I started my comedy journey ten years ago in Los Angeles. I wondered into a comedy show in the basement of a bar, saw a terrible comic read from his notebook unfunny jokes and thought, "I'm funnier than that guy." The rest is history. One Dry Bar Special. Laughs on Fox. Nationwide shows in twelve states. Working with Tom Segura, Bert Kreischer, Jay Leno, Paul Rodriguez, Whitney Cummings, and Wendy Liebman. And a bank account that reflects the starving artist mythology to the tee. But there's also a lot I missed out on because I was blessed but also cursed to start out in Los Angeles. There's a joke that all the comics in Nebraska wish they were in LA and all the comics in LA wish they were in Nebraska. You can replace Nebraska with any other state (except New York), but the truth remains the same. So, are there disadvantages starting stand up in Los Angeles? And are there advantages starting comedy in a "fly over state?" Let's take a look. 

LA Gets You Ready For Auditions, Not a Real Act
Starting out in LA, I was used to 3-5 minute showcases at small venues and coffee houses. I had to learn quickly to sink or swim in hostile short bursts. To get off a joke that lands every thirty seconds to eventually twenty seconds to hopefully ten seconds and then rip off the tags for sustainable laughter was an embarrassing and scary experience. But that's the nature of the beast. If you're lucky, you eventually get ten minutes somewhere, where maybe you can work on a closing joke that you'll never get to try out until you earn the right to perform for 15 minutes in Bakersfield or Hemet.    

Meanwhile, my comedy friends from the mid-west told me they got long hosting spots and even 20-30 minute feature spots. I was standing in line at The Comedy Store with 150 other dreamers for Pot Luck and Kill Tony spots and they were telling tales about getting paid on a much more relaxed and forgiving road, combining multiple state tours. 

So while I might have created a series of five minute bits and sets, they were finding their voice much faster, as they had less competition for stage time and greater access to bookers who owned multiple clubs in their geographical location. While they carpooled from state to state, I was lucky to get a Friday in Burbank and a Saturday in Claremont. One LA friend moved to Michigan and made easily a couple thousand a month. He came back to LA, felt the cold shoulder again, and now he's done with comedy completely.

Living in LA might have a million little shows, but it's still a million little sets. Currently, 90% of my shows are over 20 minutes, my shortest set being the 15 I do to open JR's Comedy Club. I'm one of the lucky ones, but it took almost a decade. My out of state comic buddies got the same perks within a few years. 

Open Mic Scenes Are Completely Different
When I was starting out, there was a really cool booker who told me that I should always do my best material at open mics when at a club. Whether it was Flappers 5PM Tuesday mic or Lab Work at The Improv, he said don't let a booker see you doing new material. He was so right. In LA, first impressions are everything, and I can't tell you how many bookers of large and small venues would judge an entire career on one new joke at an open mic. "He's not ready" or "She doesn't have 'it' yet" was the judgement I'd hear from their mouths. 

I still tell comics that no matter how many times a booker says they know open mics aren't booked shows, they sill can't help but make judgements. But when I talk to bookers and house managers at clubs around the country, they seem proud of giving their local comics freedom to improve. Often, the bookers and managers get to know them as people, give feedback, and feel a sort of mentorship. Meanwhile, LA bookers take their email off the website and create secret handshakes to get booked. 

I recently saw a comic on a podcast discuss how he did his first nine years out of state before moving to Los Angeles. While the rest of us have to use open mics to try out new material and get stage time, he took his established act and broke it up to kill at open mics. He said he might have been broke, but he also got passed at big clubs before all the LA natives still trying to figure out their best three minutes. 

The Biggest Pro For LA Natives is Surviving the Long Game 
One true blessing of being an LA native or at least established in LA is that you learn how to survive the city while transplants feel overwhelmed by the cruel fast paced indifference. I was born in Los Angeles in the early 1980's and moved to Simi Valley in 7th grade. My dad stayed in Chatsworth after the divorce. I had all the LA experiences I needed by the time I started doing stand up in my mid-thirties. 

I know it's okay to live in Van Nuys or Burbank or North Hollywood. I don't have to find a $3,000 apartment in West Hollywood. It's a twenty minute drive everywhere if you understand city streets, Sepulveda, back canyon roads, and there's more free parking in The Valley for better open mic experiences. There's no need to "make it" once you were born here. 

A lot of my friends I met in comedy from out of state find themselves homeless, living in their car, because they only brought a couple thousand dollars with them. There's no $400 rooms to rent like in their hometown city. Or they accidently get an apartment in Palmdale, thinking LA County is small. Or they get a Downtown apartment surrounded by dirty streets and dangerous back ally trouble. They're gone before they have time to start. The ones who make it usually have supportive family members or got a great job before moving. Or they have huge credits and have projects and shows lined up.

