For various reasons I have put it off for far too long and right now I am at a place and time in life where the only excuse I have is laziness.
So, thanks to my new found blogger friend Linda Lou I am slowly working my way into giving it a shot.
I know that previously I have looked into Open Mic nights in Vegas and didn't find a lot (I probably wasn't looking very hard) but now with my eyes open I am seeing that there are a good deal of them, some new and some established.
So this is where the real work comes in. I've now got to learn how to write (and tell) jokes. I'm good with being the random funny guy with friends but that sure-as-shit ain't the same thing as being able to get up in front of a group of people and actually tell some jokes. I've never sat down and attempted this before so it's truly going to be the make or break portion of the test for me.
Right now my goal is to try my first one by the end of summer. We are approaching May (rapidly) and I'm giving myself May - July to work on and develop a 5-10 minute routine that I will take live in front of other people. Most of my practice will be at home with my dog and I will be sure to have plenty of treats to let him get excited in all the right places.
I've got some idea's that I want to implement leading up to all of this and I'm pretty excited about all of it, so be on the look out for some changes to this blog in the near future (all minor of course - I'm adverse to change).
You've had this dream longer than I've had pubic hair...cause you're old :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck, love!!
I think you have your first joke/gag. Tell the audience how you've been practicing at home with your dog as your audience and used treats to help him get excited in all the right spots. Then if a joke bombs you whip out a baggie with bacon or something in it and try to give it to the audience members nearest the stage to get them on your side.
ReplyDeleteA similar thought process has been going through my head most of the day while working on this "joke"
DeleteThanks for the input - I wasn't thinking about bringing an actual bag of treats with me until now lol.
Maybe if it's a shady place I can bring some "Joints" (i'll make fake ones - FAKE I SAY) and tell the audience that I've got some good treats if they just play along :)
Genius
DeleteAnd excitedly proclaim "Who's a good boy?!?!? Who's a good boy?!?!?"
ReplyDeleteLolllllll Gl grrouchie
ReplyDeleteI'll need all the luck I can get
DeleteOr just find the right audience (like choosing the right poker table) - some people get excited about computer fish...
ReplyDelete:)
DeleteSounds like fun! Remember as much as content delivery matters. If you think about the last time you made one of your friends laugh their ass off you probably had a specific tone, a timing pattern, beat to your voice. Those things have as much to do with why your friends are laugh as the idea. If you apply those things to ideas that are funny (and I know you know those when you see them) I think you'll be a long way down the road to being able to be funny to strangers on command.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice.
DeleteI know I have a long way to go but I'm working towards the first step.
For now I'm just going to try to write a few jokes a day during my downtime and see what direction that takes me in -
Much like being in a band, the first step is just having material to work with!
You will be the new John Valby?
ReplyDelete"I knew a girl. Her name was Lisa. You could ..."
Other than the complete lack of musical talent - Being as successful as Valby would be a total win for me!
DeleteHowever, I will not be wearing the white suit lol.
Also - because I have used it before in different things I have done - I will probably steal/borrow/alter his show ending to end my set because I think it's damned near perfect!
I have to say I admire your nerve and initiative. GL with it.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate it.
DeleteWhere do they have open mic nights? I've done some mild searching on and off the past few months but have had little success.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/115434588495639/
DeleteGo to that Facebook group and you'll see ones that pop up and get posted. Warn you that whoever runs the group evidently takes a long time to approve as I've been waiting over a week now.
MeatHeads runs one twice a week
Yesterday The Island Bar ran their very first one
Kaliopi Hooka Lounge has one every Sunday per their flyer
Very excited to see this post. I'll help you any way I can!
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda - I'm sure once I feel like I have enough Jokes I'll use you to at least look over some of my material and tell me what looks good and what you have doubts about etc.
DeleteI'm very excited to have run into you!
I think you should YouTube a version for us and we can comment on your ability to be funny.. Won't be exactly the same as audience excitement feeds back on you but might be a safe way to try out a set for your readers.
ReplyDeleteI've actually been looking into different ways to record the performance(s) so that I can get feed back.
DeleteWhile I don't think I'm going straight to video - I at least want some sort of Audio so that I can listen and hear what I did wrong or maybe put an inflection where I shouldn't have - stumbled somewhere, etc.
So yes, I love the suggestion and am already trying to think of ways to do it.
YouTube channel, yes! Finally get some videos up there!
Delete