If there's one type of show that can go off the rails quickly, it's a bar show. Bar shows vary in their execution, but I'm specifically referring to a show where people come to a bar, and despite the venue advertising in the public bathroom, the audience is sort of held hostage by the show. In your early days you'll do a lot of these. After your "bringer days" dry up in year one or two you'll start asking for spots at bar shows just to fill out your calendar. While many comics try to avoid bar shows, I would argue if you are getting paid, they are the best place to stretch your comedy stage presence and work on your act in an unstable environment. So here's a few things to work on and be aware of when doing a bar show - if only to save the show and your sanity.
Not All Bar Shows Are the Same Bar Shows A big mistake comics make is thinking the same types of people or management or staff will be making up the bar show environment. Some bar shows are in the wide open space, meaning everyone (those purposely there and those unwilling) will see them. Sometimes it's an isolated back room. And sometimes its a weirdly spaced out bar where most of the crowd is near the stage and the other patrons are behind a half wall unseen but their rowdiness is totally felt and heard. Then there's the staff and management. Sometimes the staff is excited because they'll get a free show, and sometimes they're dreading the show because they know the crowds get restless and tips decrease as people leave early. As a general rule, I would suggest you don't make fun of the bar or the waitstaff. Don't mention how the bathroom looks like a murder scene or how the waitresses have low cut clothing. No one wants their workplace or outfit the topic of conversation. As for the crowds - it's feast and famine. It's always a mixture of local bar flies, comic's guests, and strangers wandering in from "barkers" begging people to attend the show. Some crowds are game for the night's festivities while others are clearly upset they've been dragged into a comedy night no one but the comics wanted. Regardless of the types of crowds and staff, always approach with a clean slate and open mind. The last vibe isn't always this current one. You Can Only Control What You Can Control As you see the show unfold, keep in mind, other comic's sets are not the same fate as yours. Maybe a comic bombs hard up front. Maybe a heckler takes control early on. Maybe there are TV's blasting in the background. Maybe the mic and amp echo. Maybe the waitstaff and bartender are talking loudly. There's only so much you can manage in your limited capacity. If comics are struggling, take note if they're just plowing through material or being present with the vibe of the room. If they are just acting like it doesn't matter if the crowd is there or not, you can change that vibe by doing some crowd work up front with funny loaded questions. "Who came out because they knew it was comedy night?" When no one answers you make a joke like "Good see my social media presence is doing great!" When a couple people raise their hand, you say, "Who'd you come to see?" When they say one comic you can go, "Let's hear if for [Comic] dragging his friends here! Man, that car ride home is going to be awkward." You can still acknowledge the awkwardness without trashing the venue. And by being present and in the moment, the bar flies might take notice and admire you're not just telling jokes to a dead room. Too many comics try to tell as many jokes as possible - if its working then great, but it is confusing the crowd when clearly no one is laughing. Bring the Energy and Talk Fast One great trick in a tough bar room is to bring the energy and get them to pay attention. This isn't the little room at Flappers or The Ice House. This is sink or swim, and if your room doesn't have the natural ambience of a club room with a manager to throw out hecklers, be the force of nature they can't deny. You'd be surprised how a little more energy out of you can get them to shut up. In theory, you need to be more entertaining than what's happening in the room. You need to be more interesting than a sports game on TV or a pretty bartender. Acting too cool for school won't do it. There's different energies for different rooms. When the crowd comes to a club show, they are expecting comedy. They want to listen. Theatre shows have a built in maturity. The audiences know their place. Bar shows don't inherently demand that type of dedication. Talking faster than a heckler who can beat you to the punchline is a way to maintain control of the room. By matching the chaos you end up controlling the chaos. A laid back style might be the death of you in a show dominated by blenders screeching, waiters yelling, and the sounds of outdoor shenanigans. Don't Be Afraid to Play the Front Row Only If you see other comics try high energy and fail, go small. Back in 2016 I was at 200 person bar show in San Luis Obispo. The crowd turned on the opening comic, and I was told if I didn't get the crowd into the show, they weren't going to let the last two sets perform. So instead of trying to go big, I went small. I got the first two rows laughing. Eventually, the rest of bar got quiet when they heard the crowd work generate laughs. Soon, the whole room was in my control. By creating an intimacy between me and a few guests, the others got jealous. The show ended up being a success, and I got paid an extra $50 for saving it. I used the same trick in 2021 at a bar show coming out of the pandemic. It's a bit of a Hail Mary move, but when you see the crowd is out of it, you need to get a few on your side, so the rest will follow. Final Thoughts Bar shows can be low paying (or non-paying) and annoying. They lack the controlled environment of a club or theatre show, and often they have little or no advancement opportunities. But they do one thing the safety net of club bringer shows don't - they make you a stronger comic. You learn techniques you wouldn't otherwise. And when you start getting paid casino room or bar room shows, you'll need that experience. Last year I played 20 casino shows and around 100 bar shows. So when I had 1,000 seat theatre shows, the ability to handle a lot of energy was already self taught. So don't see them as a night off - instead see them as a night to step up.
