Steve Bruner Comedy…Pure & Simple

Abundance

2012-02-06T05:56:00.000-08:00

I was introduced to a thought a couple of years ago… from someone I’d call a philosopher, Dr. Wayne Dyer. In one of his books I read about the thought of opening your life to the concept of “abundance…” I don’t have the chapter in front of me, and I'll try not misquote or mis-apply the thought, but what I understood is the idea of opening your “awareness” to the abundance of the world…

For example: I used to not pick up pennies if they were tails, “bad luck” I'd say and the woman I was dating, (now my wife) asked, "how is gettin’ a penny bad luck?" Well, when someone points out that you’re silly in such a logical way, if you’re smart enough, you change your thinking… And that penny was my first abundance… Since that week, where I read, and I stopped coming up with reasons to NOT pick up money… I have found over $300.00 on the ground, on the street, sometimes when passing through a casino, and not just in the USA, but in several foreign countries, etc. etc.

One time I was telling my sister about the thought, and we walked out and on the street was a $10 bill, and we laughed and for a minute I think she thought I had actually PLANTED it there during out lunch to make a point... but she knows I'm too cheap to take that kinda chance with $10!!!

Yeah, I’d say I’m lucky but not just for this… Sure I keep my eyes open, I now CONSCIOUSLY think that I’m gonna find change and/or money… this is/was just a new way of being AWARE. A new thought that I practice thinking...

More than just that, I needed something to do with my new found Abundance… how can I give back… with this new "LUCK"??? And I found a way, to share it...

I found this organization call Kiva.org where they allow people who have (or FIND) a little extra… to give micro-loans to various parts of the world… It’s call a micro-loan, 'cause they can be made in amounts of $25 given individually but pooled with other micro-loans. You don’t get interest on the loan, and I think you can get updates, but I just like giving. Here's how it works for me, when I find some money, I put it in a jar and when it gets to about $10+ I count it out, put it in the bank, double it from my own earnings and make a loan… In about a year you most often get paid back and can take the money out and keep it, or re-loan it… which is what I have done... My $300+ find, (added to as I have) has made over 200 loans in the past few years, and it’s one of my favorite feelings. I’ve kept it pretty quiet ‘cause I didn’t want the idea of the loan to be anything about me, but I just crossed 25 years in comedy, and it’s not a bad thing to introduce others to new ways they can help people. I've introduced friends (Shout out to Katsy’s first loan) and family to it, have even asked some to give to Kiva instead of a present... Anyhow, I'm gonna now put it out when I make a loan on Facebook and hopefully if anyone finds abundance in their bank account, or on the street, they too can do something good with it.

Giving, and now sharing the information… maybe that’s the real ABUNDANCE I’ve been allowed to FIND.

25 years ago… lucky then, lucky now…

2012-02-01T05:02:00.000-08:00

I’ve wanted to be a comedian before I knew there was such a word. Second grade, Mrs. Norberg’s class, I did a report or story about what I wanted to be when I grew up… and even then, for my future, I wanted to make people laugh… Around that time, someone gave me a joke book and in it, there were MANY things I didn’t understand, and when I asked the older people around me, and some wiser school-mates “what does this joke mean?” they laughed! Some tried to explain why… and so I found there was a power in the words, and a mystery to them that I couldn’t wait to solve, to figure out… It’s still FUN figuring out what makes people laugh… (well, SOME people…)

I wanted to be a comic “professionally” like the people I listened to that lived in my folks record cabinet, Shelley Berman and Bob Newhart, and on the TV like Johnny Carson and Bob Hope, and later with the great minds and material of Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, and George Carlin…

I’ve been so lucky, I moved to San Francisco after a few tries of doin’ comedy in College, and hung out with some of the funniest people I’ve ever known… (one of the funniest named Jim I met in college!) and most of them I still know… a solid part of a larger supportive group that was far more willing to laugh than ever to criticize, people who were generous with suggestions and theory and who also shared rather than hoarded work… What a beautiful community to have tasted my first attempts to do comedy as a “wanna be” pro… I’m friends with most of them even now… both those that stayed in this crazy Show-biz thing, and those that found more “sane” (some might say ‘legitimate’) work. I’d go crippled typing out their names here, but those of you who remember those ‘artist’ days, and were part of them… Well, THANK YOU…

25 years ago today, February 1, 1987… John Cantu, club owner of the iconic Holy City Zoo in San Francisco gave me 10% of the “door” to be part of a show. And at $2 a head, I made $12.20 and the next morning I quit the job I had at the time… A job I didn’t hate, I just loved the idea of COMEDY so much more!

