This page is the result of a month of stand-up attempts and the realization that there's an easier way. I finally grew the sack to go up on stage and try to make strangers laugh with stories and dick jokes. I had just arrived back in town from the cleansing airs of Big Sky, Montana. I already had a new cruise ship photographer gig lined up in Ft. Lauderdale. I became aware of a new comedy club in
town and shot up out of my chair. For 10 years now I had been listening to and watching stand up, Opie & Anthony Radio and Podcasts. I had become obsessed with all things revolving around talk and comedy. I would finally get a chance to see the people who had become my favorite people live and possibly even meet them. Next weekend: Tom Segura. I needed to see and take in all that I could. Ticket for Thursday show, bought. Ticket for late Friday show, bought. So now I could see the difference between the first show of a weekend and a big night, and between an early show and a late show. Saturday came around and I finally get in touch with friends, they're all going to Saturday late show. Call the club because its sold out and they let me come in an hour early to help seat people and watch the show for free. Cruise ship job went down in flames and I spent every weekend at the comedy club soaking it all in. I became depressed for various reasons and stopped going to the club, not wanting to bring in those negative vibes to this place I loved. After time the reason to stay away became the thought, "Would they still let me in?"
Winter went by then I decided to go back. Welcomed back a bit unwillingly but I was back in. I immediately decided to go up on open mic that next Wednesday. I have 100 lifetimes of stories and not even 30 years old yet. That Wednesday I tried to meet some of the other guys I could tell had been doing this for some time. "Man, no ones talking to you cause we don't know you." Didn't phase me, he was right after all. I ran up the ramp when my name was called and was blinded by the bright lights. I stuttered through my little set but I got through it. "Man, I won't tell you your set was good, it was dog s**t. But all of us cannot believe that was your very first time. Come back." And there it is. Validation. The thing I have been unknowingly seeking since, hell, forever. I have gone up on the towns open mics 4 days a week for about a month now. I am getting very confident and stringing together bits into a set. Finding the actual nugget in a Perry story and connecting it to either another story or just joke. I have one whopper of an inferiority complex and that comes into play with me thinking I will never be as good as the best guys in town. So I want to couple telling my chaotic life on stage with promoting the other comics and getting rooms filled. We have an amazing scene in Spokaloo and no one knows about it. I need to change that. Cheers
Pdog
