Because open mics and such may give them  the impression that they have a lot of material that works.  That is not the case.  Once you get in front of a paying, attentive crowd, they are not going to let things slide because “everyone is just working on stuff”.  Get honest with yourself.  Do you have 20 quality minutes, or 10 decent minutes and 10 minutes of bonus ramblings.  Getting honest with yourself will help you not burn yourself when you are trying to get work.

So, you have been doing it for a while and have the chops.  You feel you have what it takes to start working.  What’s this though?  No one wants to work with you?  You can’t get booked anywhere even though you are funnier than all the other comedians that get booked?  Have you ever thought that maybe you’re an asshole?  Close you eyes (later, not now), and think of all your interactions with other comedians. Is it you and a bunch of probably skinny white dudes running through a meadow?  Or, is it a bunch of arguments and Facebook post telling comedians to eat a dick?  If it’s the latter, than that is your answer to why you are not getting booked.  You can not expect to be a piece of shit, AND be booked.  It may seem like the world of comedy is this large expansive network, but it is much smaller than that.  There are only so many comedy bookers and the odds that they have dealt with someone that has dealt with you is probable at the least.  If you have a great set, a set that makes bras fall off and guys get tramp stamps, but you can’t be worked with than people will just leave you off of shows.  There is a limit to this though.  If you are in the upper levels of comedy, like the Tom Seguras, and Phillip Kopczynskis  of the world, then you may be able to get away with not being the coolest person to work with, because you are putting asses in seats.  If, however, you are trying to get booked on your local show, and you are a total asshat, then why would anyone put up with that, no matter how funny you are.

Just remember that just because someone was doing it for 6 years and got on SNL doesn’t mean that is the trajectory for you.  Things happen to people differently.  I know comedians that started after me and are all over the country.  That doesn’t mean I deserve to be there as well.  That means that they may have had more connections, or were more personable to people, so they could network easier.  Maybe their material isn’t 80% dick jokes.  You have to be honest and look within when things are not going the way they should.

 

No-No’s For The Brand New Comic

This was an idea given to me by Mika Lahman.  Check out her Facebook page to check out show dates.

I love brand new comics.  They have all that hopeful glee, like people starting their first day as a social worker. There are just things that annoy other comedians and can get them to turn on you.  This is not what any new comic wants because getting in with the right comics can get you stage time and other opportunities.  Now before I go any further, I am not saying be a follower.  I am saying you can tone it down and be a normal human. Ok, let’s talk about some of the biggest don’ts.

Running material in casual conversation:  Nothing will get other comics to stop talking to you faster than trying to run your brand new material by them while you are just talking to them.  We will hear your material when you do it on stage.  If you need critiquing, then ask someone after the fact, they will be much more willing to provide you with advice then.  Not while you are outside smoking.

Giving other new comics advice:  When talking to comics that have been doing this for years, this is one of the biggest annoyances. I can see why.  If you have just been doing it long enough for other comics to finally know your name, and now you are giving out sage advice like you are a cornerstone in the community, it comes across as arrogant.

Being an encyclopedia of comedy: If you want to piss off a comic just tell them that the joke they have been doing is someone else’s bit.  Are you sure it is the same, or is it the same topic? Maybe they have been doing it for five years and the comic you saw on Comedy Central has been doing it for three. These are things that will get you punched in the face.  No one wants to be called a thief.  If you think they are performing a joke similar to another comic, it may be best to approach them and ask questions.

The brand-new, career comic:  You are excited.  You just got on stage for the first time.  You want everyone to know that you are now doing comedy.  You go on Facebook, and change your job description.  You are no longer “Electronics specialist” at Fred Meyers, you are now a comedian!  Don’t do that.  You may go up the next five times and bomb and realize you may not be enjoying it as much as you did the first time.  I understand.  You want to do this forever, but give it time.  See if you enjoy it first.  This is the same as going on a date with someone and changing your Facebook status to: “In a relationship”.