25 years from now, I hope I’m still bein’ funny, and still unraveling the mysteries of what makes strangers and some friends, and even me laugh…

Here’s to another 25 years, and bein’ so lucky…

Still a New Year

2012-01-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

Wow, another Monday zipping up to be noticed… another blog that is pulling at my guilt strings…

I’m pretty sure I may not be so fond of this getting older/time flying faster thing as I see it first hand. I always heard it from great uncles and such but living it… Yikes… wasn’t it just January First…??!??

I’m home, which is great, but I sure am not getting the things done I had planned to do when I was planning to BE home, which is not so great. Pay bills, catch up on reading, write some comedy, write ‘thank-you’ notes, fix the den/office/guest room to be a den/office/guestroom. Organize garage and put the cool stuff I’ve forgotten about into the den/office/guestroom.

Oh well, bills are paid, (and AT&T was caught taking $2/month they shouldn’t be… winner!!!) I heard an entire book on ‘tape’ (well… CD… I’m behind but not that behind…) helped create and celebrate a surprise birthday (adults really can move quickly and in unison when they like somebody…) baby sat, (I know… I have friends with BABIES!!!) Caught up on how I did in Fantasy Football, (Broke even?) and what else? Cleaned out the closet, as somehow I’m no longer a 32x32 no matter how much I asked Santa and sometimes God for my perceived waist to be my actual waist… Ahhh that’s right, I did find out how ‘face time’ technology works, and found time to go through my big bucket o’ change and add a few “precious” coins to my penny collection… and turned the rest o’ the bucket into I-tunes… test drove a few cars since my was wrecked a while ago… and by the time that was done… I found a few more bills that some how escaped being paid…

OK so it’s simple pleasures when home, pet the dog, grind the coffee, kiss the wife, (not in that order ‘cause she likes coffee as much as I do) and try a little stand-up where allowed, on paper or on stage… the plan is to relax… recharge so you can charge out again… I have another week home, so let’s see if I can get around to some aspect of that den/office/guestroom… it’d be a nice place to pay bills…

Resolution Time

2012-01-02T04:46:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, the first blog of a new year, so many things to say, and maybe I’ll be smart enough to spread out all the things worth saying to more than just one blog…

Here we are… a brand-new year and the first thing I get to notice, despite wanting to be unique… I found that when it comes to resolutions… I fall into the category as 93% of all human beings in the Western world that make resolutions... The top 2 are mine too: I 'd like to do better physically and financially, and yeah, like 99% of that 93% I fully expect that despite tryin’ like heck's to stick to a plan, I’ll probably fail… Most folks, give up, give in, or get back into bad habits… So, my solution: I’ve added to my resolutions so I have at least hope of ONE breakin’ through the pack…

I hope (or “resolve”) to become smarter about something (comedy, statistics, French SOMETHING!!!) which I realize takes work… I hope to be nicer, which in this day and age takes even MORE work… I hope to write more, which means, unfortunately, that I'll write more bad stuff, (which isn’t really work for ME…) ‘cause a higher percentage of what one writes is usually NOT perfect, and in my case not many times funny… I hope to be in touch with friends more, and maybe even have time left over to make a few more new friends…

And I know that 2011 was pretty good to me, I had enough work to pay my bills, (which hasn’t always been the case) I went on one of the best trips of my life… (and I got to take my wife… which hasn’t always been the case… whew!!!) I saw friends get married, saw friends have babies (different friends… which hasn’t always been the case... whew!!) I saw children of mine and in the family plan for the real world in wonderful ways, (which with those kids has USUALLY been the case... whew, whew, whew!!!) and I saw a mother (MINE) beat back cancer that Doctors nearly gave up hope on… I know... Infinity Whew!!!