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In sports we have a word for when an athlete gets into their head and loses confidence in themselves: The Yips. In comedy, this happens too. That killer joke starts to lose steam. Your voice begins crackling at points it never did before. The act becomes dated and you start hating yourself and/or the crowd for not getting and giving the desired response. It happens to everyone, even the best of pros. Why? Because we are complex human beings whose lives are changing every moment.
From the schedule we lead to the food we consume to the money we make - all create the person we are and how we feel about ourselves. Too often we live in the false reality that whatever is will always be - when that clearly isn't the case. All that is today is just for now, and as you change, your comedy will ebb and flow. So when you find yourself in a slump, you can either push through, pause and reset, or quit. But regardless of your choice, just know the circus continues on whether you do or do not. What Defines the Comedy Yips aka Slump? For everyone it is a bit different. For some it has to deal with the amount of bookings they're getting. For others it is the amount of writing they are churning out. And for others its the amount of laughter they're getting while on stage. Depending on how long you've been doing stand up, the yips will feel differently for each individual, but it's important to know that these slumps are normal and they happen to everyone. So keep that in mind when reading the rest of this article. Why Do the Yips Invade Our Psyche? As you evolve as a comic or performer, your performance and bag of tricks will change as well. Sometimes the yips aren't because you are getting worse at stand up, but because you are outgrowing your old self. Yes, you might be in a slump because you've outgrown the rooms and jokes you relied on earlier in your career that no longer fit your stage presence. This is an easy fix, as you want to start reaching out to venues with better stages and longer sets. In a weird way, the comedy gods are telling you it's time to separate yourself from those who aren't on the same path. This is normal. Do not feel bad about having to move on, as the longer you stay doing the same places and same types of jokes you won't grow. In fact, sometimes the jokes worked before because you brought a nervous energy to the joke. But as you became better on stage, the joke that exposed your rookie mentality doesn't work the same anymore. But what if you're playing the right venues but just feeling "off?" When this happens, there are usually other factors involved. Sometimes it's about the relationships in your life. Maybe you are going through a breakup or you've met someone who makes you feel better about yourself. Maybe you've lost a loved one. After I lost my cousin, it took me months to feel good to be on stage again. And when I was dating a girl that made me second guess everything, it crept into my comedy. When we broke up, I was able to make jokes about the relationship, and got myself back on track. Sometimes it's your health. When I was really fat (280 pounds) I was able to do jokes about my weight and dating life that had a great "sitcom" feeling to it. After my heart condition I lost over 80 pounds, so I had to change my jokes around. My jokes about sweating and being a Bakersfield 9 just didn't work anymore. I found that my jokes about dating women out of my league did really well, as people connected to the idea I lost weight and started dating new people. As my health changed, my art changed. Just like when comics have kids, get married, switch jobs, or move, they'll find new points of view to pontificate on. Sometimes it's just your physical health or environment that has changed how your material or crowd work translates on stage. What About the Idea of Luck? Here's where my belief in the cosmos and the metaphysical come in. Sometimes we are just in a slump. In sports winning begets winning and losing begets losing. That happens in life too. Sometimes you're just like Job in a story where the world is against you for no specific reason, except it just is. After I was let go last year, I've had my car stolen, teeth issues, gigs canceled, women dump and ghost me, and I've even had my new car need bumper repair. When it rains, it pours. That also goes with success. You get one big gig, and suddenly you get all the big gigs. So many of my actor friends tell me this how their career goes. Homeless one day, in a Super Bowl commercial the next. Western world mindset doesn't allow for luck, but from Biblical times to today in eastern cultures, luck is very much a cause and effect variable. We like to think hard work trumps "bad luck," but that simply isn't true. Plenty of hard workers get into slumps. Plenty of song writers have one hit wonders. Plenty of salesmen have devasting slow years. It's the stuff of literature, film, and true crime