The brand new show booker: More open mics get started by brand new comedians that want to start something they can call their own.  The problem is, most of the time, they have no context.  Comics just starting out look at the holes in a comedy scene and just assume that the holes are there because the other comics are lazy or they didn’t realize the opportunity.  They don’t know that the reason their isn’t comedy there is because that place didn’t want to pay for comedy, or that five comics where stabbed their three years ago.  I have seen this time and time again.  Some comic, that has been doing it for all of three months, wants to start an open mic where they can be the leader.  They do it in a place that isn’t really compatible with good comedy and they assume that it didn’t work  because other comics in the scene didn’t want it to work.  Instead of looking at it as maybe it didn’t work because it didn’t work the first four times it was tried.

Already ready for work:  If you want to piss a professional comic off, have a brand new comic walk up to them and start asking about how much they should start charging.  Don’t look at other comics as a guide to when you should be getting paid work.  Everyone is different.  Some comics get work after three months, and others have been doing it for three years and still haven’t gotten a red cent.  You need material, good material.  Work hard, write hard, and seize your opportunities.  Don’t look at comedy as get money quick scheme.  You could be going too soon and hurt any chance of making more money in the future.

Comedy is not like other professions.  You are not the rookie QB that will be winning games after your first start.  Calm down!  Get in the scene and observe what works and what doesn’t.  Find what works for you and go for it.  I hope the best for you.  Remember me when you are booking theaters all across the country.

Breaking Into The Comedy Club Scene

Here is the truth about most (80% I would say) comedy clubs.  It is hard to get into their rotation.  Think about it like this, club owners are like most people in that they like stable and they like what works.  So, if they have a solid lineup of comics that come in and do their thing, then they have no need to add new people.  What a lot of comics forget is that these guys are running a business and so if they can get someone they know will come in and give a decent performance and keep people buying stuff, then they will go with that.  Comedy club owners are not in the business of making YOUR career.  They sell drinks and chicken strips.  There are ways to break into these comedy clubs if you are willing to do it.

One of the tried and true methods for getting into a comedy club is going with someone that is already established.  The club runner already knows that guy and if you can come in for a guest or better yet a feature, you can maybe parlay that into more work in that room later.  This works great if you are a feature act because most clubs will cull local talent instead of bringing in outside features.  It’s just economics.  It cost less to get a local comic that doesn’t need a hotel room, and (probably) will take less money.

If you don’t know any headliners that you can go with, you can always get a recommendation from a comic that has worked there before.  Now, this is always weird because there are comics are out there that won’t want to put their name behind you.  So that is why you have to ask someone that thinks you are a good comic! Don’t ask the comic that came through town last week and you added them on facebook just to ask them to vouch for you.  If you have been doing it long enough to think you are ready to work comedy clubs across the country, then you should know enough people in comedy that are comfortable enough with telling the club runner or booker that you are a good fit for the club.

This is the long route, but I think it is a good one if you just started out.  If you live near a comedy club, then you should be in there getting face time.  That means hitting their open mics and trying to get guest sets.  This is much harder to do in large cities, so if you live in New York or something, don’t think you can just show up and get a guest set at The Cellar.  By doing their open mics you are less likely to see the club runner because they may not be there every week, but the club staff will notice you and your name can build.  Getting guest sets increases your chance of getting seen by the club owner, so get that if you can.  This can also bite you in the ass because if you bomb, they will remember that as well. To go with this, just keep in contact with these guys, and maybe if they have a fall out in the schedule you can snap it up.  This is random so you can’t depend on it (you maybe number 97 on the list), but if you have tried everything else it is worth a shot.

I have been doing comedy for more than 10 years now and I have done a handful of full time comedy clubs. They are great because you don’t have to drive all over the place everyday.  You can make more money though in other areas of comedy if you are willing to take the risk.  If you have a good promotional head about you, then you should not be thinking about comedy clubs and instead try to get into small theaters and the like.  There is a possibility of making more money, which means not having to work as hard to get as much as someone that is only doing comedy clubs.

There are clubs in Seattle and Portland that I have been trying to break into for about 6 years now.  It is a little harder for someone that lives so far away because you are not getting that face time that can lead to work in these clubs and there is that stigma that Spokane has on it.  I don’t worry about all that, and you shouldn’t either.  Just make you material tack sharp and keep what I said above in mind.  If you can get super famous as well that would be great.