Sure I spent some foolish money, probably on food that made me gain some foolish weight, BUT if I had to have another 2011 in 2012, I’d take it… Here’s to bein’ richer and skinnier in 2012, or at least smelling the roses (you can’t eat those) and takin’ the time to be HAPPIER right where I am… which might be my BEST resolution so far…

Travel Day/Pre-Travel Day

2011-11-07T06:41:00.000-08:00

I head home today (as you read this) First Monday of November, (second Blog in a row for those counting at home, trying to make up for the hiatus of both brain and typing power/prowess…) and so I’m working this pre-trip, ‘cause I’m currently (day before you read this) where the internet is plentiful and inexpensive, which seems to continually beat the opposite. So in amongst the preparation for the last show tonight, (which includes the new material to put in if they’re goin’ with me, and the anchor material to jump to if they’re going against me…) and the ‘always somber’ packing. (You see it’s not just clothes, it’s all the projects I brought too, that only got a scouring, a once over that made me realize I have more to do on ALL of them, and it brought up more of other things to do that I didn’t bring along… I mean, instead of the “to do” list becoming the “ta-done” list, the first list has just been made longer…), I figured I’d blog in the middle of the morning , while the coffee is hot, before I forget to do it, and then I have to find both the rare and expensive internet… to keep up.

I know the best way to prepare for doing things, for getting things DONE, is to prioritize, however I’m one of those strange folks where the priorities shift depending on what dessert I had, what time zone I’m in, or what bill is due… I see priorities not as hard and fast, but more as mood oriented, a method by which I have only barely survived up to this point... I seem to still work best like I did in the past, when the term paper was due the next day, and if I could just get the same pressure applied on a general basis, I’d probably run in 4^th gear more, rather than the occasional 2^nd and often reverse… (I’d probably also be in line for the double blind test for the new ulcer medicine but at least I’d get more done…)

Ah well, the bags half packed (a certain priority) the backpack has the essential projects I don’t want to trust to the baggage handlers, and there’s more coffee somewhere… There’s this Sunday’s News-programs, and still football being played, and just maybe the audience tonight, will go along with me and I’ll feed them (and thus myself) some new bits…, and I got one more blog done… that’s a good check mark… and I'll take it...

Paper Boy

2011-10-31T03:32:00.000-07:00

I’m never gonna get everything I want to get done. Even if I have the post life experience equal to the chicken running around with his head cut off, I’m still not going to finish up the “to do” list. I’m semi OK with it at this point... I mean, I’ve heard “Realizing” the problem is over half of the solution. But one of my problems has taken so long in realizing that, maybe there’s just not enough time to “solve” it.

I seem to collect paper… not hoard it, or perish the thought, keep paper that might be antique or valuable — Nope. Just articles from magazines, or pictures everyone drew from my kids to my Dad, to the first checks I wrote back in college, to my Bennett Valley Elementary progress reports: “Steve takes an extra week or two, but then grasps concepts firmly…” (Such a KIND way to say I’m “slow…”)

I visit my paper(s) on a random basis. Usually when I want to clean it out but touching it one last time, BUT the paper brings back such flood of memories that throwing it away is part of the greatest angst I have in my adult life. It’s mind numbing how MUCH there is. (Or maybe just a NUMB mind can collect this much…)

And it’s a TON. This week on the road, I took an EXTRA suitcase full of just paper, and spent the past week just going through it and attempting to organize it, and yes mercifully throwing away MUCH (Ok, ok… some) of it… certainly not enough to satisfy the trip.

I have finally understood (through a patient wife/muse/therapist) that some NEW solution has to be found, ‘cause otherwise I’ll have to put some paper in storage and then I’ll part with the GREEN kinda paper I might love even more.

Fortunately someone invented the scanner, and someone else fortunately invented the teenager, and I have put these two together with a PLAN. A plan to put the paper in the computer so I can call it up and visit whenever I want. Without the storage fees…

Of course, some things don’t scan, the pictures from the kids, and other stuff that’s just too kooky to mention, but the main thing is I’ll get it somewhere SMALLER, and I’ll keep the really really important paper, including the green kind. I especially like the organizational plan: You see there’s multiple folders inside of other folders in a way that makes up this new system called the Giant “Steve TREE of KNOWLEDGE and other stuff…” and I think that feels so good ‘cause it’s so circular, ‘cause in the real world paper comes from trees…

It took me a while, but I’ve finally firmly grasped that concept…

Still No Angst

2011-10-03T05:10:00.000-07:00

Hello folks, (nice fifties word there...) This truly is the best time of my life...