But if comedy stopped on January 1st for me, I could still live in LA. That's the biggest blessing of all. The hometown advantage. 

Final Thoughts
Back in 2017 I debated taking a job in Ohio so I could be a geographical comic in the Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Pennsylvania scene. I looked into taking my Dry Bar credit to the Funny Bone chains and try my luck at getting longer sets in colder weather. I passed, but I do wonder if it would have been a better move for me. Plenty of great comics used that middle America landscape as a comedic playground to great success.

So for those who started this journey in LA, just know if you feel behind the out of state up and comer, you're not paranoid. And for the out of state comic who thinks everyone born in LA is too laid back, you're right. We don't care. We don't need to see celebrities. Hell, when I'm on the road, I am the celebrity.

Both groups have their pros and cons being from where they were born, but at the end of the day, the only place I really wish I could be or from is New York.

​I'll let you deconstruct that on your own.      

Since 2018, I've been teaching standup comedy. Many people, even those who never paid for a class, ask me what the formula is. When I ask if they mean the work ethic or the joke writing, they just say, "How can I make it if I wanted to?" For the past decade as a stand up, I can say there was a time I would think it was the perfection of the setup + punchline. Later I would tell you it's the getting up every day for at least 5 years to find a voice and comfortableness. Maybe I would have told you it's the amount of vulnerability a comic reveals on stage. And all of those are true. But I think I finally cracked a formula that is at the heart of stand up. 

It's the existential exercise of combining different types of intelligence to develop a unique voice. Setups and punchlines are great, but they aren't always effective. Getting up daily is crucial, unless you're just practicing the same crappy jokes. Vulnerability feels like a way to get good, but that can actually get depressing if not done in the right tone. But combining all of those ways works itself out with this simple equation: 

Verbal IQ + Intellectual IQ - Emotional IQ = Comedy IQ 

Confused? Then let's go down a rabbit hole together. I promise. You'll be a more aware comic within minutes. 

What Does IQ Have To Do With Comedy?
IQ is basically a way to assess your human intelligence. We have IQ tests with numerous puzzles that assess your ability to use reason and logic. We think usually only in terms of intelligence. But we've also learned that people with high IQ's can be their own worst enemy, overthinking everything, while mid-level IQ people excel because they're too dumb to quit. There are many types of IQ's. Here is a "layman's" summary. I'm not a doctor, but as an educator (former English professor) I can tell you a few things I picked up in my graduate studies.  

Verbal IQ assesses your ability to speak and read. When I was in kindergarten I had the verbal IQ of a 5th grader. I was able to listen, understand, and respond at a much higher rate than my peers. This was a blessing in my youth, and as a public speaker, but a curse when everyone else was speaking a much lower level. Your Verbal IQ is also represented in how fast you respond. Roast battle comics can have a great verbal IQ, whereas maybe someone with a more relaxed style might struggle to spit out jokes.   

Intellectual IQ looks at your problem solving skills. It lets a professional know you have quick mental reflexes or strong decision making skills. This type of IQ can reveal strong math skills or the ability to recognize patterns. These people are good at STEM jobs, but might lack wisdom. They clearly know if you do X then Y will happen, but they don't always think about how this will make people feel. Like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, Intellectual IQ is a blessing and curse.  

Sports IQ is how we evaluate a Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, or Hulk Hogan. These people have almost MCU level abilities to see the whole field or court. They might not be the "brightest" guy in the room but when it comes to reading plays or using their body, they are geniuses. In fact, one joke we all have seen is the inarticulate jock, because they have a low Verbal IQ.        

Musical IQ is one's ability to play music or sing or produce albums. Whether we are talking about a 3 year old Beethoven, a multiple instrument playing Prince, or a Quincy Jones balancing multiple artists at once - these people see the notes - literally - fly off the page and can make them do things average people never could. Some say they learned to play from the Devil, and those people are called the family members I don't talk to anymore.   

Emotional IQ is the one I want to focus on today. This is the measurement of one's ability to read people. We hear the word empath, and if they truly can feel other's feelings or see the joy or pain in others, they would have a high Emotional IQ. Emotional IQ is the filter that keeps you from being a jerk. Nice people who really listen have a great Emotional IQ. Some might put the dumb in the word dumbbells, but they will love you and help you even if they have to suffer a bit. They usually are aware of their own needs as well. We call this Interpersonal (dealing with others) and Intrapersonal (dealing with one's self) intelligence. 

Comedy IQ is not a real term, but it is a symbolic and quantitative way to best describe your ability to perform comedy at your highest level. Universally, there are certain people like Jon Stewart, Paula Poundstone, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, and Lucille Ball who have a very high Comedy IQ. They consistently made people laugh - and have large fan bases in the process. They all share the same ability to communicate and hit the right emotional cords. Those who lack in the above IQ's tend to struggle more.        