stories. Go watch a few Dark Side of the Ring episodes on Hulu about the rise and fall of pro wrestlers and you'll see that you can be the top guy one day and end up in jail later in life. Sometimes its choices made and sometimes its injuries and bad management. Either way, luck does play a part in the rise and in the fall. One of my favorite books "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss deals with this very idea. Here's a part of the colorful poem we usually forget. Oh, The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss (excerpt) Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest. Except when you don't. Because, sometimes, you won't. I'm sorry to say so but, sadly, it's true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you. You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You'll be left in a Lurch. You'll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you'll be in a Slump. And when you're in a Slump, you're not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done. You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win? And IF you go in, should you turn left or right... or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind. You can get so confused that you'll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place. The Waiting Place... ...for people just waiting. Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or the waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting. Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for the wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting. Final Thoughts When you do go through a slump, the trick is keep pushing through. Rudyard Kipling's poem "If" deals with that concept with the lines: And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’ There is no one size fits all way to get out of a slump, but if you can fight through and give yourself grace, I know you can find a way back to where you were. So often, comics quit after a string of bad sets or experiences. I'm not going to judge, as we all come from a different place. But when Joan Rivers was asked if any of her friends "didn't make it," she responded with "Everyone made it who stuck with it." And that's the trick. First, always remember the yips will happen and second, if you don't quit, you'll come out stronger on the other side. You might have to pivot. You might have to move. You might have to say goodbye to some people. But if you want it, and its meant to be, then keep going until the slump is no longer holding you back. I got 83/105 in my picks posted here. That's 79% which is near my 80% score I usually get. I did make a few changes on leaderboard app (Award Expert) where I got 85/105 and a 81% score after writing and publishing this article, rethinking my own thoughts. I'll have a more detailed article about who I think will win later. We still have Critics Choice, SAG, BAFTA, DGA, and a WGA awards show to get through to have a better idea. I will say, I'm leaning toward A Complete Unknown winning Best Picture, but I'll explain that later.
Here's how I did: Predicted 10 Films (8/10) Anora The Brutalist A Complete Unknown Conclave Dune Part 2 Emilia Perez A Real Pain Sing Sing The Substance Wicked I missed Nickel Boys and I'm Not Here Best Director Predictions (4/5) Sean Baker (Anora) Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) Edward Berger (Conclave) Jacques Audiard (Emilia Perez) Coralie Fargeat (The Substance) I missed James Mangold for A Complete Unknown Best Actress Predictions (4/5) Mikey Madison (Anora) Demi Moore (The Substance) Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths) Karla Sofia Gascon (Emilia Perez) I missed Fernanda Torres for I'm Not Here. Best Actor Predictions (4/5) Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) Timothee Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) Daniel Craig (Queer) Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) I missed Sebastian Stan for The Apprentance Best Supporting Actress Predictions (4/5) Ariana Grande (Wicked) Felicity Jones (The Brutalist) Jamie Lee Curtis (The Last Showgirl) Isabella Rossellini (Conclave) Zoe Saldana (Emilia Perez) I missed Monica Barbaro for A Complete Unknown Best Supporting Actor Predictions (5/5) Yura Borisov (Anora) Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) Guy Pearce (The Brutalist) Edward Norton (A Complete Unknown) Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice) Best Adapted Screenplay (4/5) A Complete Unknown Conclave Emilia Perez Sing Sing Wicked I missed Nickel Boys. Best Original Screenplay (5/5) Anora The Brutalist A Real Pain The Substance September 5 International Feature (4/5) Emilia Perez I'm Still Here Kneecap The Seed of the Sacred Fig The Girl with the Needle I missed Flow. Documentary (3/5) Black Box Diaries Daughters No Other Land Sugarcane Will & Harper Animated Feature (5/5) Inside Out 2 Flow Memoir of a Snail Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl The Wild Robot Cinematography (3/5) The Brutalist A Complete Unknown Conclave Dune 2 Nosferatu I missed Maria and Emilia Perez. Editing (4/5) Anora A Complete Unknown Conclave Emilia Perez Wicked I missed The Brutalist. Production Design (5/5) The Brutalist Conclave Dune 2 Nosferatu Wicked Costume Design (3/5) The Brutalist Conclave Dune 2 Nosferatu Wicked I missed A Complete Unknown and Gladiator II. Makeup & Hairstyling (4/5) A Different Man Dune 2 Nosferatu The Substance Wicked I missed Emilia Perez. Visual Effects (4/5) Alien: Romulus Dune 2 Gladiator II Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Wicked I missed Better Man. Sound (4/5) A Complete Unknown Dune 2 Emilia Perez Gladiator II Wicked I missed The Wild Robot. Score (3/5) The Brutalist Challengers Conclave Emilia Perez Nosferatu I missed Wicked and The Wild Robot. Original Song (3/5) Compress/Repress (Challengers) El Mal (Emilia Perez) Mi Camino (Emilia Perez) The Journey (The Six Triple Eight) Kiss the Sky (The Wild Robot) I missed Like a Bird from Sing Sing and Never Too Late from Elton John: Never Too Late. On Thursday January 23, 2025 the 97th Academy Awards will be announced in all 23 categories. Since 1995 I've been getting up at the ungodly hour of 5:15am to watch the 5:30am announcement. Why? Because Oscar Sunday is my Superbowl. It's my Draft Day. It's my Christmas Day. And this yea is no different. I saw over 154 2024 released films (thank you AMC Stubbs Pass) and with the help of Gold Derby and Award Expert App, I'm able to to make predictions and quickly rank my picks. So I'm going to give you my PREDICTIONS (not who I necessarily want to see nominated) - and just know I have a track record of being correct 80% of the time. So here's my best educated picks. Best Picture One could argue there are eight locked nominations with 5 or 6 films fighting for the final two spots. Leading the pack are Emilia Perez, Anora, Conclave, Wicked, The Brutalist and A Complete Unknown. The above mentioned have been winning the majority of critic awards and seeing a lot of guild love. Had this been a top 5 only year, like in 2009, I would say Wicked or A Complete Unknown would be the duo duking it out for a 5th spot, but with 10 guaranteed nominated films, these six are locks. That leaves room for the horror film The Substance and the science fiction blockbuster Dune 2 to put 8 films in a safe spot to nominate. Now we are down to a handful of indie films looking to break through. The political thriller and PGA nominee September 5 looks good, but with little box office and almost no other guaranteed nominations, I have it as an honorable mention. Critical darlings Challengers and Nickel Boys seem to be facing the same fate. The lack of buzz in other categories will hold them back. I'm Still Here had a nice bump after winning Best Actress at the Golden Globes, but with only a Best International nomination on the horizon, it feels too late to the race. That leaves the once powerful front runner Sing Sing with it's depleting fanfare and A Real Pain with it's award winning script and supporting actor frontrunner Keiran Culkin as the safe bets to round out the top ten. Predicted 10 Films: (Alphabetical) Anora The Brutalist A Complete Unknown Conclave Dune Part 2 Emilia Perez A Real Pain Sing Sing The Substance Wicked Best Director Despite the belief a top ten film would be where the director's guild would choose from, this category traditionally has a surprise pick. Whether it's the film Cold War or even snubbing Best Picture winner's like Green Book, this is the most highbrow of the guilds. Brady Corbet for The Brutalist feels like the frontrunner with Jacques Audiard's Emilia Perez as the toughest competition. Sean Baker won the Cannes Film Festival award for Best Director and Picture, and after being snubbed a few years ago for All Quiet on the Western Front, Edward Berger looks to be a lock after getting DGA, BAFTA, and the Golden Globe nominations. That leaves one spot open for a wild card pick, and as much as I like A Complete Unknown's James Mangold, his film is too mainstream for an Oscar nomination. Of the films not looking to get a Best Picture nomination, RaMell Ross (Nickel Boys), Payal Kapadia (All We Imagine as Light) and Mohammed Rasoulof (The Seed of the Sacred Fig) could be the surprise nomination that usually occupies that fifth spot. But I'm not leaning that way. I think that while Denis Villeneuve (Dune 2) and John Chu (Wicked) will see their films clean up in tech categories, the fifth spot will go to Coralie Fargeat, a woman director (a hot button Oscar topic every year), who also made the most audacious film of the year in The Substance. Best Director Predictions: Sean Baker (Anora) Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) Edward Berger (Conclave) Jacques Audiard (Emilia Perez) Coralie Fargeat (The Substance) Best Actress There are easily ten women who could be called out on Oscar nomination morning. Five of them would