I keep wanting (or "I want" as every English teacher would line through the gerund) to qualify that, say it's the best time since "high school." But I'm smarter and better than then, or at the very least... LESS naive... And less naive IS better... Knowing how to enjoy even briefly has been one of the secrets revealed to me.

I'm in a play, that's getting better and might be one of the best things I've been associated with, I've had a birthday that didn't hurt at all, so many of the people around me in this part of my life are great, and people who contact me are funny.

I have work, I have reason, I have health, I have love. (spell-check wants me to add an “and” in there but I’m not gonna... I like being able to ignore spell-check) I'm not sure the order of those things that makes for great happiness, but for me the order I have comes close...

I took some time to figure what I wanted the next time I added to the blogosphere, but I still don't have a clue. I thought I'd add some comedy know-how-tid-bits, but I felt I was short on those... I even took a comedy class (adult word is seminar) to continue my education on someone else's perspective of how to do what I do, and it was great. I like that you can learn something, even if it re-affirms what you already know. I've read a couple books, (over my summer vacation) none were earth shatteringly moving, but all were wonderful escapism. I even vacationed while I was working and had one of the greatest trips I've ever been paid to go on... (Get this, I'm in Venice, being paid, with my wife, and Sting throws a concert that I'm able to see... for FREE..., I know...)

I read other blogs, and am at a point where I'm bored with routine aspects of people's lives... and I didn't want to add to that boredom for others. Still I had some people that "missed" my missives on the blog front, and so here I am...

Best time of my life, I still have no grist, no crucible, no great creative sadness to draw inspiration from, and sometimes in my head that means no POINT. But sometimes you just need to tell "folks" or at least the folks that are important, that things can be OK, even GOOD too...

So that's the story for this first Monday of (MY) newest month of (MY) newest year... I know angst has just lost my number, and will find me on Facebook or something… but for now, I’m gonna enjoy… and I hope you do too...

The Father 'Hood is pure "pop" culture

2011-09-14T23:37:00.000-07:00

The Father 'Hood returns to the stage on October 1 as part of the Altadena Comedy Festival. Looking forward to working with Stan Sellers and Tyrone Fance again!

Check the production's Facebook Page for details.

Here's to Life

2011-08-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

For those interested, life is good…, I’m not eating different, or acting different, or thinking different… (I think the real word is “differently” but I like the sound of the non-adverb)

Sometimes you hear (and by you, I mean that I’ve heard…) that for a comic to “comede” he/she/they needs to experience, live through, and most importantly survive ANGST… Maybe that’s why I took a month off, ‘cause I had no angst!

I’m sure angstless people have something to say, but I didn’t… Or at least, I wasn’t sure HOW to say the things I might’ve thought… I still don’t know the ‘what’ (which is important) or the ‘how’ to say that which I don’t know… BUT I do know it’s the first of another month, and a month off is long enough.

I’ll give my opinion, angst isn’t the only ingredient to humor… One can find some funny in the simple, in the smooth, in the easy flowing of life. But, be sure, I do think Angst might be easier, a clearer way to see life, a crucible to melt the crazy, or a thoughtful (by that I mean funny) way to share and thus dull the pain.

Still everyone deserves that untortured perspective and I hope those creative folks I have known and I have enjoyed had some of what I’ve had in this 2011, June and July (and hopefully August…) My thought is that when angst comes back like it always does, like the winter season, the viewpoint has some aspect of balance to compare and contrast the darker, less fun thoughts. Maybe it serves to widen the field of vision to take in more of the world. Even if that thought’s wishful thinking, I’m sure glad to have had the months I’ve recently had…

From me to you, ENJOY… ‘cause for a while, I sure am…

Listen First

2011-06-20T06:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is accept good advice.

I think a good rule to follow is when 3 people you TRUST (not just any random group of 3 people... that's a little more risky.) give a suggestion on a joke, or a performance, well... then you should TRY it. I'm not saying you have to feel it, or vibe "cool" with it, but have a little faith that the people and writing FRIENDS you've cultivated along the performance path, especially the ones that have good things in mind for you, those who are giving you the thoughts that you obviously can't see because you're too close to the project or material.

I know I've written about finding writing friends you can trust to bounce material off, (I'm lucky to have some great ones...) and my point wayyy back then was to find people that know where you're headed in your perspective, so they help get you there quicker...