Promoting Your Show

I hope everyone had a good and safe new year. Today, I will talk about ways that I have seen to successfully promote your shows.  This works for independent shows and shows you will be doing with a promotor or booker.

The first thing we need to get out of the way is that fear a lot of comedians have about trying to sell themselves.  I still struggle with it from time to time, but I have learned that it is a necessary part of being a comedian.  People have all sorts of different entertainment options, and what you have to do is be able to tell them that coming to your show is the better option.  That means you can’t tell people about your show half assed.  You have to be all in!  Why should someone come see you, if even you aren’t excited about it.

If I know about a show really far in advance, what I like to do is get the ball rolling as soon as possible.  So, if I have a month before the show, I will usually try to get a flyer done before hand. You can make a simple flyer on your phone or computer, or if you have the cash, you can get someone to do one for you.  Since I am not that good at making kick ass flyers for my show, I let a professional handle it.  Now, this route will cost you, but you will get a better looking flyer.  When money was low for me, what I would do is go online and look for images that were in the public domain or which allowed me to use them without a fee. Then, I would put my information over that photo.  Why would I do that?  Well, a funny photo will get more eyeballs then just a picture of your face, and that is the whole purpose of a flyer. If you are going to put pictures of your head and neck on there though, make sure the rest of the flyer is interesting.  Maybe cut out the background so it looks as though its your head and not just a picture you threw on there.

People get the impression that if you put up flyers that people will just come.  That is not true!  Again, like I said earlier, you have to convince people that YOUR show is the thing they want to do instead of staying inside and watching Netflix.  Just because you put it in your friends tattoo parlor, does not mean you will see a bunch of tatted up people at your show. That is why having a decent flyer, or at the least an interesting flyer, is more important than the number of flyers out there.  Besides, why waste all your time taping flyers to poles when you have the internet and social media!

Social media has changed how people promote their shows.  Some comedians have mailing lists that will email people that have come to your shows in the past.  This can serve two purposes.  One, it lets people know when a show is coming up and Two, even if those people aren’t near where the show will be held, they will keep you in mind when you come back through.

What I see a lot on social media that kind of bugs me is a comedian that has a show and they will post something up the night before the show of the day of the show.  NO!  That is not how people work.  People plan for things far in advance.  That is why I like to promote a month ahead of time.  That gives people enough time to decide what they are going to do on that day.  If you tell people the day of, there is a far less likely chance that they will show up because they already have Netflix and chill in their schedule.  What should be going on is throwing it out their every once in awhile on social media and then a week or two before the show then you go a little more heavy.  An example is my comedy CD recording.  I knew about three months ahead that on that date and time, I would be doing it.  So I got a flyer made, and I made one myself and I just put them up on Facebook and Twitter about a month before the show.  When the date got closer I increased the frequency of telling people about the shows.  Then the week of, I hit my social media pages harder.

There are downsides to this strategy though.  You don’t want to bother your social media base too much or they will start to zone you out, or just stop following you. There is a careful balance.  This is why I like the flyer or funny picture ideas. This is also why I have a dedicated page just for people who want my comedy and not my musings on public school lunch. This will keep eyeballs on it and at least entertain them.  You can fatigue your target audience if you keep throwing up the same flyer with you and your friend on it.

Another thing to be aware of is when you are actually trying to promote your shows.  If you are doing it at 10:30am on a Monday it may not have the same effect as a Thursday at 4:30pm. Why?  Because not everyone you know is a comic that is just sitting on social media all day.  Think about the people you usually perform for, do they mostly fit a certain demographic?  If so, then you have a good idea on how to get their eyes on what you are selling.  I like to put my stuff up on Facebook around noon and again at around 4-5pm.  That is when people are doing lunch and would most likely look at Facebook and see a picture of my face glued to the body of a kangaroo.  Or they are sitting at home and want to see what is going on.  I say Facebook because I haven’t figured out Twitter yet.  For all I know I am being followed by a bunch of sex-bots…

I really hope this helps people that are trying to get more asses in the seats.  With everything, this will take time and patience, but once you figure out how to promote your shows you will see the added benefits of increased money and the ability to get better negotiating deals when you want to put on your own shows in different spots.  Thanks for reading and I hope you have a bomb ass year!