be first time nominees, three have been nominated before, and two are previous winners. Let's start with those who have momentum but still on the outside looking in. Angelina Jolie (Maria) started strong with Oscar odds but has simply faded away after missing SAG and BAFTA. Amy Adams saw Nightbitch get a terrible release and dumped on Hulu, hurting her chances. Oscar favorite Nicole Kidman gives a submissive performance in Babygirl, that might be too weird for Oscar voters. And then there's Pamela Anderson in The Last Showgirl that got a surprise SAG nomination - but this feels like last year when Adam Sandler got a SAG nomination for Hustle. Think of that nom as a "thank you for the years" award. This leaves six actresses and five spots. Demi Moore (The Substance), Mikey Madison (Anora), and Karla Sofia Gascon (Emilia Perez) feel like locks, though all have arguments against them, as none are previous nominees. Plus, all three are in genre movies (horror, comedy, and a musical) which might turn off snobby Oscar voters. There's also Wicked's Cynthia Erivo, who should be a lock, but with a sequel coming next year might have to wait, and Mike Leigh's Hard Truths just got a theater release, meaning Marianne Jean-Baptiste should have a better chance getting in, considering she's pretty beloved. The dark horse is Golden Globe winner Fernanda Torres (I'm Still Here), considering her film is in top contention for International film. This category is a great argument it might be time for the Oscars to move to six nominations. Best Actress Predictions: Mikey Madison (Anora) Demi Moore (The Substance) Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths) Karla Sofia Gascon (Emilia Perez) Best Actor And then there were four. If any category had the majority of their contenders locked in and certified it's Best Actor. Adrien Brody (The Brutalist), Colman Domingo (Sing Sing), Timothee Chalamet (A Complete Unknown), and Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) haven't missed in any precursor awards, and their films are looking like likely Best Picture contenders. That leaves one spot open and four films and three actors vying for that first time nomination. You read that right, three actors. Sebastian Stan has his BAFTA nominated performance as Donald Trump in The Apprentice and his Golden Globe winning work in A Different Man splitting votes, while SAG nominee Daniel Craig (Queer) and BAFTA nominee Hugh Grant (Heretic) duke it out for international votes. Don't count out A Real Pain's Jesse Eisenberg as the surprise pick, as his film might make Picture, Supporting Actor, and Screenplay. And he's a past nominee. But if I had to go with anyone, it's Craig with the early buzz and the SAG nomination. This one is too close to really call, and my heart is with Grant - so you know he's out if I'm rooting for him. Best Actor Predictions: Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) Timothee Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) Daniel Craig (Queer) Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) Best Supporting Actress If one category will flip it's own script on nomination morning it's this one. To be honest, people are convinced it's between Zoe Saldana (Emilia Perez) and Wicked's Ariana Grande. I'm 100% in on Saldana and 90% in on pop star Grande. The one time Nickelodeon child star feels like the Margot Robbie snub. The Lady Gaga pass over. The one just a little too popular to win over the theater geeks. While I'm predicting her now, I'm just saying don't be surprised to see her snubbed Oscar nomination morning. From there we have a who's who of talented lady performers. Isabella Rossellini (Conclave) benefits from being the only woman in her film with major screen time. Felicity Jones (The Brutalist) has been snubbed too many times to be locked in, but her film is a strong contender. The queen of campaigning, Jamie Lee Curtis (The Last Showgirl) just got BAFTA and SAG nominations, stealing momentum from earlier favorites The Substance's Margaret Qualley and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (Nickel Boys). A Complete Unknown's Monica Barbaro has the edge on her co-star Elle Fanning, but can Selena Gomez overcome pop star bias and get in for Emilia Perez? If the Academy wants to give Emilia Perez a record amount of nominations, they'll have to put her here. But the one that could be the real contender is Danielle Deadwyler (The Piano Lesson), even though she's looking to have back to back snub years after Till was denied a Best Actress nom. Best Supporting Actress Predictions: Ariana Grande (Wicked) Felicity Jones (The Brutalist) Jamie Lee Curtis (The Last Showgirl) Isabella Rossellini (Conclave) Zoe Saldana (Emilia Perez) Best Supporting Actor There have been a few surprises in this category all awards season. Denzel Washington (Gladiator II) looked like a lock since those first trailers hit, but with the film losing steam, he went missing from SAG and BAFTA. That