This kind of find is a bit different... Being in a play recently, and writing material for that play, leaves some different vulnerabilities, some new feelings, and some GREAT unfamiliar territory for this comic to explore. Traversing new honesty, as opposed to the/my usual exaggerated aspects of how I see EVERYBODY'S life, is at best "different", and at worst greatly uncomfortable... Sooo, relying on others you trust ("I" in this case) to more quickly put things in the right direction has been as grand a help as having an audience laugh at the new joke the first 10 times it's said...

Often as creators, we sit in a room, and write, and hope for the best. But good suggestions, from the right creative, and trusted writer/performer and yes, I need to say "director" friends are sometimes an even better use of our time. Like the audience above that laughs at the new joke, they have to listen first and sometimes we should too...

Hope Father's Day was grand for those that are Dad's, mine was a really wonderful day, I do wish my own father was still here to share it...

Thanks for reading.

PLACES (please...)

2011-06-06T06:03:00.000-07:00

I've been in a few plays in my life, a few musicals even, but last weekend was a bit different: I was in a play I helped write a little... The Father 'Hood, perspectives on being a Dad, from different angles... And I'm happy to say (RELIEVED really!) that it turned out OK! Better than OK for the audience, but for me, I (whew) just survived it. It was the top 5 most nerve-wracking things I've done, or how to say it, I was the most nervous of anything I've done in a long while...

It was something wonderful... we had many rehearsals, a solid director, changes at the last minute, and a full house, that sounds good right? But when the 5 minute call happened (that's right before someone yells "Places...") I had to go for a run down the street to get my blood pumping and get the nerves off of me... such that one of my compatriots in the show, had to yell, "where's Steve going?" Something new in a pre-show ritual, that's for sure...

Sometimes, as a comic, you tear apart cliches to try to find something funny, and most of us have heard that "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger..." I'm not sure that a full impact car crash, where all the air bags deploy, and you end up in traction for 6 months, a hitch with crutches, and rehab, is what they're talking about... Instead, maybe it's the wisdom of surviving falling through cracked ice on a lake, you're stronger 'cause you don't walk out on iced lakes anymore, BUT... I'm only slightly confident THAT when we do it again... (AND we're doing it again...) THAT I'll be less nervous!

I have survived it once with my new never done material, and my 'first time' story in front of anyone, and people connected, and FELT, and laughed at both parts I thought they would and parts they found for themselves that I didn't know they would... it was a journey of discovery for them and myself at the same time..., and yes it was fun, (Not capitalized, just small case for me...)

Survival, whether it makes you stronger or smarter or more easily able to try things that really scare you, ain't a bad friend to be aware of, to make, and to appreciate... And you can run down the street away from it if you want, as long as you run back (preferable not across ice covered lakes) before the show begins and you hear "Places..."

Crazy Friends

2011-05-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

Checkin’ in, on the Third TUESDAY of the month, yep a bit late on the first and third MONDAY Blog. Woke up in Ireland on Sunday Morning and flew through London to make it home tired. Yep that’s just an excuse… but the best one I have! Yet another reason to have these blog thingys done ahead of time. Oh well, procrastination is one of the "skills" I list on my resume…

What a couple of weeks! I hung out with a buncha “Brits” (as they call themselves…) and found out it’s fun being the one in the group with the accent. Although, I tried to assimilate into the conversation with some words I didn’t understand… saying things like “Brilliant” (even if it technically wasn’t genius, it still fits…)

Sometimes when you’re so far distant from family (look up the Azores if you want distant from family) that you bond instantly from both literally and figuratively being in the “same boat…” The beautiful refit of the ship we were on, had some hiccups and so we were “held” off the ship for longer than usual… on a rainy Florida day, where leaving was misery (which we only did for food) and staying in the same seat was tiring (up at 6 AM to wait until 5 PM to board…) Boring might be the call of a day like that, but entertainers more than every job I know (well it’s the ONLY job I know personally…) have the ability to bond and entertain each other… and we all chose to bond.

I got all the sympathy since I was performing first night, after the long tiring day, and no hot water, and angry passengers, and I get it: the comic becomes the sacrificial lamb. The good part is that taking a bullet seemed to solidify my position as the guy who would happily "take one for the team" (like I had a choice…) Still, I survived that (and 6 other shows I was in…) but going first was a bonus on the solidarity front...