Why Understanding IQ Matters
Often people try stand up comedy and find it really hard, but then there are others who pick it up quickly. I am going to argue their different IQ's will determine their ability to rise the ranks faster than anything else. Clearly, no one doing "traditional" stand up comedy needs a high Sports or Musical IQ. While sports stars can tell funny stories and musical comedians can have much success, it is not those forms of intelligence or talent that make their comedy work.
But all comics must have a combination of Verbal IQ, Intellectual IQ, and Emotional IQ. Too much of one, and you'll lose the crowd. Too little of another and you might alienate the crowd.

Understanding Your Verbal IQ
People with a high Verbal IQ might use too many words, losing the rhythm of the joke; but too low of a verbal IQ and they sound like Forrest Gump, lacking any charisma or confidence. Even when comedian Drew Lynch had a stutter, he still possessed a high verbal IQ. There are many comics who can't properly express themselves because they lack a strong vocabulary and flow of speech. We think of them as slow thinkers. It's almost as if they say something, send it to a verbal satellite in the sky and wait for it to send back another sentence. As a comic, this can truly hurt your most important tool: Communication. 

Many comics struggle with crowd work or a quiet crowd because they have a low Verbal IQ. This doesn't mean they aren't intelligence, but they'll never start a Tony Robbins like cult. Suave seducers have a high verbal IQ. Successful car salesmen, lawyers, and pastors share high verbal IQ's. This is a comic's greatest weapon, even if they have little substance to their act. 

Is Your Intellectual IQ Getting In the Way?  
Comics with a high Intellectual IQ might speak above the crowd, lacking any relatable material. Ever seen a comic talking about an obscure film or philosophical topic and they're giggling and no one else is?

Ever seen a comic just talk about poop and butts and can't take anything seriously? That's a demonstration of a low Intellectual IQ. 

Many stand ups are victims of both the upsides and downside of the Intellectual IQ equation. While starting out, comics would say things at open mics that were so blatantly stupid, people would just yell out "nope!"

There were also comics who wanted to talk about how the number Pi (3.14) was really a code for...never mind, I'm not smart enough to explain. When people tell me they want to do sophisticated comedy, like George Carlin, I also say, "Carlin talked about everything from dogs to politics. It wasn't all Voltaire inspired madness. 

When people have a low Intelligence IQ, they say things the audience doesn't believe. They lose them quickly. Even if they're a great speaker, they just sound like a dumb great speaker. Like a shallow politician. 

Emotional IQ is the Key to Your Comedy Career     
Emotional IQ could either trauma dump to the point it's awkward or be way too nice to the point of boredom. Emotional IQ is the way people feel and react in the moment. They can literally feel their way through a room or a set. Your Emotional IQ can filter out controversial topics and language that would get the laugh because you might be afraid you'll be less likable. Often, when working with new comedy students, they would say "I don't feel comfortable saying that," and it wasn't anything more than a silly joke. They confuse jokes with statements of belief. Which makes them a great therapist but a less than interesting comic. 

I once heard a comic say the worst thing a comic can say about you is, "He's a nice guy" instead of "He's a funny guy." When your Emotional IQ is out of whack you might be a beloved member of society, but your comedy will suffer.    

Yet, the lower the Emotional IQ on stage, sometimes the better the comic. In the real world, a Bill Burr rant gets you fired from the job. But by giving a "no  f--ks given" attitude, forfeiting the desire to be liked, a comic can become the cathartic experience an audience member wants. People with high Emotional IQ's will ask, "How will people feel if I say this?" People with lower Emotional IQ's will say "How big of a laugh if I say this?"

All those "Say it like is" people you love or hate demonstrate low Emotional IQ's. The Red Pill guys who have no sympathy for single moms and those women who mock men for their height are low Emotional IQ people. They might make good "verbal" or "logical" statements, but they're jerks. That's basically what a jerk it. But a jerk with a joke makes a lot of money in stand up. 

Yet, while some comics demonstrate low Emotional IQ's on stage, they might have a dueling personality, where off stage they are perfectly kind and caring. I remember watching Bill Burr be utterly offended by the mockery taking place when a guest on Kill Tony. There is a "persona" aspect, but Bill still has to reduce his Emotional IQ to say the things he says.

The Comedy Equation     
Verbal IQ + Intellectual IQ - Emotional IQ = Comedy IQ

Eventually, I realized the most successful comics had a strong Verbal IQ, at least a mediocre Intellectual IQ, and a low (but not sociopath level) Emotional IQ when on stage. 

The greater you ability to communicate (delivery, tone, verbage, vocabulary) plus your ability to discuss relatable topics (marriage, dating, kids, jobs, sex) in a reasonable fashion, minus an Emotional IQ (empathy, sympathy) can produce a successful act. 

Often when people complain about Dave Chapelle's takedown of the LGBTQ+ community, those people are coming from a high Emotional IQ point of view. 

