Starting standup comedy: What this blog is

As a new comic doing standup, I did my own research. But, what I found for new comics was pretty thin. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a ton out there, but knowing who it’s coming from or whether what they’re telling me is legit took a lot to sort through, and frankly, I agreed with very little of it.

Honestly, hearing from a newbie would have made a ton of difference. Here’s where I went, and here’s how I found it. This is why you shouldn’t rip through three carts before doing your set. Stuff like that. I have seen it. Bro could have been a star.

So, as I’ve progressed over the first four months of actually performing standup, I’ve decided to jot down my thoughts and experiences as a way to memorialize them for myself and help the other idiots out there wandering through the wilderness that is bottom-tier comedy. Maybe these posts help you learn, and maybe they just help you not feel so alone.

Before we get too far, this blog will be:

• My thoughts.

• My experiences.

• What I’ve learned from those experiences.

It will not necessarily be:

• What you’ve experienced.

• What you should do.

• Good.

I’m no one’s comedy Jesus. I just want to share what I’ve learned. If you disagree with something I’m saying, totally cool. I’m right and you’re wrong, but totally cool. I welcome you to say so, just be cool about it.

But I’m out here. I’m doing it. And, I’m learning. I’m learning things I wish I’d been able to read about starting standup comedy. For example, you have no idea when you’re going on. My first set was 12:30 am in front of about 10 people. I’d been drinking and trying to not pee in case I was next for nearly three hours. I think I was in that bathroom long enough to read all of the cash-bar’s band stickers pasted to the wall. 

As far as format goes, I’ll be journaling each of my sets and also doing posts about a topic I learned about around that time. For example, how to hold the microphone without looking like a bitch will be around my first set because that’s when I disconnected the cord like a moron. 

I’ll also be analyzing clips, both good and bad to showcase delivery or writing techniques that I think work or don’t work. 

Hopefully, if the vibes are still good, I’ll interview some comedians and get their takes on various topics about developing as a standup comedian. Buckle up and enjoy. It should be a hoot.

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