Myths Comedians Believe

Comedians are a peculiar bunch.  We fall into these traps of thought and we let it mess with our thinking. I am here to try and dispel these myths.

The “bad crowd” myth: There is no such thing as a bad crowd.  Any crowd can be entertained.  You just have to find what it is that this collective of people will find funny.  Comedians use this to try to explain why they didn’t have a great show.  The real reason you didn’t have a great show is because you didn’t do well.

Going up first: This is always a problem with open mics or comedy competitions.  Comics never want to go up first because that usually means they have to confront a crowd that hasn’t been warmed up.  This is silly thinking.  If you go up and do your performance and stop worrying about the audience you will do well.

The Big Break: There is no such thing as the big break that will get you out of your mom’s basement and in the bright lights of the city.  You will get a bunch of chances in your career to move up or do bigger things.  Just make sure you are prepared when the time comes.

Waiting for your breaks:  This is when a comic does the bare minimum to be a comic and thinks that a booker or promoter will just show up to a random bar and book them.  This doesn’t happen.  You have to make yourself seen.  Trust me.  If people were just getting booked based on funny there would be a lot of comics I know living in golden castles.

Putting up a poster and thinking that you just promoted: A facebook invite is not going to do it for promoting your show.  You don’t have to go on the corner and flip signs, but you will have to try your best to let more than just your circle of people know about your show.  Put it in the papers or local magazines.  There are a ton of free options you can use to promote your show.

 

Private Shows And Film Success

I have a private show this weekend and I am always nervous about these things.  They usually want you to perform in front of a bunch of people that are probably forced there by a superior and so they don’t want to laugh for a myriad of reasons.  They usually want the show clean, which is something I can do no problem, but I am still anxious at the thought of maybe slipping and saying something terrible.  Another thing about these types of shows is that their definition of “clean” is different for a lot of people.  They are a volunteers for a Christian group so I am assuming all sexual innuendo is out the door as well as language.  Good thing I have a lot of material on my kid.

The short film I helped with got selected to be shown at the 50 hour slam here in Spokane!  When I saw the finished product I was amazed at how great it was, but I didn’t think we were gonna get selected to be a part of final selection.  I am really excited, and I hoped that after the show I can get down there in time to see our film get shown.

Photography has waned a little bit, and I think that is because I focused a lot on the artist community. Comedians don’t have any damn money!  I am gonna branch out and see where that takes me.  I have a facebook page dedicated to this endeavor, but I haven’t gotten too much work off of that.

Shawna and I were bored and so we just drove around the further reaches of Spokane and I will be going back to take pictures of some of the cool stuff I saw.  At the very least this will get me outside and walking around.  The weather is too good right now to waste.

My kid is playing softball and she is pretty good at the hitting.  Doesn’t understand a damn thing when it comes to fielding.  I was not a great fielder when I was playing highschool baseball, but I did know what I was supposed to do.  I like going to her games and taking photos of her, but I think she doesn’t like it because it draws attention to her.  Oh well, I’m her dad, I’m supposed to embarrass her.

The Creative Process

Helping a couple of local comedians with sketches for a show they are putting on in April.  I love watching and being a part of the creative process.  Even though these are short, five minute sketches, a lot of work goes into making them great.  A lot of planning and shooting and editing are involved in maybe getting a couple of jokes across.  It is a process, but one I enjoy being a part of.

