This past weekend was packed with a lot of comedy and poker as CT came to town and the Tropicana was kind enough to provide a free room for the two of us. I always was most comfortable at the poker table. I think that’s where my interaction with an audience truly began. It’s the process of entertaining a crowd whether for three hours of a tournament or as was the case on Friday a sixteen hour cash game session. Not everyone appreciate the jokes and the commentary but usually I bring over 60-80% of the table who don’t want to leave and don’t want me to leave. Some of the tales I tell are designed to get certain results for the most part I just yuck it up and it is there that I do my best crowd work.
I’ve never been one to talk to strangers on airplanes or buses. I typically kept to myself even before the advent of ipods but at the table I’m a completely different person and if I could get that persona on stage I’d be one step closer to the success I seek. After doing unwritten material for two days and three nights in AC I came home to do the new talent show at Gotham and although I only had a short four minute set, it went well and I feel like my new material always ceases to disappoint and I’m looking forward to doing my current set at Laugh Lounge this Saturday. Sunday Night I went to Pieces for Menage a Ha part Deux.
I still need to write my reviw of Menage a Ha part one but I’ll start with Menage a Ha Part Deux which like many sequels was not quite as strong as the original but was still a great time. I really recommend Christian’s show at Pieces, whether gay straight or bisexual you can appreciate the mixed comedy in a comfortable setting. Although a little tight, you can’t beat the easy access by taking the ABCDEF to West 4th and plenty of late night drunken food to end your night, even with the loss of the rat infested KFC/Taco Bell. Part Deux consisted of the very funny Imrana Zaman, Julie Marcus, Brad Loekle, and headliner Becky Donahue. Danny Leary was back from the first Menage a Ha “If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me.” And of course always hilarious gay Puerto Rican, Christian Cintron, “We’ll either fuck you or we’ll cut you.” After the night great conversation ensued with fellow comics Chesslee Calloway, Stu Mason, Amanda Beals, Keith an Irish comic and the performers. Late night drinking led to a 2:30 drunken sleep but I’ll definitely be back for Menage a Ha part Tres and if you have any Sundays open check out Pieces at the corner of Christopher and Gay.
Coming up is the comedy contest at Laugh Lounge for the Comic in Residence Program. Hopefully many will make it out and support. It should be a great lineup and a great show, I know I'm coming to represent. All information can be found at my myspace page: www.myspace.com/mattebner or at laughlongenyc.com
Evil happens when good people sit back and do nothing...
Monday, March 26, 2007
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Taint Comedy Great?
Taint comedy great?
I’ve had trouble updating here and I think it is because the purpose of it was lost on me but I’ve gotten a new motivation and that hopefully will make this a more daily to weekly event and less of a weekly to monthly event. There’s always a joke of the day or a comedian’s perspective but my current world is a rare blend of being both a fan of comedy and an active participant. Yesterday I had two important gigs.
First I auditioned for last comic standing. The American Idol of comedy and while the results were vacant and at best I left with being accused of being unoriginal, at best I met several comedians, reaffirmed my commitment to comedy to myself and learned that sometimes the journey is worth more than the moment it leads to. I’ll finish this entry with an explanation of the LCS process but the highlight of my week was a show produced by Chesslee Clay Calloway at Kabin at 92 2nd Avenue called Taint Comedy Great.
By far the best show I’ve been to at a bar. The lineup was great including Amanda Beals, Eric Andre and of course Chesslee Calloway. The room was intimate but comfortably sat the 40 person audience and the bar may have been a borderline hole in the wall that happens to be my personal preference. I was happy with my set, although I broke my rule of not drinking before performing. The Wild Turkey slowed my rhythm and slurred some punch lines but helped my stage presence, audience interaction and overall confidence. After the show was a good gathering of comics and comic appreciators and I ended the night at a diner with Stu Mason and Amanda Beals, where many laughs were had. I’ll definitely be attending the next rendition of Taint Comedy Great, probably as an audience member but I highly recommend it regardless as the show is professionally done and entertaining beyond its cover of FREE.
Last Comic Standing began for me at 1:00 PM on Tuesday the 20th. I’ve always been one to arrive ahead of schedule and while 19 hours is a little much it ended up being fortunate as only 113 people auditioned. I’ve heard not a single comic was welcomed back from open auditions and perhaps they only use the foolish freshman and sophomores of comedy to fill blooper reels but regardless it was an opportunity to both meet comics and have comics meet me. I met several local comics, too many to name although I’m sure I’ll be attending their shows in the future and mentioning them here. I also met comics from Ohio, Maine and the middle of the country (all those states are the same to me). Waiting on line began as a game but as the cold came quickly became a burden. We spent mixed hours shivering in the cold and drinking at a local bar while taking turns grabbing food and watching each other’s spots. Despite the competition most were friendly and realistic of their chances and while the sun rose, the people who were out for themselves were obvious and unwelcomed and the fact that the comics who were funniest were also friendliest was reaffirming.
Will I try out for Last Comic Standing next year despite my negative 26 second audition experience…probably. My brother will be living in New York and he will want the exposure the networking opportunity has no comparison and for me pulling an all nighter while marginally inconvenient is no real burden when compared to my lifetime of insomnia. I will take the advice I received more seriously. Uber clean, quick punchlines and material that is neither generic nor too jokey. Have a plethora of subject matter available to cater to specific judges and appeal comfortable, marketable and overall capable. With the change in objective expect more entries more often and more entertaining.
