Alright Newbies, Listen Up
September 13, 2007 · Print This Article
Scotty Goff returns to Behind The Bricks this week, but this time he’s donning a new cap. As a club owner, booker, and developer of young talent for almost a decade, Scotty givevs us insight on how live comedy is faring against the television giants, why he bothers to help new comics become successful, and what he looks for in an open micer.
Other topics include why all political comedy seems to be from the left side of the aisle, the New York Comedy Festival, the new Robo-Brittany, and why no one can compete with Lindsey Lohan’s bare breast.
Email: brianmcomedy@gmail.com and give us a call on 206-203-4692
I thought I posted this last night, but it was late and who knows what forum I was on.
I was thouroughly disgusted by Lavelle Crawford in the “one liner” competition. First he essentially repeated on of Gerry Dee’s jokes 10 seconds after Gerry told it, then he did an entire Alonzo Boden bit on the fucking show that made Alonzo famous! And the worst part is that he won, which validates the idea that stealing material is ok because the averag comedy fan won’t know. It’s too bad that Jon Reep can’t win because I lost all respect for Lavelle.
Well, I think I’m finally gonna do it. While istening to this podcast I looked up a local comedy club’s open mike info, and will be participating in it at some point. I’m giving myself a couple of months to put some material together but I have this sudden burst of confidence in myself, and it’s all (gulp) do to Brian Mollica and Scotty Goff (who’s egos are growing as I write this. Thanks guys, and I love how your pole has a response total of 101%
Brian - I have “watched” almost all the LCS shows this season and this last one - the worst - ever. It was terrible terrible terrible. Everything from Gilbert to the one-liners to…Kathleen just UGH!
Did anyone else think that Kathleen is to the point now where she doesn’t even give a shit if the audience reacts? So she is on a show, doesn’t even win, and now comes back and just runs her mouth over the crowd’s reaction? I never thought she was all that funny, but now I just think she’s incredibly rude and narcissistic.
I believe that LCS is the worst promotion for live comedy, ever.
Ok, done with LCS bitching.
Ben, good for you! I’m excited to hear how it goes!
Feel free to join our BTB fan network at http://behindthebricks.ning.com
Scotty is so great! His comment about being an emcee is right on. I want to be a GREAT emcee before I’m even an ok feature. I really enjoy being an emcee - but I’m not good at it yet.
I’ve set my long term goal - what I’d like to come out of this comedy thing… but my short-term goal (over the next year) is to be a solid emcee who is known for being a good emcee.
Thanks, Scotty.
Congrats Ben, I’m glad I could play a small part in ruining your life. My one suggestion is to go check out the open mic at least once before you perform. Get a feel for the room and the kind of acts going up and crowds that show up. Not that you should change your act based on what you see, but at least you’ll have an idea of what to expect. There will be a lot of surprises your first night on stage, best to go up as prepared as possible. Let me know when you decide to do it because I would love to do a before and after interview with you.
Holy Shit,
slight change of subject but Carlos Mencia is hosting the emmy awards??
…….he’s probably watching Jon Stewart and Chris Rock’s performances presenting the oscars for material as we speak……..
Wow, i never realized that Alonzo did that bit one of the last couple of years… Ok, i changed my mind then about who i want to win.
That’s pretty cool ben, good luck to you.
I just realized how much I like to talk about myself and my own experiences during my posts, and how narcisstic i sound. hmm… oh I’m curious how many people on the board also listen to Stand Up orlando? because I think they need a forum as well.
mike nr
Oh, and I changed my mind about my future profession. Where can I get a job like Mike’s (Really)?
Hey guys,
whats the news on this movie by Jamie Kennedy called Heckler……looks pretty interesting?
Nick
Hi folks,
Best of luck Ben. Really enjoyed Scotty’s comments and insight. Brian, it would be interesting to hear from other comedy club owners across the U.S. as well. Perhaps one of the New York club owners would take your call to get their perspective on the state of standup. Tell them your international audience wants to know! Look forward to Scotty’s future visits to the show.
Thanks.
Off topic as usual, but I have a question for everyone (especially the comics I guess)… I’ve noticed that most local clubs around my neck have more than one show on Friday and Saturday, usually like an 8 and then a 10:30. I’m finally going to be near a club this weekend when I might actually have time to go, and was wondering from the comics’ point of view which show you usually think is better, the early show or the late show? I know the goal is to have a tight set that you can go through at any time, but is doing the same material twice in one night exhausting and much easier to plow through the first time? Or does the first show loosen you up and then things get better the closer you get to the witching hour? Or maybe it depends and you can have a great show and eat shit all on the same night. Just curious…
PS: the comic performing if I get the chance to see him is Al Madrigal… I’m not familiar with him but he’s got the sort of resume that suggests I should be. Any opinions on this guy?
