Just Shut Up & Follow The Nike Slogan!
Tags: The Stand-Up DiariesHave you ever come across good fortune, where an opportunity you can’t pass up comes your way, but you aren’t sure of why it’s here now, and not farther down the road when you are more prepared for it? What if you decline it now? Will that chance ever come again, and if it did, will you be able to replicate the same results from it?
JUST DO IT
By now most of you may (hopefully) be aware that I am part of Dez Reed’s “Fin Less A Day Comedy Competition” to be held all this coming week. No, I will not be listing on here what days I will be at what location because by now, you should be paying attention to the posts from my comedy Facebook page to figure that out, which should be easy since the links to each new blog posting are on that FB page.
JUST DO IT
I suppose one could sit here for hours and question why I have been chosen to participate in this. I thought at first it’s because maybe I really do have a chance to win. Then I thought it’s maybe because I can pay the entry fee and show up for all 5 nights of the preliminaries plus the finals next Sunday night @ Manchesters. Then I thought maybe it’s because I’m just another comic to put on the bill. Or is it because Dez maybe sees potential in me?
JUST DO IT
Whatever the reason, I’ve been thrown into the mix for this competition. Don’t get me wrong. I’m no dummy here. I’d never pass up an opportunity to get 5 consecutive nights of stage time in venues I’ve never been in before, being exposed to brand new audiences. It will be an amazing experience, especially if I can show well enough to be a part of the finals.
JUST DO IT
I relish challenges in life, trying to climb the steepest mountain I can. It’s fun, because it motivates me, and usually brings out the best in me. This will not be easy though. Suffice to say, I am the newest comic doing this. Hell, I’m so green I piss grass. There are some local guys who are already part of the comedy scene who perform every week who are in, then there are a few who were in the stand-up community and took some time off, whether it be a few months or a few years, and the sound of dolla billz and 5 nights of stage time are bringing them back. It’s hard to say if they will stay on past the competition or not. One hopes so, as more comics forces you to step up your game to show that you belong onstage with the others.
JUST DO IT
I have only been at the comedy game for almost 5 months now, and the others have been in it at least a year or longer (although the competition is restricted to anyone who has been at it for over 5 years). You’d be surprised to learn that there is a huge difference between myself and a performer who has an extra several months of stage appearances under their belts…..or maybe not, especially if you’ve seen me perform then it becomes blatantly obvious. Each comic brings their own unique personality and style to the stage, so you won’t see two similar type comics performing. The things they possess that I am still working on are key to a good performance. They include:
- reading the crowd and tailoring material to the audience
- being a great communicator = telling a great story
- timing
- overall stage presence
JUST DO IT
Strange as it may sound, the most comfortable performance I’ve had to date was the one at Crackers last week. Then again, it should be comfortable for me considering I’ve been going there for almost 17 years! But we won’t be at Crackers for the competition, which means I will be onstage in front of a larger audience who is there for comedy, so they will keep their mouths shut and listen, unlike some people at Crackers couldn’t do for whatever reason.
JUST DO IT
Historically I’m bad at making long-term goals stick. Like I told my PPC (personal performance coach), short-term goals are easier, because in many cases I am attempting something I have no frame of reference for at all. I know what the end result looks like, or hopes to at least. I have an idea what it should feel like and be at the end, so I try and work my way backwards from that, in order to figure out what I need to do. It sounds rather strange, probably incomprehensible too, but it’s always worked for me. Maybe it’s because with a short-term goal I don’t have a timeline for it, so I try that much harder to achieve it. Whereas with a longer term goal, maybe the fact I know the future timeline for it maybe makes it a bit discouraging when I don’t see the progress as quickly as I would like?
JUST DO IT
Again, this is a wonderful opportunity which I would never turn down; I just don’t know if I’m truly prepared for this moment. Maybe by stepping up my game it will mean to take on a persona or to develop a schtick on-the-fly, take a huge risk in developing something that may, or may not work. The quality of competitors in this competition is amazing. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out I’m being challenged here. Again, I have no frame of reference for comedy. Sure, karaoke is easy to figure out a performance for the karaoke league that will be pleasing. But comedy is very fickle, as are the audiences who support it. Take a look at the response I got from Crackers as an example.
JUST DO IT
I have no idea what material I will do, or if I will do consecutive nights of the same stuff. I don’t know. What I do know is I have to do something different. I’ve always prided myself on being different and unique. I need to find a way to communicate that through stand-up comedy. In less than 24 hours from now I will have the perfect opportunity to start pulling the proverbial rabbits from my hat.
I don’t know how.
I don’t know that exact moment it will happen.
I can’t describe the reaction I will get.
What I do know is simple. That moment MUST happen during this competition. I do my best work when I feel like my back is up against the wall. It’s time to put the foot down on the gas pedal and start opening some eyes and turning heads, the only way I know how.
By just doing it.
P.S. I hope you like the re-vamped look of the blog. If you care to leave a comment, this time the comment button should be located under the title of this blog, not at the end of the blog as was previous.