First Comedy Open Mic in 1 1/2 years.
Week 1, Monday. Open Mic #1.
The Brainwash
San Francisco, California.
So it seems I want to be a comedian...
I'm not going to lie to you guys and gals. I was more than a little nervous today. I met my two friends Tom and Chris ahead of time. They wanted me to get up and do 5 minutes of stand up comedy at an 'open mic.' I felt like I had nothing to say yet alone try and make people laugh. To me they are both so funny, so good and so polished that I feel until I get to their level of writing I should just wait. I've done about 10-15 open mics in my life and to be honest today I felt like I was starting completely fresh and from the beginning. In the business they say 'comedy is like a muscle you have to workout regularly at the mics.' I had not seen a gym in ages and had suffered comedy atrophy.
Public speaking is considered one of man's greatest fears and to say you are also going to be funny while you're up there on stage too is like parking a combine harvester in a childrens' playground. VERY HARD to do and painful for all involved! Turning on being funny live,at a moments notice like flicking a switch is extremely hard to do.
As the public we generally only see polished comedians on stage or television...By the time they make it in front of our eyes its usually after years of practice at 'open mics' where they undergo trial by fire every night. Many lose heart and leave the craft. It's so hard that the attrition rate in the business/art is SUPER high. For some reason I believe I can beat the odds and make a living at it.
I'm not going to lie to you guys and gals. I was more than a little nervous today. I met my two friends Tom and Chris ahead of time. They wanted me to get up and do 5 minutes of stand up comedy at an 'open mic.' I felt like I had nothing to say yet alone try and make people laugh. To me they are both so funny, so good and so polished that I feel until I get to their level of writing I should just wait. I've done about 10-15 open mics in my life and to be honest today I felt like I was starting completely fresh and from the beginning. In the business they say 'comedy is like a muscle you have to workout regularly at the mics.' I had not seen a gym in ages and had suffered comedy atrophy.
Public speaking is considered one of man's greatest fears and to say you are also going to be funny while you're up there on stage too is like parking a combine harvester in a childrens' playground. VERY HARD to do and painful for all involved! Turning on being funny live,at a moments notice like flicking a switch is extremely hard to do.
As the public we generally only see polished comedians on stage or television...By the time they make it in front of our eyes its usually after years of practice at 'open mics' where they undergo trial by fire every night. Many lose heart and leave the craft. It's so hard that the attrition rate in the business/art is SUPER high. For some reason I believe I can beat the odds and make a living at it.
Photo from my Instagram 'GLOWPUNK' of bridge on way to perform.
We arrived early at "The Brainwash Cafe" in San Francisco and the first slot on the 'sign up sheet' was open. Sometimes you have to wait hours to get up so I thought this must be an omen. I knew if I could just force myself to write my name on the page now I would get up when my name was called. Like any innately driven male I tend not to run from a challenge and instead seek out glory.
The fear was terrible and exhilarating at the same time. I plucked up the short term courage and gritted my teeth to sign my name. Knowing that in the near future (but just sufficiently later) I would pay the price for penning my name. Once my name was down I immeadiately began to try and get my 5 minutes of comedy together. I did so by writing/thinking and stressing with Tom and Chris who hit the mics 4/6 times a week.
Since I was first on the list I was going to 'open the show' I had to try and be good enough to capture the crowd right off the bat. I enjoy the idea of free flowing and forcing myself to come up with stuff in the moment...and that is more or less what I did. But I did have 2 or 3 'solidish' jokes to dip back into when I got lost or scared.
The fear was terrible and exhilarating at the same time. I plucked up the short term courage and gritted my teeth to sign my name. Knowing that in the near future (but just sufficiently later) I would pay the price for penning my name. Once my name was down I immeadiately began to try and get my 5 minutes of comedy together. I did so by writing/thinking and stressing with Tom and Chris who hit the mics 4/6 times a week.
Since I was first on the list I was going to 'open the show' I had to try and be good enough to capture the crowd right off the bat. I enjoy the idea of free flowing and forcing myself to come up with stuff in the moment...and that is more or less what I did. But I did have 2 or 3 'solidish' jokes to dip back into when I got lost or scared.
Funny enough the 'brainwash' is a busy cafe with people ordering food and drink as you deliver your jokes/bits…It's environment is a strange, enigmatic double edged sword. The atmosphere can destroy or relax a sensitive comedian depending on his/her disposition. Oh yeah, I now identify myself as 'a comedian.' An important step I have taken for my positive psychological development. Up until now I would feel myself unworthy of the prized title. But once you step to the mic like a gladiator of humor and 'rip it' I feel you deserve the title.
Internally I adopted an 'I don't care' attitude. Externally, I presented a grateful to be in such a wonderful city persona (truth based). The foreign accent definitely helped to break the tension and capture the audience's attention at first. However, I have to acknowledge the accent in San Francisco and let the audience adjust before I start joking around so it is as much of a hinderance as it is a benefit.
I did an impression of a small minded Texan, and an African American from the Tenderloin. I had never done accents before on stage so it was a terrific feeling to actually pull it off. Especially because I'm a novice and haven't been on stage in ages. I did better than some, which matters very little really.It is a long game and the only real competition is with yourself. I exited the brainwash cafe in San Francisco driven and determined to get as skilled as Tom and Chris. They are my inspiration right now!
I did an impression of a small minded Texan, and an African American from the Tenderloin. I had never done accents before on stage so it was a terrific feeling to actually pull it off. Especially because I'm a novice and haven't been on stage in ages. I did better than some, which matters very little really.It is a long game and the only real competition is with yourself. I exited the brainwash cafe in San Francisco driven and determined to get as skilled as Tom and Chris. They are my inspiration right now!
I feel like the initial fear has been overcome, the key now is to get more creative, stay loose, and push the boundaries every time I rock the mic… I think!? All the media attention and media exposure in Ireland over living in the tent has allowed me to take myself less seriously and not feel like I live and die by every performance (Not that I take myself too seriously anyway.) I kind of see myself as like an art project of sorts. A bundle of potential that can be shaped for good or bad. Roll on next open mic. I fear it less already, now I just want to dominate this enigmatic comedy siren.
To be continued...
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