Great question Dave. I always say Saturday night late show is the best show of the week. Friday shows can be rough sometimes because the early show people have just gotten off work and are ready to blow off steam, and the late show crowd has been drinking since 5 and are completely shit faced.
Saturday late show is great because it’s people who aren’t afraid to be out late on a weekend, so they’re more open to “different” material, but at the same time, they’re not so wasted that they disrupt the show. These are all generalities, of course. Hell, I’ve been heckled by a drunk guy at a 5:00 matinée.
I think the best shows are Saturday shows. I am a toss-up on early or late. I say early because people are less drunk and, therefore, less rowdy. Though most 2nd Saturday shows are smaller, more responsive crowds, in general.
Friday first show is usually a bunch of folks who got in free from giveaway tickets. In general - the people who get in free tend to be tougher than the ones who coughed up good money to laugh.
Just my two cents.
Hey Nick,
Thanks for the heads-up on Jamie Kennedy’s movie. I hadn’t heard of it before, so I went in search of the trailer on Youtube. Looks like a must-see for comics.
Thanks.
Looks interesting. We’re trying to get one of the producers on the show, but nothing yet. I like that it takes heckling from a few different perspectives, not just stand up. Apparently Rob Zombie talks about people who heckle him as he walks down the street. Shit, I thought I had it bad.
how not to handle a heckler.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO5_1cs4j84
In re “Heckler”, I think there was some mention of it on Stand Up Orlando, one of the regulars landed a spot in it I’m pretty sure where he’s ripping Jamie for a weak performance, they mentioned it on their show a while back…at least that’s how I remember it.
Did anyone watch the Emmys? I was wondering what you thought of the stand up interludes they threw in. I thought it seemed way to forced (like everything on award shows). Ray Romano was ok, but Lewis Black came across like a total company man and the skit with John Stewart and Steven Colbert had flashes of brilliance, but was overall painful.
Hey anybody catch lewis black at the emmys. man hes such a comic badass, fantastic. also conan finally got an emmy. WWWWWOOOOOOOO. that is all.
See, I totally disagree Smiley. He was funny, but he’s always funny. I was uncomfortable watching him because all I could think is that he finally sold out. He made it sound like he was “sticking it to the suits” but it was really just an advertisement. In fact, I got the sense he wasn’t really into it. Almost like he was faking the anger he usually puts into his stand up. I don’t know. Just my take of course. i’d love to hear more viewpoints and we’ll hash this out on Thursday’s show.
You guys might find this interesting. You can get complete episodes of Real Time with Bill Maher for free as a podcast from HBO. iTunes is the easiest way, of course, but HBO probably has an RSS feed of its own.
Heading out for some comedy CANADIAN style at Global Comedy Fest in Vancouver, BC. I’m fired up for Comedy Death Ray with the likes of David Cross, Brian Posehn, Paul F Tompkins, Neil Hamburger. Pretty sweet 9 day comedy festival. Go for it Canada.
http://comedyfest.com/shows/29
Nice Patch. Be sure to update us on that. What is it about Canadians that is so fucking funny?
Loved the show with Scotty Goff. After doing some open-mikes in bars (read: NOT comedy clubs), Scotty makes me hopeful that when I’m finally ready to contact some clubs not every booker/owner is going to be a cigar-chomping businessman who would rather put up comics in a barn for a week with the rest of the cattle than to ever give them some actually useful insight or, God forbid, positive criticism.
Ben: go for it! It’s the best five minutes of your life that you’ll dread for the five weeks beforehand. And it can almost never be as bad as you imagine it will be. Almost. Another good reason to check out the room before you go. Apparently I showed up for my first one on “bring your own working microphone” night. Not fun.
Thanks again, Brian, for another great show.
Thanks for the show! Actually, thanks for the whole series of shows. I recently discovered BtB, and over the past few weeks have been catching up on some of the older podcasts.
I found BtB while looking for tips for stand-up wannabes. Here’s my rambling story:
As a teenager in the eighties, I dabbled in theater and discovered I really loved being on stage in front of a crowd. I didn’t much like having to work to someone else’s script and in harmony with all the other creative minds involved, though. In the end, I realized that I had enjoyed a five minute speech given to a few hundred people more than all my acting time. So I did a play or two in high school and then dropped it.
I was a huge stand-up fan in the early nineties, when I was in my early twenties. I religiously watched the MTV half-hour comedy hour, A&E’s Evening at the Improv, HBO specials, etc. I liked to laugh, but more, I became fascinated with all the craft involved, if you know what I mean.