When people say Bert Kriescher is just a dude running around with his shirt off, they're attacking his Intellectual IQ. 

In fact, when people mocked Adam Sandler's gibberish from his early comedy days, they are going after his Verbal IQ.

Yet, these comics found the right formula for them. What Dave Chapelle lacks in Emotional IQ, he has Verbal IQ in spades. Kreischer might not be a brilliant man (he'd admit this), but boy does he have the right amount of Emotional IQ, which allows him to say things about his kids and wife no one would say at the company picnic. He has no filter. 

There are rare exceptions to the formula. Gary Gulman has a very high Verbal and Intellectual IQ but he appears to have a high Emotional IQ as well, always staying very pleasant and witty. There is no mean spiritedness, yet he also doesn't command the same fan base as the ones with a lower Emotional IQ.   

I can play this game all day, pinpointing the different IQ strengths and weaknesses of comics, but the point is that if you find jokes aren't hitting, it could be your formula is out of whack.
When your formula is out of whack, so is your act.       

Final Thoughts 
Self awareness is the key to understanding success. Assessing others correctly is a way to give notes that help them. When I taught comedy, I would try to play up a student's strengths. If you find language to be an issue with you, I highly encourage you to practice speaking out loud more often. Practice building your Verbal IQ. 

If you see your topics are not really connecting with the audience, then maybe take some time seeing what people are into. What's trending on Twitter X? What are the top movies and TV shows? What are people responding to? I love 80's and 90's professional wrestling, but most people in comedy shows don't. So I have to adjust my IQ and stay on topic with things I can get a proper response for. 
If you feel people are pulling back instead of laughing, or you find people aren't laughing because everything is sort of too nice, then it's time to adjust your comfort zone and either lower or raise the Emotional IQ. 

​Comedy takes a long time to figure what you can get away with. I find I can't go too mean, but I can be "sarcastic." I have to keep a higher Emotional IQ than I might want to get the response I desire.
Just know there's a place for you regardless, but you might need to work on one of your three IQ's to get into more places.  

Professional musical performers have been around since the dawn of civilization. Even in Old Testament times David played the harp for King Solomon. Professional musicians in history might have mostly been used to entertain kings and rulers, but they have always existed. Even at the turn of the 20th century and going into The Great Depression musicians would entertain people, selling records and building the templates for how we even today have label releases and tours. By the 1950's the industry was booming with musical superstars being created, and now we can't move forward unless Taylor Swift tells us, like a global game of green light/red light. Stand up comedy does not have the same rich history. In fact, it has almost no history in it's current format. An artform that essentially didn't go mainstream until the 1970's, stand up comedy is in a weird adolescent era. And that also explains why the pay stinks, breaking into clubs feels tougher than ever, and the rules keep changing. 

A Brief History of Stand Up 
Understand that before stand up comedy existed as we know it today, there was essentially vaudeville acts. There weren't comedians as much as comedic actors like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton in silen films from 1910's through the 1920's. Up until the 1960's there were funny men like Jack Lemmon and Dick Van Dyke in movies and sitcoms but few stand ups. In the 1950's Lenny Bruce would open for bands and singers and get $12 and a bowl of pasta. But around the 1960's in the coffee shops and night clubs of New York City, men like Woody Allen, George Carlin, Don Rickles, Bill Cosby and Carol Burnett would start forming the model we see today. 

It wouldn't be until the 1970's when Bud Friedman and Mitzi Shore would open clubs in Los Angeles, creating systematic ways for comics to get into the pipelines of road gigs, The Tonight Show, and writing for and staring in TV shows. By the 1980's stand up comics were the prime candidates to play sitcoms, SNL, and cruise ships. A true stand up comedy boom occurred. By the 1990's a rinse and repeat system occurred, as comics were able to make a living as a feature or headliner. That was until clubs found the Friday through Sunday model unsustainable, closing down everywhere, and the alt comedy scene rose. Cable stations like HBO and Showtime were the only game in town to produce televised specials, until Comedy Central became the home of the 30 minute special, making stars of Jim Gaffigan (2006) and Patton Oswalt (2004).

By the 2010's comedians had less options as sitcoms died out, and The Tonight Show was not showcasing and kingmaking stand ups the same way as the Johnny Carson era. In the mid-2000's comedy clubs were dying out. Even The Comedy Store was a disaster, creating a reality show where Pauly Shore was trying to revise the once kingdom of comedy. Now, in a world of bringer shows and the wild west of social media comics, the rules seem to change every day. Here's a few reasons why so many feel like they're pushing a boulder up a hill with no relief to come. 