I have a big show coming up in April at my alma mater, Eastern Washington University.  I was so excited that I forgot to ask how much I am even getting paid.  See, here is the thing about being at the level I am.  Everyone just expects a deal from you.  It happened when I opened for Jeff Dye at the Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane.  The guy called me and told me something about the budget.  He said he could only pay me a certain amount.  Granted, I took it, but I know that it wasn’t because of a budget crunch or anything, but it had more to do with the fact that because I was local, they figured they could short me.  The thing is, the people that they have had in that spot have no more credits than I do.  It’s just that because they are out of town, they seem more exotic.  Again, I am not blaming anyone for me taking the work.  I took the work!  I just don’t want to be low balled because I am local.  I know how much an act is getting to come to EWU. I am not saying I am worth 5-6 grand.  I do think I am worth half that.  I was just to stupid to make it known before I accepted.

Comedy is on an upswing in Spokane at the moment.  That seems to happen every 3-4 years.  I have seen it twice in my time doing comedy here.  It is always good to see fresh faces and new venues welcoming comedy.  Unlike before, however, I look for signs that say the bubble is about to burst.  I think the biggest issue  with Spokane comedy right now is that we have a crap ton of open mics.  The logic seems sound.  Have an open mic or a show every night of the week for people to work out their stuff.  The problem is that it thins the talent down.  The big open mics continue to be Uncle D’s Comedy Underground and Chan’s.  People flock to Uncle D’s because it is the only REAL club we have in Spokane.  Chan’s still gets comics to come out, but not at the level that it used to be.  I think that is because early on, Chan’s was hard as hell.  If you didn’t get their attention they would talk over you and yell at you.  Now, it is a little more tame.  It can get wild, especially if it runs over and the regulars start creeping in, but it isn’t a bad place to work out.

Now, there are about 4-5 more places, but they don’t get the love as much as the top two places.  See, what happened before all these places popped up is that if you wanted to get stage time, you had only two options.  So people would pack those two places.  Now with more options, they are less likely to go to any because they know they can just go tomorrow, then tomorrow, then the week begins again and they still haven’t gone out.  I can understand why people wanted more mics.  Uncle D’s is packed to the gills and Chan’s can be hostile.  Uncle D has certain restrictions and a lot of people want more options in which to do and say what they want.  What happened though, is that no one talked to anyone else and all these places sprang up.

I don’t have the time to go to ever open mic, even for the documentary.  I am focusing on the ones that were around when I first started filming.  It might not show all of Spokane’s comedy scene, but the same people go to all of them so there is nothing different.  Just different scenery.

Finally got off my ass and made a Facebook page for my photography side gig.  I haven’t finished it though.  There are still pictures I need to put up and I need to put up my pricing.  I have just been working at it little by little.

My podcast is now moving into the planning stages (from the “just a thought” stage).  I think I have a name, I just need to get a graphic done and get the site and hosting done.  When it comes to starting new stuff I am always slacking.  See paragraph above for more info on that.

As always thanks for reading my musings.  I appreciate it and I hope it gives you something to do while you pretend to work.

Why You Need A Website

I hope you liked the previous couple of posts on the promotional package.  I learned a lot from the research I did on it.  What I usually do is, I look up what I need to know and then if I think it is something worth sharing I will write it up (most of the time poorly).  This post is no different.  I found out pretty early in the Seattle Comedy Competition that I needed a website.

Here is the thing:  I used to have a website!  When I first got started, I had a website and it wasn’t the greatest thing on the planet, but it had all my information on it.  I ran into money problems and I let the address lapse and ever since then I have been directing everyone over to Facebook.  Which is not a great thing.  A lot of people are turned off by Facebook.  There is a lot of noise there, and directing them there usually meant that they would not go there.  Facebook and twitter is a great place for fans to connect with you.  It is not a great place to have bookers and potential client go to you.  I have found that there are two things people look for in those that are in business for themselves.  A business card and a website.

I thought that Facebook would be enough.  I mean think about it.  You have everything you need right there.  I think there is something different in the package that is a fan site and a more professional looking website.  Facebook is not about presenting information to someone that is looking for it.  You can find it, but that is not what you want people doing when they are looking for more media or information like an email address or phone number.