Then I got tired of being a bum and started an Internet company, just a couple of years before it was fashionable to do so. I did a lot of presentations, sales pitches, consulting gigs, etc. Lots of public speaking, to audiences of half a dozen all the way up to a couple hundred.
Eventually, I cashed out of the business and became a preacher. (When you realize I have ADD, my career path makes more sense…sort of.) I LOVE preaching. I NEVER get stage fright (and almost never have). I used to get nervous before public speaking, but always thought of it as a positive–not negative–energy.
Earlier this year I had to give a speech to about fifty people. It wasn’t a sermon, and it wasn’t a presentation. In fact, I was unclear on what people were expecting. As I prepped my list of bullet points in my head, I found myself actually getting honestly nervous–for the first time in 25 years. The speech was a big success, but what’s more, I came off of it with a high like I had not had since eighth grade. I think the nerves before had a lot to do with the high afterward.
And suddenly I wanted to try stand up comedy. Why? Three reasons:
1) The art and the craft of doing a stand-up set fascinates and delights me.
2) I love making other people laugh and I think it would be fun to do it in a more structured setting.
3) The very thought of my first open mic TERRIFIES ME. And THAT fascinates me!
I’m a professional speaker with years of experience, who never gets more than a slight tingle during the 30 seconds before speaking, and yet the idea of doing a 4 minute set of jokes to a group of strangers scares me shitless. Why? I’m not afraid of public speaking, nor of blanking or forgetting my material. For me, it’s 100% a fear of bombing. To stand there and, joke after joke, get no reaction, is my biggest nightmare.
I don’t get a kick out of roller coasters. Stand up comedy, though, looks more and more like my kind of thrill ride.
Am I thinking of giving up preaching? Nope. Am I trying to become a pro comic? I have no idea.
Awhile back, you asked if there were connections between preaching and stand-up. I think there are. When done well, both are structured means for a lone person on a stage to deliver a message they believe in, in such a way that it is accessible and meaningful to an audience which reacts not just intellectually but emotionally. The biggest difference I see is that bad preachers have a much easier time getting paid gigs than do bad comedians. That, and preachers don’t say “fuck” quite as often.
So, anyway, I’ve started putting together material, and I’m searching out open mics in the Pittsburgh area. And since I expect to be traveling to Erie, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Cleveland and San Diego in the coming year, I am also looking for open mics there, too.
Listing to BtB and lurking in the comments, here, has been an amazing help to me as I prepare. So thanks.
So here’re my first two questions, for now: (1) how much time should I put into honing material before I take the first plunge? and (2) do you usually *know* when new material is pretty good, before trying it out, or is it a total crap shoot until you’ve actually bounced the stuff off a live audience?
Thanks, BMo. Keep up the excellent podcast!
A preacher that has no problem with the words “shit” and “fuck”, that’s my kind of church. Welcome Mac. Great post. I’ll definitely address your questions on Thursday’s show.
Two quick things.
One, welcome Mac, good luck to you on your open mic.
Two, Brian, why do we never hear stories like the one that happened at the DMV on Behind the Bricks?
Mike NR
HMM, you know B-mo now that i think about it you might be right. but i dont think he sold out per say, but it did seem he was faking his anger. But still…….CONAN WON AN EMMMY. WWWWWHHHHHHOOOOO
Hey Mac, can you tell me what church you’re at? I’m looking for a new one, possibly, and quite like how realistic (read: non-plastic) you are. I, too, was in full time ministry (though not a preacher by any means) it certainly has given me a lot of material I’ve yet to use on stage.
Hey guys. Show will be a little late this week as my producer Tony went on a walkabout (or whatever it is that Australians do with their free time. Should be out on Friday just in time to ruin your weekends.
Thanks for the welcome, guys.
Amelia, my religion is the smallest, coolest, oddest, funniest-named kind of Christianity you’ve never heard of. I don’t want to turn BMo’s comment sections into a proselytizing soapbox–I’m here to learn to do stand up, not to preach–so I’ll just point you to one of my websites and then move on:
http://www.TheoBlog.com/
I’ll warn you, though, that I am *not* a typical preacher in my church. And while I’m totally okay with “crude” language when it is used effectively, I suspect many of the good folks I preach to would disagree.
Oh, and thanks for the non-plastic compliment!
I can understand how ministry could give you material. Something I am currently struggling with as I put together my first set is how much I can draw from my own ministry experience while being simultaneously honest, funny and true to my day job, so to speak.
Whoops. I spoke too soon. There is at least one other “real” preacher in my denomination. Here’s video of the former (now retired) executive Bishop of our worldwide organization, jumping out of a plane:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YfW5JJplhI
Louis is cool.