The Comics From the 1970's,1980's, and 1990's Are Still At The Clubs 
I'm about to ruffle feathers, but one reason the system feels broken is that your favorite stand up came up was through the farming system of Mitzi and Bud getting them ready for primetime and those comics not returning to daily shows. So many comics like Jay Leno, David Letterman, Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey, and the likes used the showcase clubs and went away to make millions in television and films. They didn't clog up the lineups. Today, so many of the comics who used the Store and Improv to build an act are still calling in for spots. Thus, younger comics lose opportunities.  

The irony is that these older comics didn't have an older generation who did this to them. Because they didn't exist. Rickles and Pryor played theaters and Las Vegas. They knew if they went to LA people wouldn't pay higher prices to see them later in concert films or bigger events. Today's 1990's and early 2000 comics are still hanging around working on spots. There are stories of Dave Chapelle and Dane Cook doing an hour and bumping the young guys off lineups. Dom Irrera talks about confronting Robin Williams back in the 2000's. He has talked about how he would take three or four comics spots, pushing them to 2AM or 3AM or getting them bumped entirely.  

Anyone doing stand up today knows that there aren't enough spots to become a regular at any LA club, especially at the larger ones which use Roast Battle and bringer shows as the way to get stage time outside the passed system. In fact, there was a famous meeting at an LA club where young comics were explained there are only a few spots a month for non-paid regulars picked by the booker. 

I always joke with people, the way I'm going to get passed at a major club or get more work through an agency is for people to die. Morbid, yes. But also truthful. Since comedians don't really "retire" like sports stars, who step aside for the next generation, the only way for a non-TikTok famous comic to get stage time is for the guys who used the clubs to step away. Instead, many have stuck around and used the big clubs as a workshop room. Even "canceled" comics like Louis CK and Chris D'Elia still spots, taking little to no money. Which brings us to the next issue.

The Money Sucks Because Rich Comics Take Nothing From Clubs
Ever wonder why clubs pay nothing? Simple. Enough comics agreed to work for nothing and the clubs like that idea. From young bringers to seasoned vets, there are enough comics to fill lineups without forcing the club to share the ticket sales.

Back in the late 1970's there was an LA stand up comedy strike and after a lot of bickering and fighting, comics were able to earn $25 a show in the little room or the comics would split 50% of the door in the Main Room. That $25 a show has basically stayed the same. Depending on the comic, they can get $50-$100 a set (15 minutes) to work on material. Now, if you're a struggling up and comer, that's not enough to pay the rent. But those aren't the comics the club is thinking about. If a bigger name comic with TV credits jumps into the lineup, they'll take the $100 and work on their act. It's both the comics willing to work for free and the millionaires who maintain the low pay. 

Since comics are 1099 independent contractors and not "employees," they aren't even required to get paid. Any time you do a show at Flappers or the Haha Comedy Club you are technically agreeing to donate your time when you don't get paid. Since you aren't "required" to be there, you can say no if you don't like the wages given. Essentially, stand up shows are like student films. You're doing it for the credit, experience, and IG reels (if you tape your sets, assuming they don't charge you $40). 
Because comedy is still relatively new and the Have's and Have Not's are further separating themselves from each other, the Gen X and Boomers don't need the money, therefore setting up precedence in the area of payment. They can drop in, do a short set, and then make their money somewhere else - like writing for a show or taking well paid corporate gigs. 

It's The Wild West West Out Here 
Back in 2015 I was told if I got credits and put in the work, I'd be fine and making money in ten years. Then Social Media followers became the rage, and the rules changed. That's why the Hawk Tuah Girl can go viral and be on Bill Maher's Club Random and Whitney Cumming's podcast. Can anyone explain to me how a non famous 21 year old with no obvious talent, no followers, no sketch portfolio or training, and no famous friends can go viral on ANOTHER platform and suddenly have the fourth biggest podcast in the world? I've written about "industry plants" before and it's true if you can figure out the algorithm you can make it.  

Meanwhile, there are a ton of young comics who would benefit from having a spot on one of these huge interview platforms. Instead the machine feeds the machine. The famous interview the famous or infamous, depending on your point of view. The clubs will throw up the flash in the pan of the week and spit them out after they've sold every ticket they can. 

While comedy and capitalism have always gone hand and hand, at least Mitzi and Bud had a system, built names, and then they would come back to drop in occasionally - not daily. Obviously, the Gen X and Boomers didn't really have an older generation to show them how to step aside, and the clubs can rest easy knowing the big names will keep them afloat. But what will happen in a few years? 

If the comedy film industry has shown us anything, if you just keep putting Will Ferrell and Judd Apatow films on the big screen, you lose any future talent, and unless you have an Adam Sandler looking out for his friends, the comedy film machine is completely dead now. When the future isn't properly fed, Hollywood ends up eating itself.    

Comedy could learn a lot from sports. Major organizations like the NBA, NHL, and MLB have systems. They nurture younger talent with development leagues and pay accordingly so that players can play and retire with dignity. Older players share wisdom. If it's received is another story. But no one can say Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley don't love the new generations.