To explain, bonding between performers sometimes might be like a crazy disease…, it certainly was this trip. 6 sided ping pong (not to be confused with 6 to a side) which means 6 people running AROUND the table seeing how long they can keep the ball going… oh… and there were only 4 paddles… We were going strong until someone said “Hey, we’re going to break something…” and then we only continued only a 1/2 hour more… Also, to get anywhere near food, (not counting “Tea times" which Brits do often…) we could only walk on the “different” characters we chose, which lead to some interesting movement, as in jumping from character to character to get anywhere… No wonder the drug dogs made thorough searches of our bags as we departed.

Show biz certainly has some downside, being away from family, occasional ugly travel, crowds that may rather be fishing than be laughing… but this week was one of those lucky ones, where on stage, off stage, at meals, (they call Lunch "Dinner") with drinks, (Heimlich chaser anyone?) and during travel, it was plain and simply fun… It’s one of the first weeks that laughter from, for, and to everyone, became an abdominal exercise…

I think the only NOT fun part was saying so-long…

Boat Boy

2011-05-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

People often ask the scoop about being a comic who often works on cruises…

Well, I’ve done more than my share, (and hope to continue…) and I must say that like anything else I’ve found in life, there’s good and bad. Great people, (most often folks on vacation are trying to have a good time), great locations, (people don’t cruise to visit sewage treatment plants, or leaking nuclear facilities) good working conditions, (you’re most often on a great stage, with an interested audience… although not ALWAYS.)

However, the tradeoffs are also big… you’re always away from home (I like my home and the family in it… if you don’t then maybe this aspect is a plus), there’s dangers at sea… (rough seas, rogue waves, hurricanes, fires on board, etc. etc.) and you’re often alone in a new environment… (don’t cry for me Easter Island… but visiting exotic locals by yourself doesn’t have the appeal of a vacation…)

With a ship, you’re gonna get to pay for your mortgage, but it’s not so easy to audition for that commercial, play, or sitcom. You can provide new material to new people WHEN you perform, but the demographic is spread far wider than any club I’ve ever done ANYWHERE. Audience members are from so many States, and several countries that some great edge to some material can alienate rather than incorporate. The age range can be from 8 to 80, subjects like “politics” and “religion” often divides, and often you try to find common ground and humanity to make fun of. The places visited often make a style of jokes easier, as it’s the common experience of the group, and then, of course, the next cruise you don’t go back there…

Which makes one of the biggest tradeoffs that it’s a specific job, SOME and often most of the things that work ON BOARD don’t export to land.

Long and Short, when you can make a living enjoying what you do, that is always a joy to find. To expect every aspect of it to be fulfilling, I’m not sure that is a reasonable expectation. Good days, and bad days are a part of any job experience. The great part about being a comic, is that the good days can be enjoyed, and sometimes the bad days can be made into jokes and material, so often you end up having good days and the rest are funny ones…

My Area 51

2011-04-18T05:26:00.000-07:00

THIRD Monday of April, 2011, Blog 51.

Sometimes I’ve got nothing to say, but anyone that knows me, or has ever spoken to me for more than 5 minutes will realize that me having nothing to say, RARELY stops me from saying something…

I write a lot, or at least try to. It’s never as much as I want to, or perhaps the right thing to say is that the QUALITY of what I write, is never what I want it to be. My only hope is that like finding the right person in your life, sometimes, comin' up with good material is a matter of NUMBERS. You must come up with (i.e. write) many ideas to create some good ones. The line regarding the “right person” analogy, is to find a prince, you gotta kiss a bunch of frogs…

I keep track of all the idea “frogs” ( as opposed to the people "frogs") just in case in the future, those ideas manage to turn into a prince or two, and it happens now and again. Yep, an old idea, that has been collecting dust, (in some file of half thoughts, and unfinished ideas, that I think of as my own personal “Area 51”) crosses the desk and gets to be seen in the bright new idea light again, and while being vectored through the prism of the same old brain, sometimes, this view can be like catching up with a old friend, that I just THOUGHT was a frog. It’s a different kind of thrill than coming up with a brand new idea. Not better, not worse, just real GOOD when it happens.