You don’t even have to have a fancy ass website either.  You can get a godaddy domain and have them hook you up with a website and everything (I am not advertising for them…but I would if they paid me).  I am going to go with squarespace.  I just like their pricing and I have played around with their website builder and the end results are really nice.  You don’t need a dedicated web site designer.  If you have the money and you want to look like a baller than go ahead!  I have seen some comics with some great sites.  http://alvinwilliamscomedy.com/ and https://www.natejacksoncomedy.com/ are two that come to mind right off the bat.  As you can see if you click on them that they have a very simple but yet clear design.  There isn’t a lot of BS going on.  It is for people to get in a get more information on them.  Want to know when they are back in town?  It’s there!  Want to know the cool stuff they have been up too?  Right on there.  Two very good sites that I will no doubt look toward for inspiration.

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when you are building your own site.  First, you have to update the site!  Nothing is worst than seeing a professional comic, that you know has worked recently, showing on their website that they have a big after christmas comedy show.  You want people to get the impression that when you leave their town, you are still doing comedy like a big time comedy person.  Another thing is to not give away too much stuff on your site.  I have seen people put their whole act up on their site.  Why?  You want them to get just enough to want to see you live in person.  That is the job of the website!  Let the website be a place to intrigue them enough to throw down 10 bucks to see you.  It might also look to a booker that you don’t know what you are doing if you have all of your material up on your site to see.  The last thing is to make sure you have all of your information on there.  I have seen sites where all they have is their YouTube video and their bio.  That isn’t enough!  You need your email, agents info if you have it, dates that you already have booked, and your phone number.  If you are afraid that an ex is gonna call you demanding that you repay them, then you have other issues.

I hope this helps you with your site.  I will have my site up by the next post.  Thanks for reading and have a great week.

 

Going To New York

So, at the end of February, I will be heading to New York for a couple of days to venture in their comedy scene.  I’m not gonna move there.  Unless it captures me to the point that I can not live without being there all the damn time.  It is something that I should have been doing a long time ago, but just never got up the nerve to do it.  I am going with a couple of friends, so it will not be just me lost in a huge city for a week. It will be me and some friends lost in a huge city for a week.

There are multiple reasons to hit up New York.  It is one of the places you are told to go if you are going to REALLY pursue comedy.  It’s where a career can be made.  It is also a place where you can drown just trying to pay the rent.  That is my biggest reason for never wanting to venture into a bigger scene.  I see countless people go to these places like they are the first to think about it.  They have no savings.  They have no plans.  They don’t even have job leads.  They just go there and then they realize that they aren’t on SNL yet and they end up having to get a job just to pay for a shitty apartment and they never get out to do comedy like they wanted to.  Now they are just a New Yorker.  Maybe that is where the famous New York attitude comes from.  It’s just a bunch of people that had their dreams snatched away from them.

We are going to go there, take in the sites, and go to as many open mics as possible.  If I can do 2-3 a night that would be a dream come true.  I want to meet people that have connections.  You know the stuff comics who want to make money do.

I am going to be building my website tomorrow.  It is about 5 years in the making.  I thought I could get as much information out there with a facebook page.  That was not the case.  I don’t want people having to go to several different things just to get info on me.  I used to have a website.  I didn’t run it well. Now that I am a little be older and a little less stupid I think I can keep it running smoothly with up to date information.

There is this open mic in town that is ran on a debate format.  I liked it.  Although, someone accused me of just doing my material.  I don’t know why it got under my skin.  Probably because it wasn’t material.  Like I didn’t have it written down anywhere or performed it somewhere else.  I was just going off the top of my head.  The thing about doing comedy in this town for as long as I have is that there are people out there that like you and there are some that resent you.  Not because you did anything to them, but because you are something they want to be against.  It doesn’t really deter me or anything.  It was just weird that I was getting called out.  Especially seeing how people were doing real material.  Like stuff they perform all the time they just started doing when they ran out of stuff to say about the topic.

My photography stuff is starting to ramp up.  I am getting ready to start taking clients for headshots.  I want to do portraits and real estate photography as well.  I don’t want to do weddings.  It just seems like dealing with assholes all day.  I want to do more than just doing comedy.  There are times when I am home for weeks at a time.  I could be doing something else with that time.  I can write blogs and stuff and record videos, but I think there is enough time in there to take pictures and make money while doing it.