Good cause comedy

I feel really good about doing standup when it goes towards a good cause. The Asian American Donor program targeted a donor registration drive for bone marrow donation with standup comics. They included me an Indian as an Asian. What a concept? We certainly ain't got the features, but we come from the same continent, share buddhist values, and are terrible donors.

The show was awesome -- it was exclusively asian crowd, mostly young filipinos settled in South San Francisco. They were an amazing audience, attentive and enjoying themselves. I am certain that the filipino community can now count on having several registered bone marrow donors. I hope it reaches other Asian communities as well.

One of the bone marrow donors, the winner of Survivor on TV, spoke about how Asians have not yet come together as a community that takes care of itself. He attributed it to still getting established and as such the focus stays on career and the self. It is time now to branch out and give back to the community dedicating our time, money, and when needed organs!

Viva Asians!!!!

The Hard Knocks

I headlined in front of a large audience of about 100 people in a restaurant about a week ago. It can be a bit dangerous performing with no raised stage and in front of a large group of people, mostly drunk by this time at night.

First I pissed off two women who kept interrupting - so I called them out, riffed on them a bit and they left to get drinks - good riddance. Next a burly man starts trying to add to my lines. So I cut him short. As a retort, he calls me short (true!). As a comic, I can't let this go, so I let him know that I will get him later in my routine. The audience claps, they are on my side. So the burly man stands up - and he is huge. I ask him to sit down and he wants to take me on instead.

Thankfully the organizers step in and get him settled back again.

Not so thankfully I have to start again from this episode and get the audience laughing again - I am able to do it. Life is good.

NBC Diversity Standup Auditions

Being a bit later in life into comedy, I hate the showbiz industry cattle-call auditions that essentially take you through so many hoops that only those with the best luck, talent, and ability to cling to a sliver of hope possibly make it through.

I still found myself in line for the NBC Diversity Standup audition at the San Francisco Punch Line Comedy Club. I had debated with myself over showing up for this audition. Essentially NBC was going to permit the first 100 folks to do a 1 minute audition. This means that people line up early - real early, sometimes 12 hours early so they can be in line for this audition. At the end of the 12 hours you get a 1 minute performance. Assuming you pass this performance, the next gate is a 3-minute competition round that afternoon, followed by a 5-minute competition round that evening which is taped and sent to some faceless executives who can then determine who to invite to Los Angeles that winter.

However daunting this sounds, this is about the fairest showbiz audition I have seen structured. In many cases industry auditions are held and there are no callbacks or any feedback for months. Also for this NBC audition, presumably you can email/call early and avoid the 1st round which is by far the most daunting.

For one thing anyone can show up for the 1 minute round. By Noon which was the call-time for the 1st round, the line at the San Francisco Punch Line looked like it was at the American Consulate in Tijuana. Every possibly minority was represented along with a few Anglo-Saxon Republicans eager to show that they were as diverse as any.

The event was well-organized, eventually about 50 open call folks showed up. The 1-minute auditions were run through well and it seemed the judges were listening. I did not find my name in the final list (bummer!) but then again I had a great 1-minute set and after the show other comics were surprised that I had not made the cut.

I suspect it could be because eventually the entire show (over all the metros after several months) nets out to "1" (yes ONE) comic who gets a scholarship with NBC. I possibly did not fit the mold for that "1" comic in the mind of the judges. It was a beautiful day in San Francisco and after being in line all morning, I did not mind getting the afternoon off. In the evening I got to spend time with my wife watching the latest Harry Potter.

I am glad I still went. In the comedy journey, this was one morning that makes me wiser, and bolder, which is much needed in comedy.

A thank you to my audiences

I might have already thanked my audiences, but I really cannot thank them enough! Last night I did yet another Pundits with Punchlines out at Pepperbellys in Fairfield, CA. The middle of the week audience was light, but once the show got going, the audience was willing to go on the journey.

They laughed, enjoyed the comics and their gaffes. I must have flubbed at least two jokes, but the audience took it all in stride and laughed their sides out. An environment like that allows me to experiment, riff, and really have fun on stage. I feed on the audience, who feed on me, and it brings the entire show to life.

If there is a good audience, it means there is a not-so-good audience as well. An audience that is tired, sceptical, or "I really didn't want to be here" is a comic's nightmare.

A good comic should be able to work with what they have, and bring life into the room. Sometimes that just doesn't happen. And that's life! Thankfully last night was different.

What's the balance?

I originally titled this blog: work, life, comedy balance since that was top on my mind. Since then I re-titled it to a comedy journey. Now I see that someone is actually trying to "google" work/life comedy balance and pulling up one of my earlier blogs. Side Note: In case you are wondering, it is very easy as a website owner to see how you get your webhits, search words and all. Creepy!

Anyway, when I see this gentle person (I don't know who) trying to determine work/life comedy, I believe I should say something about my work/life/comedy balance.

I am gainfully employed 24 hours a week in the Corporate world. I spend about 3 - 4 evenings a week at comedy. The rest is taken up by writing, promoting, getting booked, daydreaming and life.

Sometimes I alter the balance and life takes precedence largely because I am driving too hard and could actually end up divorced (oops!).

Sometimes the Corporation alters the balance and takes precedence and I really don't want to get fired (another oops!).

So I assume that I am driving the comedy. I am making money at it now. It's no longer small potatoes, but still not enough to throw everything to the wind.

Anyway my big show is coming up tonite, so this is all for now! Ciao!

ShowBiz Egos

I am still trying to cope with the showbiz ego and lack of professionalism. It's easy to piss people off, sometimes people get pissed off all by themselves. Coming from the Corporate world it is hard to get used to the "irrational" behavior. But then again, showbiz is irrational.

Take Last Comic Standing -- comics from San Francisco traveled to Los Angeles, stood in a line for 12 hours to get a short (very short) audition spot in front of an irrational jury. The same audition also had comedy pros who have been working for years and regularly get booked at clubs try and get their shot at fame and fortune.

In short the supply of wannabe comics (or performers) is so immense that the demand side can extract it's price. "Hey want to perform in my show? Pay me!" Yet the performers persist! With such madness comes a fragile and unpredictable ego.

Now let me go and smash my head against the wall.

I thought it was funny, but the audience didn't

Lately I have been hitting open mics and small showcases. The big shows are great but I have to play safe and do my tried and tested material. No point bombing in front of 100's of people on purpose. In front of a handful, I can fail and hopefully be forgotten easily. The publicity damage is limited.

I have been coming up with a bunch of new joke wannabe's and trying them out. The only way a joke wannabe can get written is if I believe it's funny. Then I learn in front of the audience that maybe it's not funny.

I wrote this joke wannabe on Iraq that I found hilarious but it failed miserably the first time on stage. Then begins the hard work of wondering why the damn thing failed. Is it the audience? Is it me? or God?

So when does a joke wannabe survive and make it into a joke? When for at least a month on the open mic/showcase circuit I receive enough of an audience response that makes me want to continue to work on it. When that happens I remain optimistic that there is something funny in that pile and if I dig, I will find it.