keeps Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) as the frontrunner as a troubled cousin on a cross country trip in Poland. Edward Norton hasn't missed anywhere for A Complete Unknown, Yura Borisov (Anora) is the surprise nominee gaining fans, and Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice) clearly is beloved by his fellow actors. Fun fact: Both Strong and Culkin won Emmys for their roles on HBO's Succession - making this another time they'll potentially compete against each other. Guy Pearce (The Brutalist) was looking like a potential favorite until he missed at SAG. Once a favorite, Clarence Maclin (Sing Sing) was looking like his chances were drifting away until BAFTA sent him a lifeline, and Jonathan Bailey was a surprise nominee at SAG for Wicked. But that might have just been the actors showering Wicked with extra flowers. If there was one long shot veteran who could sneak in, it's Conclave's Stanley Tucci. Think JK Simmons in Being the Ricardo's a few years back. Best Supporting Actor Predictions: Yura Borisov (Anora) Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) Guy Pearce (The Brutalist) Edward Norton (A Complete Unknown) Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice) The Rest of the Awards From this point on, I'll simply post the films I believe will get nominated, because rational is useless at this point. It's simply the same ten films mentioned over and over again. Best Adapted Screenplay A Complete Unknown Conclave Emilia Perez Sing Sing Wicked Best Original Screenplay Anora The Brutalist A Real Pain The Substance September 5 International Feature Emilia Perez I'm Still Here Kneecap The Seed of the Sacred Fig The Girl with the Needle Documentary Black Box Diaries Daughters No Other Land Sugarcane Will & Harper Animated Feature Inside Out 2 Flow Memoir of a Snail Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl The Wild Robot Cinematography The Brutalist A Complete Unknown Conclave Dune 2 Nosferatu Editing Anora A Complete Unknown Conclave Emilia Perez Wicked Production Design The Brutalist Conclave Dune 2 Nosferatu Wicked Costume Design The Brutalist Conclave Dune 2 Nosferatu Wicked Makeup & Hairstyling A Different Man Dune 2 Nosferatu The Substance Wicked Visual Effects Alien: Romulus Dune 2 Gladiator II Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Wicked Sound A Complete Unknown Dune 2 Emilia Perez Gladiator II Wicked Score The Brutalist Challengers Conclave Emilia Perez Nosferatu Original Song Compress/Repress (Challengers) El Mal (Emilia Perez) Mi Camino (Emilia Perez) The Journey (The Six Triple Eight) Kiss the Sky (The Wild Robot) Films With MULTIPLE Nominations Predictions Emilia Perez - 11 Wicked - 10 Conclave - 10 The Brutalist - 9 A Complete Unknown - 8 Dune 2 - 7 Anora - 6 Nosferatu - 5 The Substance - 5 A Real Pain - 3 Sing Sing - 3 Gladiator II - 2 Challengers - 2 The Wild Robot - 2 10 Comics You Should Be Looking Out For (Booking and/or Watching) PART 1
Every year hipster magazines get a list of clients signed to major agencies and make a list of Comics to Watch For Next Year. These comics are usually trust fund babies and pretty faced social media stars that have about 5 minutes of usable material and flame out once given a real platform because they weren't ready for primetime. The comics that I worked with ten years ago who are doing great things weren't on those lists. They just hustled and made it. Michael Longfellow is on SNL. JC Currais was in Babylon. Trevor Wallace become a social media king. They are all amazing comics too. So I want to make a list of 10 comics I worked with over the past two years that you should seek out and book ASAP if you have a show. And pay them if you can. PART 2 Comes out Tuesday! So here we go: Kacey Spivey @hahaKacey Whether Kacey is performing in Los Angeles, at NACA events, or teaching comedy classes, she is a beacon of positivity in a dark LA underbelly of comedy. Her mixture of pure stand up with musical parody songs is a refreshing break from the average young comic's hot takes on Tinder. I've known her since 2020 and have asked her to be my opener on a few road gigs. A full out professional through and through. Aaron Branch @aaronbranchworld I met Aaron a couple years ago when I was co-running the Flappers auditions, and I knew immediately he was going to break through. He currently is a regular performer at the Laugh Factory and just showcased at The Comedy Store. His Netflix series Unstable with Rob Lowe was a huge hit for the streamer, and you can find him on numerous YouTube podcasts and web series. I've had Aaron close out big corporate shows, like the Budweiser Brewery show I book, and crowds love him. His style is edgy without being profane, and if you run a show, headline him now before he gets too busy! Maxi Witrak @maddmaxi Maxi is a regular at The Improv on Melrose, hosting and bringing up the biggest names in comedy. The amount of trust the top club in the world has