From Becoming Jewish to Woody's - Two great back-to-back nights

This last week so far has been pretty awesome! Last Monday I went to check out a room, meet the host and all that good stuff. I was not expecting nor prepared to do a set when the host asked me if I wanted to go on. I really wanted to say no, but that’s not how one get’s anywhere, so I said yes and thank you.

This particular venue works differently than the others which I’ve checked . Bring two friends and you get a spot, no booking in advanced. It’s a great way to do it. I came down alone, as I wrote, I simply wanted to see some comics and network a bit.

Fortunately for me, there were a few jokes that the host and some other comics had done that I could work off of to open. Opening is always the hardest part for me. It feels like the make or break moment.

I had to pull out my standard stuff, but worked into telling the story of my first gay crowd (that I mooned, yes that's right, but it seemed like poetic justice as I say it's the place where self-esteem goes to die) at Woody’s. This was my open mic to test out my open mic new material for the next night in Hamilton.

When I was done the host shook my hand and said he had enjoyed my set. This is when my Sally Field syndrome kicks in. I walked home stoked that I threw myself into an unscripted moment and come out the other end of it quite well.

The next day I headed over to Hamilton to my friend’s room. It’s great there as there a lot of the Hamilton comics, some of them long timers who headline, and have appeared many times on Just For Laughs. They are so down to earth, and give a lot of great feedback.

My set went really well.  I worked in my conversion to Judaism. Really, it's a testament to how dedicated I am to becoming a comic, and how attracted to Jewish men I am. I figure I'll get my ducks in a row, meet a nice Jewish boy and the conversion will all be done. And my favourite performers are Jewish, so I thought that would help me out as well. So if I seem funny after June 6 (my conversion date), you'll know why. My bit is about how it's so difficult from using "Oh for Christ's sake, and thank Christ" as a converting Jew. I'm sure Jews by birth don't go around stubbing their toes only to yell out "Jesus Christ!" I'm guest guessing they don't do that. And I accidentally said, "Thank fucking Christ." Everyone laughs at me and my slip up. "It's ok, folks I have until June 6th!" - my conversion date.

I find working off of one’s own experiences and story works the best for me. The Woody’s story was a hit, and I made my official proclamation, “I’m putting a moratorium on bending over in front of crowds.” I know it will be challenge, but I'm abstaining for at least a couple months. 

Being new, I’ll admit it, external validation is great to have. Being around great comics and being new, I have a lot of negative self-talk go on. After I had done my set one comic came up to me and shook my hand saying, “So funny, I’m sorry I haven’t listened to you before, but good stuff.” I got a couple invites to other rooms etc. I felt like I had been funny enough times now that I’ve earned my stripes to say I’m a comic, albeit a very new one, but a comic nonetheless.

The fucked up thing is that I get so nervous, and repeatedly I’m told that I appear very comfortable on stage. Somehow people can’t see the inner turmoil of pre-stage angst. Before starting this, I had no idea that my years of public speaking, media and corporate training experience would help out this much. Now if I could just get my insides to match the outside. 

Being new I feel like I'm just a small pebble on the beach compared to all there is to know and grow. At least this kind of schooling is fun!

As the one host said when I did my first real first set in Toronto as a dare for the Stephen Lewis Foundation, “You’re very natural, and that’s 50% of it right there.”

So true very true.