This way (for me) is admittedly a bit slower, because many of the ideas still don’t have any gas that’s gonna get you anywhere. (And sometimes I wonder what I was thinking that I EVER thought some old idea was FUNNY… which’s why I think of these bits as “Area 51.”) But mostly, it’s not swimming through molasses, I can get through it fairly easy, and my thought about this process is: if it was funny once (funny ENOUGH to write down…) then the germ of the idea might be enough to spawn a good contemporary bubble that now gets a laugh.

And so I venture through Area 51, spend some time in my creative process going over the old stuff, hoping to make it into NEW stuff. And more often lately, when my current oasis of creativity is dry, dropping by the old well has proven valuable.

It's clear to me that Area 51 has SOMETHING, I mean, you never hear about Area 52.

Good luck, and keep laughing.

Blog #50

2011-04-04T05:30:00.000-07:00

I’ve learned some things this week, and it’s my 50^th blog, so I thought I’d share. #1: my “spell check” doesn’t recognize the word "blog." (!?!?!) No suggestions, no spelling fix, they (the computer’s brains) think I mean something else, completely different, as if I'm speaking a different language. How nice to be more (or at least THINK I'm more) sophisticated verbally than the machine I’m using to verbalize…

Next (or #2 if you’re counting at home, or “B” if you’re trying to be difficult…) having family in town is a great way to see the city in which you live, through a brand new shiny prism. I think the next time you’re bored, ask your family, if they were visiting, what would they like to see around where you live. In my experience, which is the only experience I’m intimately experienced with, they’ll tell you a few of the touristy things that you probably think are below you since you feel you’re a “native" of (insert city here…) but you’ll have missed out in being a tourist in your own city. I started comedy in San Francisco, and never went to Alcatraz… WOW, now I have to visit just to finally see it. How does this relate to comedy, well, don't rush me... OK rush me if you want to...

I think now and again, you should see your ACT in a whole new light too. (DON'T call your family about it!!!) I’ve heard various suggestions to finding new life in an act that you continually do. Mixing up the material’s “regular” order is a way to keep it new and exiciting, but the mainstay for me, is to try something (or better… some "things…" ) new. It’s very exciting to build up to the new bit, and sometimes that excitement (ESPECIALLY if the new bit works) can carry a whole set, or show. MY suggestion (if you’re working and/or it’s the set of your life) to do the material you’ve practiced and have confidence in, but for a set that’s not a career maker, add some new spice and see where it goes. I suggest you have a go-to anchor to tie this new joke back to main part of your show. A sort of "failsafe" just in case. Usually the idea, (well… MY idea) is to try a new bit with a strong joke/bit as back up.

That’s it for #50. Thanks for reading, I have to go write a new bit to try, and figure where in my town (this little burg called L.A.) to go see next, and to update my spell check to accept the word “blog."

Keep Laughing

"Skinny" Jokes

2011-03-21T04:09:00.000-07:00

It seemed easy to write when I was starting out as a comic. I had a great combination of enthusiasm, drive, and best of all, a binder full of “comedy” thoughts that I had been writing down since I was a sophomore in High School. (the quotes are ‘cause most of those thoughts weren’t very funny) It was like being a baker, and that binder was my yeast stock. Every morning, I’d go to the binder, pick some things out, and work on making them better. Building on the germ of what I hoped was the funny idea.

I’m still a comic that looks over notes and adds to those thoughts and while I know there’re great comics, and great writers that start off every morning with a blank page, that method has never paid dividends for me.

The biggest turning point in that early writing was when I ran across the idea of making the jokes "skinny." I had what I thought was the joke written out and then I’d go over every single line with a pencil, and cross out every third word. Then rewrite the joke with the forced economy of thought. Obviously, a few words I’d crossed out were needed and were put back in, but that little exercise boiled the joke down to its essentials. It enabled me to see, or feel, or sometimes even taste, the IDEA of what I should be saying. A practice that served me well for a long time: making the jokes “skinny.”

Now 20+ years later, while I still believe that “less is more,” and “brevity is the soul of wit” I have recently come to realize that in writing, nothing is absolute and in life, rules are made to be broken. I’ve been trying out a few ideas for a long time, and something was just wrong with them. The ideas were still funny to me, but I wasn’t able to communicate to the audience what was funny about them. In talking over these ideas with a comic friend it was suggested that I add some words to explain the joke… I had never heard of such a thing, this was blasphemy. My brain was reeling.