Comedy – If it was easy everyone would do it.
I’ve had trouble updating here and I think it is because the purpose of it was lost on me but I’ve gotten a new motivation and that hopefully will make this a more daily to weekly event and less of a weekly to monthly event. There’s always a joke of the day or a comedian’s perspective but my current world is a rare blend of being both a fan of comedy and an active participant. Yesterday I had two important gigs.
First I auditioned for last comic standing. The American Idol of comedy and while the results were vacant and at best I left with being accused of being unoriginal, at best I met several comedians, reaffirmed my commitment to comedy to myself and learned that sometimes the journey is worth more than the moment it leads to. I’ll finish this entry with an explanation of the LCS process but the highlight of my week was a show produced by Chesslee Clay Calloway at Kabin at 92 2nd Avenue called Taint Comedy Great.
By far the best show I’ve been to at a bar. The lineup was great including Amanda Beals, Eric Andre and of course Chesslee Calloway. The room was intimate but comfortably sat the 40 person audience and the bar may have been a borderline hole in the wall that happens to be my personal preference. I was happy with my set, although I broke my rule of not drinking before performing. The Wild Turkey slowed my rhythm and slurred some punch lines but helped my stage presence, audience interaction and overall confidence. After the show was a good gathering of comics and comic appreciators and I ended the night at a diner with Stu Mason and Amanda Beals, where many laughs were had. I’ll definitely be attending the next rendition of Taint Comedy Great, probably as an audience member but I highly recommend it regardless as the show is professionally done and entertaining beyond its cover of FREE.
Last Comic Standing began for me at 1:00 PM on Tuesday the 20th. I’ve always been one to arrive ahead of schedule and while 19 hours is a little much it ended up being fortunate as only 113 people auditioned. I’ve heard not a single comic was welcomed back from open auditions and perhaps they only use the foolish freshman and sophomores of comedy to fill blooper reels but regardless it was an opportunity to both meet comics and have comics meet me. I met several local comics, too many to name although I’m sure I’ll be attending their shows in the future and mentioning them here. I also met comics from Ohio, Maine and the middle of the country (all those states are the same to me). Waiting on line began as a game but as the cold came quickly became a burden. We spent mixed hours shivering in the cold and drinking at a local bar while taking turns grabbing food and watching each other’s spots. Despite the competition most were friendly and realistic of their chances and while the sun rose, the people who were out for themselves were obvious and unwelcomed and the fact that the comics who were funniest were also friendliest was reaffirming.
Will I try out for Last Comic Standing next year despite my negative 26 second audition experience…probably. My brother will be living in New York and he will want the exposure the networking opportunity has no comparison and for me pulling an all nighter while marginally inconvenient is no real burden when compared to my lifetime of insomnia. I will take the advice I received more seriously. Uber clean, quick punchlines and material that is neither generic nor too jokey. Have a plethora of subject matter available to cater to specific judges and appeal comfortable, marketable and overall capable. With the change in objective expect more entries more often and more entertaining.
Comedy – If it was easy everyone would do it.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Based on a true story
One of my pet peeves is, “so, this is a true story,” it gives me the impression that all your other stories are sprinkled with falsehoods. It goes back to when I was hanging out with these sorority girls and before any comment they would say, “I’m not gonna lie, I’m so hungry.” You know what lie, say you’re famished, that you’ve been starving and traveling through a desert for weeks. It got me so irritated I started prefacing all my statements with, “I’m gonna lie; I’ve never been more turned on by someone’s personality.” So on that premise, none of this story is true.
I’m an alcoholic, and while most alcoholics can trace there disease over years and several tribulations mine goes back to one event; it was actually my first trip to a bar. My older cousin got me in, even though I was underage and told me to sit by the bar, they wouldn’t let me stand on it until much later, but eventually, I was charming when I was younger. She spent most of the night with her friends and I spent most of mine with the bartender. When the end of the night came she drunkenly stumbled out of the bar, but she forgot something. She didn’t forget her keys, not her credit card, she forgot her two year old cousin. It was then that I found out that to become an alcoholic you only require the two A’s Abandonment and Access, well either that or a two drink minimum.
I think most things are based on true stories but memory has a way of tweaking things. Some quotes: History is written by the victors and memory works the same way on an individual basis and Reality is an illusion, albeit a very persistent one
I’m an alcoholic, and while most alcoholics can trace there disease over years and several tribulations mine goes back to one event; it was actually my first trip to a bar. My older cousin got me in, even though I was underage and told me to sit by the bar, they wouldn’t let me stand on it until much later, but eventually, I was charming when I was younger. She spent most of the night with her friends and I spent most of mine with the bartender. When the end of the night came she drunkenly stumbled out of the bar, but she forgot something. She didn’t forget her keys, not her credit card, she forgot her two year old cousin. It was then that I found out that to become an alcoholic you only require the two A’s Abandonment and Access, well either that or a two drink minimum.
I think most things are based on true stories but memory has a way of tweaking things. Some quotes: History is written by the victors and memory works the same way on an individual basis and Reality is an illusion, albeit a very persistent one
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