How To Be Your Own Pimp
May 2, 2007 · Print This Article
Ok, we get it. You write some dick jokes, find a place to tell them, and hope it makes people laugh. But what do you do when your family is tired of it.
Today Brian covers the much requested topic of the “business” of show business. He covers how to market yourself to clubs, put together a press kit, and what to watch out for when shopping for agents. Later in the show Brian is joined by Kirk Buckhout who has grown weary of the club bullshit and has become his own producer.
As though that weren’t enough, all of your comments addressed, the final word on bar jokes on stage, a state trouper edition od the rant of the week, and our first female comic showcase in show history.
Email: brianmcomedy@gmail.com
Give the show a call: 206-600-4325
Thanks for the answer to my question. Looks like I’m going to try to hit the Improv and Bobby Slayton. I’m also going to try to get in the Penn & Teller show but we’ll see how that goes.
The lineup at the Improv seems to be: Adam Ferrara, Russ T. Nailz, & Chris Mancini. Never heard of any of em. Any input on these guys?
Adam is a great comic and he’s been around a long time. Dennis Leary helped bring him up. Also cast him in the short running series “The Job”. I use to see him at the Cellar in NY all the time. Afraid I don’t know the other 2 guys, but Adam is worth the price of admission. And of course Penn and Teller are always worth it (especially since you might be able to get in for free you high roller you).
Hey, you guys were dead on about how anyone interested in an acting career will do stand-up comedy in LA. I saw this documentary called “Hardly Laughing,” and the ‘comedians’ in it didn’t even make me do that. It’s on http://www.myspace.com/hardlylaughing if anyone wants to waste about half an hour of their time.
Also Brian: How long should an audition tape be? 10 minutes? 20? Does the amount of time on a tape matter whether or not you’re an opening act or a feature comic? Thanks man, terrific show as always.
Great question Joe, I’ll definitely address it on the next show.
BTW Steve, I just heard in an interview that Ferrara just signed a deal with Leary’s FX show Rescue Me. Why are all of my comic friends douchebag losers that only hurt my career?
Just wanted to comment in saying that the interview w/ Kirk was great. Pretty interesting how he created his own touring show rather than stay in the club scene. Though his myspace page doesn’t show any sorta touring information and where he’ll be. He should register a real website.
And Brian, that’s good for Ferrara that he signed w/ the TV show, guess I better see him while I still can.
PS. With such short notice on the Penn & Teller show I’ll probably have to pay a discounted price (BOGO) rather than get them comped totally. But then again I do have casino cash to spend so it’ll probably end up being free =P Now to see if they have any available seats when I’m there…
Brian, once again you just don’t know how really up to date you are!!! This ain’t Iowa practically writing the Sopranos and now you using “kickin’ it old school” subconscioulsy, just knowing that it is a “major” motion picture : http://www.kickinitmovie.com/ i hear it’s the cat’s pajamas!!
My new favorite Mascot is Methy Joe.
Let me just say that, as a guy who lives in central Virginia, I was SO glad to hear yours and Kirk’s take on national reaction to the VT massacre. People around here were upset, in shock, worried, mourning… but no one tried to avoid laughter or thought it would be in poor taste to have a good time. I mean sure, there were the candlelit vigils, and the pain-whores who called into radio stations to read their shitty poem or whatever, and the asshole political spinners who tried to turn it into a means to prove some bullshit larger point (I actually found out about the shootings only hours after it happened from a spam email which blamed the whole thing on gun control laws… what the FUCK), but for the most part everyone I know has had their moment of silence, been through the mourning, and are trying to move on. The BEST way to do that is with laughter… and for every jackass out in Flagstaff sitting around getting all Morrissey about people they’ve never met, there were ten people here who lost people they DID know who were trying to take a minute away from the grief with a fun movie or time out in a bar with friends.
If there’s anything people I know have been avoiding since the massacre, it’s violence, not comedy. For instance, me and some buddies do a podcast where we make top 5 lists about movies — just silly drunk party shit — and a few weeks before the VT shootings we happened to do our top 5 death scenes in film. Now, what we were talking about was shit from Robocop and Nightmare on Elm Street, but our show’s producer wisely decided to hold back on it for a few weeks anyway, because not only did he think no one was going to be in the mood, but when he listened back through the recording he wasn’t finding it very fun to listen to, either. Like you said, everyone responds differently in a situation like this, and far be it from me to say when someone’s responding inappropriately, but an aversion to violence — not laughter — has seemed like the most common sense reaction from everyone I know.
Sorry, this is like my second post and I’m already editorializing… I’ll shut the fuck up now. Great show, thanks again!
Damn! I should have trademarked the Methy Joe character while I had the chance! Undoubtedly some high level ad executive will steal him and he will be the next Joe Camel.
I’ve been told by my mother that she saw Rust T. Nailz last time she and my father went to Vegas and she thought he was a pretty good comedian. She also said Ferrara was great. She has no clue on Chris Mancini.
However I’m taking that info w/ a grain of salt considering she told me that Mac King was a MUST SEE.
Hey Brian - solid show. The take on ways to manage/be managed was interesting to an outsider and the Kirk interview was great.
I want to pick up one of your CD’s when I’m in Vegas in a few weeks - we’ll see if we can’t get the whole gang to autograph it - and if you offer a bulk discount - I could use some for a booth give away at a conference I’ll be working.
Thanks for checking in Dave. Definitely interesting to hear the opinion on the VT situation from someone in the community. Everyone grieves in their own way, but I’m with you, if you start to concentrate on tragedy, you’ll make yourself sick because let’s face it, tragedy never takes a break, even if the news isn’t covering it.
I can definitely hook you up with a cd when you come to town TF. Not exactly
sure what “gang” you would like to autograph it, but I’m sure we can work something out.
Joke-
I was on my computer the other day when Holiday alarms sends me two e-mail’s I need reminders of some holidays well.. I have two sets of holidays for family abroad..I open the first e-mail notifying me that Mother’s day is May 13. I remember that one.. I open up the second and get notified that in Australia May 13 is mothers day Is Karma telling me that I need to get my mother a really good mothers day gift or what?
Hey, i was watching celebrity fit club for some reason, and saw Dustin Diamond on there talking about his stand up…my question is, Is he actually considered a “serious comedian” or is he fooling himself? Is his act actually funny?
Speaking of funny things to see in Vegas. I saw The Producers last night which featured a slightly tipsy David Hasselhoff in drag. Now that’s entertainment.
I have a Dustin Diamond story I’ll tell on the show. Great question Gilley.
Just getting caught up on the shows and I’m surprised one of Eddie Murphy’s albums did not make your top 10 list. That was everywhere. I think we liked it because we were young and he cursed alot.
Great show. I’ve put together several shows of my own and posted a blog with some tips based on what I’ve learned doing it. Hope some of you find it useful: http://www.dantessitore.com/blog.htm. Scroll down to “Book Your Own Damn Self.”