And then after they get their time in the spotlight, they retire as commentors or team administrators. They don't keep doing the same spots. In fact, one reason Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gets flack is because he played as long as he did. People discredit his stats because he might have overstayed his welcome. If every comic over 55 were to find 2-3 millennial comics to recommend to bookers, that would be a way to water the comedy seeds instead of letting the weeds choke them out. Sorry if I sound like comedian Jesus, but I think parable motifs apply here too well.   

Final Thoughts
I recently was talking to a group of millennial comics about the struggles to make stand up a real career. Maybe after 50 years it's transitioned itself to a side hustle. Another piece of the gig economy. Like how a person could drive a cab and limo in the 1970's and make a living, but now Uber drivers are mostly part time. This past year, headlining and featuring across the country, the safety nets like writing for TV and warm up comic work are no longer possible. Pay isn't great and there is little o no travel reimbursement. In fact, a lot of bookers don't pay for flights, assuming comics are using credit card points to fly for free.

Many want to know the workaround or trick to break through, but a lot of that has to do with luck and if an agency finds you and thinks you're a good fit. No one is guaranteed a career. I'm extremely lucky that I get to do the shows I get to do. And I haven't done the "hang around the club" part as much - mostly because I'm working and getting some pay performing. In fact, a lot of my buddies a few years ahead have decided to give up the road after barely breaking even. I get that 100%. 

I suppose it would be nice if there was a way to get in front of the right people without having to know the right people. Back in the day Mitzi and Bud would watch the comics and throw them up later that night. That type of system is non-existent today. There are comics who auditioned at The Laugh Factory almost a decade ago still waiting for their call back.  

​Since stand up comedy is new, the best way to describe it is by alluding to another parable. There is one generation that got to eat the whole cake when it was freshly made, and now the crumbs on the floor are for the current generations. Maybe it's time we figure out how to bake another cake.  

In November 2019 I started this journey of writing about stand up comedy. Others had tried it with their websites and YouTube vlogs but usually got burned out by a year's end. I'll be approaching my fifth year this November and I've written over 200 articles, attempting to give the most practical advice about writing, performing, branding, and getting booked in the stand up world. It's not easy. But luckily I'm living this comedy life daily with a lot of other wonderful comics I'm in contact with telling me the problems they face day in and day out. I also read a lot of Facebook comments and go to comedy group pages where I read about local drama and universal comedy issues, inspiring more topics to dive into. And there's a lot of bad advice I read. People don't know they're giving bad advice, so I don't fault them. Some inherently give bad advice because they're bitter or confused by the business side - it's more of a limited amount of experiences than purposely trying to sabotage rising comics.

But if there is one piece of advice that really upsets me is when people tell you what to do without giving some guidance. To hand a young comic a destination without a road map and compass is beyond bad advice, because it creates the type of anxiety and fear that causes them to do bad bringers, hook up with shady venues, and causes a lot of self doubt not needed so early on in their stage of comedy. Recently, I read an article by a club that said if you're not satisfied with your bookings, just start doing churches, cruises, and colleges. They gave no idea how to do any of those things and basically inferred if clubs don't book you anymore, then it's because that's not your market and you're not needed. None of that is true. So here is some practical advice on how to reintroduce yourself to a showcase club and the tools you'll need to break into new markets if you're ready.

How To Reintroduce Yourself To A Club 
So your "bringing days" are behind you. Your friends and family are burned out buying $5-$30 tickets to watch you do 5 minutes. That is normal. You've found your bookings dry up. You show up to the auditions, only to be told they need you to promote. Understand, that's a "them" problem and not a "you" problem. Sure does suck for them that you brought more people than they could, but that acknowledgment doesn't fix the problem of getting booked again. What you have to do is take a break from the clubs and focus on everything else around you that doesn't require bringing. Go find bar shows and tiny venues where you just focus on the act. Do that for 6 months to a year. Give your friends a break too. Those who work in secret can shine in the future open light. 

Now that you've discovered your new, more confident voice, you go back to the club and you ask them if they need hosts from open mics to smaller room shows. You bring a new type of value. Clubs don't want to ask you, just to hear you wanted the Main Room instead of hosting, but by offering to host you can build relationships with every comic you bring up. By showing the venue you don't need them, they'll respect you more.

Now, all of this is predicated on the idea your act is a club representation style act. Which means you're not too alt or crude. If they see progress as a comic, they'll be impressed too. Think of this as getting out of the comedy friendzone. 

Tools You'll Need To Reinvent Your Brand 
Often, comics want to be treated like big name comics when they have nothing to show if anyone looked them up. One reason clubs or agencies don't take your booking requests seriously is because you are selling the idea you're an asset without providing the proof. So let's say you go back to the club in 6-12 months, here are a few things to put together so you can show them you're a wanted and needed comic.