in her proves not only her comedic ability is top notch but also her professionalism is evident. In an industry where comics leave you on read, booking Maxi is a pleasure as she's never late, never complains, and delivers every time. You can find her posting on IG regularly, seeing the evolution of bits as they're going through the process. If you're a young comic, this would be a great person to model after, David Rosenberg @rosiepigs If you add David "Rosie" Rosenberg on Facebook you'll find his posts to be silly one day (involving house pets, cheese, and butts) and insightful the next (his advice to younger comics rants are great). He's performed on every show and stage in Los Angeles, and he is known for his playful crowd work. It's a new show every time. He'll hate that he's on this list because he hates self-promotion, which is why it's great to book him, because he leaves his ego at home with his family that he clearly loves. If you want a great closer to your show, Rosie is the man! Alexis Prigo @alexisprigo I first worked with Alexis at a garage show in Santa Clarita in 2016, and I've found myself booking her on numerous shows ever since. She's just as comfortable at a rowdy bar theater show in Palmdale as she is on the main stage of The Laugh Factory. Her laid back, relatable material ranging from dating to having hot girl diseases plays well in any environment. She also had a big break being on The Adam Corolla Podcast earlier this year. Plus, on top of all this her terrier Stella is the coolest dog on the block. Andrew Searles @andrew_searles Andrew is a Canadian born comic with a high energy act filled with style and substance. Whether he's doing amazing act outs or breaking down problems with the healthcare system, his comedy goes beyond typical d**k jokes. I've been working with Andrew for almost a decade now. We've performed in showcase clubs, BBQ restaurants, and on my co-produced JR's Comedy Club shows. He travels internationally, so if you're looking for someone to bring a different sensibility or looking for a comic with different approaches to typical topics, he's your guy to look out for! Steph Clark @stephclarky Getting booked in LA can be ridiculously hard. Steph figured out a business model that produces both great shows and opportunities for herself and comics with pop up shows in Northern LA County and Ventura County. Her Funny Girl Events is a staple within the Ventura County/Northern LA area comedy scene. She has shows in Oxnard, Agoura, and up and down the coast for you to see, and her company can produce shows for your bar or corporate events. If you want a funny, likable, professional comic, look no further. And sometimes you luck out and meet her rescue dog Ruby in a stroller. Thash Mose @thashmose The second international comic on my list, Thash, a Danish model turned comedian, is a regular staple from coast to coast. She performs regularly on the Models of Comedy shows in LA and New York, as well as down south at The Comedy Store La Jolla. The past few years she was accepted into The Boston Comedy Festival, The Ladies Room Comedy Festival, and The HCA Comedy Festival in Denmark. She just headlined and sold out the YooHoo Room and opened for Jay Leno, proving she can handle any type of room. She travels a lot for her various gigs, so follow her on IG to see if she's in a town near you. Chad Opitz @chadopitz Chad and I have known each other for years, crossing paths at various festivals and showcases. These past few months we've gotten to know each other much better. Like a time traveler from the 1990's alt scene, he's Andy Kaufman one minute and Patton Oswald the next. His act is a mixture of whacky songs and movie references. A finalist in the San Francisco Comedy Contest, he's a passed comic at Hermosa Beach's legendary Comedy & Magic Comedy Club. So you know he can make the cool kids and beach life seniors both laugh. He also accidently misplaced his car and reported it stolen, proving he's a true slacker comic destine to tell that story to Jimmy Fallon one day. Samantha Hale @thesamanthahale Founder of Horror Nerd Night, a monthly show at The Improv, Samantha is a well known entity in the Southern California comedy scene. She can be found at The Comedy Store La Jolla, the various Improvs, and teaching comedy classes in Burbank. One of the top producers in the LA area, her Horror Nerd Show has expanded across the Southern California landscape; plus she produces drag queen comedy shows and recently completed a long running show at Hamburger Mary's. Her mixture of pop culture references and relatable dating material will leave everyone in stitches. I've been working with Samantha for a decade now. You don't want to miss her! |
Paul Douglas Moomjean Blog's About What's on His MindBlogging allows for me to rant when there is no stage in the moment to talk about what's important and/or funny to me. Archives
February 2025
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