A Functioning Website
You'd be surprised how your website can change someone's perception of you. It doesn't have to be fancy either. You can use a pretty simple out of the box web based tool like Wix or Weebly (which I use) to build a front page a few tabs. Make sure it is both computer and phone accessible. You'd be surprised how people made none phone friendly websites by using Flash or code that doesn't work on the mobile device. Here's mine. You can look at it here: 
https://www.themoomabides.com/

You'll want to have a page dedicated to a calendar of shows:
https://www.themoomabides.com/show-dates.html

And a few 5 minute clips (linked to YouTube) showcasing your best work, and EPK (Electric Press Kit) with some nice photos, credits, and lists of comics and venues you work with. This will allow a booker from clubs, cruises, churches, casinos, or colleges to see your highlights and career.  
​https://www.themoomabides.com/press-kit.html

Getting that 5, 10, and 30 Minute Tape 
No matter the venue or market you want, your link/tape game must be strong. You want to have a couple listed 5-10 minute sets on YouTube that demonstrate your brand of humor. Don't worry about comics stealing jokes. That's not really as big of thing as you'd think, and unless they take your joke on late night, no one will ever think you're stealing a joke you actually wrote. But if you don't have a YouTube digital fingerprint, many will think you're the one stealing jokes or just not very good. I know if a comic can't send my a tape of anything then I'm not interested. 

One thing you can do is invest in a small tripod and use your iPhone to film a set. Just make sure the laughs are there and you can be clearly seen. If you're struggling getting laughs, then it's time to reevaluate the material. Even if you just have one solid 5 minute set, you can get a lot of gigs. 

Getting a longer set will require more work on your part. You may need to ask a booker at a restaurant show or alt venue to do you a favor and give you a feature or co-headliner spot. You can ask if they need helpers or need access to other comics you could reach out to. Another way is to invest in yourself and find a small venue and produce the show yourself. Tell your friends you're doing a taping and want them to see you do 25-40 minutes. I would get a friend with a nice camera to help. You then post a long set on YouTube as UNLISTED and cut it up for reels and Tik Toks. 

Don't Be Afraid To Say Goodbye To Clubs 
Here's the dark secret about showcase "bringer" clubs: They only wanted you for the guests. If by some chance you built a following or got a manager or got road gigs with a big headliner, they might utilize you differently, but for most clubs, they suck you up and spit you out. In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Willie Loman screamed, "You can't eat the orange and throw the peel away - a man is not a piece of fruit." Yet, the bringer rooms do this to everyone at some point. 

The irony is that after you do all the work to build a website, create a better digital fingerprint, and work on the tapes that showcase your best work, you'll probably get the attention of agencies that need you for road gigs that pay. Currently, I'm in three agencies and a just got invited to participate in corporate emcee work. I have had casting producers reach out to work with me on projects, and I just got back from a paid acting gig due to the producer/writer knowing my comedy stylings. The more you work on yourself, the less you feel the need to impress those who never saw your true value. 

Final Thoughts
Here's the thing. The bad advice I mentioned earlier was just a dumb way of saying if you no longer are getting booked, start looking at other doors. That is a truth, but to just say it is just as condescending as when your family member says, "You should go on The Tonight Show." Unless they know the booker, they're being cruel, even if they think they're helping. 

​So if you can grab anything from this article, please start thinking how you can shape your career to reflect all the hard work you've put in. And if you still want to get back into the clubs, don't settle for anything less than a promotion upwards.   

The most important moment a comic has is the moment they walk on stage. You convey everything with your body language, face, smile, frown, wave, or lack of acknowledging the crowd. You either demonstrate confidence and control or nerves and anxiety. Most people will start making judgements about you immediately. For better or worse. I'm talking about the showcasing comics. The middle acts. The openers. When Jim Gaffigan walks on stage, the whole room knows him. But for most of you reading, the only people who know you are your friends who came out. And they won't be there on the road. If they are, either they are super loyal or potentially stalking you. Which is really just a form of loyalty. 

The second most important moment is when you open your mouth and say the first joke. And it should be a joke, because it's a comedy show. Assuming you're not the host, you have one moment to get the crowd excited about the journey you're taking them on. That first joke is going to create a flight or fight moment. That first joke is going to either inspire hecklers or tell them to back off. And this moment happens in every show. From dive bar s**t shows to theater corporate gigs. Comedy is always comedy. It's the first impression, and while a bad first joke can be recovered from, you know the old adage: You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. 

So many comics self-sabotage their act by wasting time on stage. Either through silly dancing while the intro music is playing, trying to hype up the crowd with "Heyyyyy where my [single people/married people/random ethnic group/random gender group] at?" or acting confused on stage ("What do I want to talk about?"). 

So let's dive into what you should be doing in that first 20 seconds.

You Should Be Building an Identity  
What that first moment should be doing is creating an identity on stage. The first joke let's the crowd know the style of comedy you're doing. Are you dirty? Clean? Observational? Personal? Intellectual? Silly? There are a lot of ways to go. But the first thing you say builds a foundation. It's the moment people start to build the impression you try to give them and NOT the impression they created in their head. This is beyond crucial to your show going well. 

Identity is then the prism in which the rest of the set makes sense. If you walk up on stage and go "What's up Fuckers!" and then try to tell jokes about puppy sitting and church, unless they're "ironic," you will create a whiplash that makes no sense. If you start with something innocent, lacking a dark edge and switch into dirtier jokes about sex, the crowd is going to be confused. And not in a fun Andy Kaufman way either. But in a open micer just took a dump on the stage sort of way. 

Your Identity can be fleshed out over the set, but the crowd should get a sense of who you are immediately. Are you the fun aunt or uncle type? The tired parent? The swinging single guy? The creepy clown? The deadbeat child? The overthinker? The shy tech nerd? Something should scream out to the audience about how you think about yourself. They should be able to see your desk at work and your room at home in their head.  

For me, I start with insecurity. My act is a balancing back and forth between a full dating life traveling around the country for work or comedy while never feeling secure about any of it. Imposter syndrome galore. This allows for people to believe my stories about dating adult film actresses while looking like Frodo Baggins and working in TV and film while never feeling like it will last. This also gets the crowd on my side faster, as they like rooting for me. And I have to do this in the first 20 seconds. 
I can do this in a few ways. One way is by saying a "first joke" and the other is having an established "opening joke." There is a difference and I'll beak that down now. 

Opening Jokes Should Start Off Most Sets 
An opening joke will establish you and your style of comedy. I usually make a weight loss or weight gain joke, depending on where I am in my life. But the purpose is to get the crowd into a trance - to sell my act off the bat. I've changed it over the years.

When I was 260 pounds, my opening joke was:
"Glad to be here. Thank god I'm in an air conditioned room. I hate the heat. Because I'm fat. Hell, I sweat eating a salad. That's just a joke. I don't eat salad."   

After losing weight because of heath changes:
"I'm excited to announce my doctor told three years ago to lose fifty pounds and I've done it and kept it off! I no longer feel like a fat guy who has to lose fifty; instead I feel like a skinny guy who just gained thirty."  

Notice each joke has a self-deprecation tone. It let's the audience know how I see myself. And it lets them know it's okay to laugh with me and at me, because I do it too. 

And while your opening joke doesn't have to be self-deprecating, it should give them a taste of the type of jokes you'll be slinging all night.    

First Jokes Are Not Opening Jokes 
While an Opening Joke is an identify defining joke, first jokes are just that: the first joke. There can be multiple types of "first jokes" that help establish your style of comedy. Here a few examples:

• Joke from the previous comic's set (tag) 
• Joke about the venue 
• Joke about a person in the front row 
• Joke about the city/local establishment 
• Joke about the neighboring city 
• Joke about your trip over 

While these jokes demonstrate quick wit, and I do these types of jokes a lot, they can also make the rest of your set feel wooden by comparison. That is because everything following will have a script rhythm to them. But here are a few of my favorite first jokes I might do. 

When the last comic or host is tall and good looking:
"Give it up for [_______]! Wasn't he great? He's everything my ex girlfriend wished I was." 

When I'm in a rough part of California:
"Who here is from [this city]? Who here is from [neighboring city]? Great, we'll meet in the parking lot after my set for the gang war. I hope you wore the right colors!"    

These jokes don't really say anything about my act, but what they do is create the potential of future improv and off-the-cuff possibilities. And that can open you up and be the reminder YOU (yes, you!) are funny and not just the jokes. 

Final Thoughts
As you navigate through your comedy journey, you have to remember that as you evolve, so will your jokes. So don't be afraid to change the opening joke as you change. With that said, make sure the opening joke shows a sense of your act so the crowd can feel excited about the set. Recently, I made a mistake of making an Epstein joke that got big laughs from half the crowd and bigger groans from the other half. Which means I had to tap into my dirtiest jokes only, limiting my ability to flow through the act as I desired. By creating a division up front, my more evergreen jokes didn't hit and I was forced into blue crowd work about a married couple looking for a throuple that got a great response. They didn't know I was drowning and using the crowd work as a safety raft. It's a trap and if you go too far off course, pivoting can be tricky.  

​Regardless of your choice to start with a tag joke from early in the night or sticking with a tried and true opening joke, you never reach the level you want if you just jump into odd observational humor. You then become a human joke book and not a flesh and blood person. You can move into those observational jokes later, but not until they get a sense of who you are first. Because after that you will have created a space that invites all the creativity you need to be the comic you want to be.