Most anyone who’s spoken to me for as little as 2 minutes would think that the last thing I need to have is permission to use MORE words… yet, I learned a long time ago, listen to everyone, and keep an open mind, and when you ask someone’s opinion, you might actually get what you ask for. I’ve added words back to these thoughts, took the "skinny" jokes off their word diet, and made them comedic ideas again, ideas that actually work as jokes… whew!!!

So, use the words you have, and if you use too many, you may well wish to cross ‘em out. But just remember if you cut too much, that “skinny” joke, might only be funny to you.

Wonderful-trouble

2011-03-07T05:13:00.000-08:00

The wonderful-trouble with a blog, (or my blog at least to not be so general…) is thinking you (or in this case I) have anything to say, and yet every couple of weeks, having a place you’re supposed to say it. Sometimes I think of a bunch of stuff to put here… (I’d call it “comedy stuff” but that has so far stretched the bounds of too many audiences disagreeing…) But originally, I had several thoughts when I started this blog, and one of those thoughts was that my blog space would be an outlet, or a “place” to try (or maybe that is “put”) stuff, that are just the amusements that pass my way. So that’s gonna be this week… No great epiphanies since last blog, no great hints of how, or anything that might add to someone’s knowledge… but life still tosses amusements my way, and like it or not, I write some of them down… (OK, most ALL of them down…)

A few years ago, I was a character known as the “West Coast Wise Guy” on an afternoon radio show out of the east coast… I’d forgotten how much fun it was just to prepare bits, and say them to the easy softball pitch set-ups those wonderful talk show hosts threw to me 3 days a week… Sure, it was only for a few months, as I think the station was sold, but for a little time, it was so much fun, one of the best kinds of stresses I’ve ever had. So with that in mind, now and again I’ll throw in a (hopeful) comedy thought… kinda like last month, when I walked in and bought some (surprisingly good) coffee at a place called Lucky Donut. While I was there, a guy in front of me bought and ate 4 apple fritters… and I’m thinking “So maybe that’s why it’s named Lucky Donut, ‘cause of how lucky guys like this are that their heart don't explode…”

And later that week, I'm home and I heard a Sonic boom. I found out I live in a good neighborhood. When you hear a sonic boom, in a good neighborhood, people run outside to see what happened..., in a bad neighborhood they run inside...

Enjoy the Month of March!

Dry Spell

2011-02-21T04:15:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the brain (let’s talk about mine…) doesn’t want to turn on. I don’t know if they (brains) have an “on” switch or not? Mine might, but I haven’t found it (the switch) in a reliable spot, such that if I find it once, it’s never back where I can find it again. I don’t know what to do to create (or juice) the creative juices… Sometimes I have a germ of an idea, and it ends up just being the kind of germ no one wants to touch. Such is the creative situation in which I sometimes find myself…

Sorry, I don’t have a (good) solution, just voicing the observation (read: complaint) so that if anyone else (reading this) has the same complaint, they realize they’re not alone. Sometimes, I get on a creative jag, bend, tear, road, journey... and it’s great, I’m awake, I have coffee, I’ve got paper, I’ve got ideas, and I type (or speak into my dictation software) until my wrist or voice is tired and while I’ve barely touched the surface of where I wanted to go, I crawl off to bed with that good kinda fatigue, and figure (at that point it’s more “hope…”) that the (creative) cup that “runneth” over today will have a pool below it tomorrow but most times (and alas) “no…” The cup is mostly dry, sometimes (rarely) a puddle’s left over in the bottom, but never a pool.

My thought/solution is to write everyday, and to be ready for the muse to visit you. Maybe it’s like a paper route, only she (muses are female in my head) doesn’t hit your house every day. But like the road miles a boxer puts in for a fight, I’m just getting’ ready for the bell to ring and to start again, mostly from scratch, but no one can take away the ideas (good and bad) from yesterday and I often think positively that maybe the thoughts from today will build on it. Anyhow that’s where the brain’s takin’ me today.

So, Keep writing, maybe you’ll find like me, that while hardly anything I do, "makes perfect”, at least "practice makes patience…"

Like a Convertible

2011-02-07T19:02:00.000-08:00

A while back (I love nebulous time frames… and also wonderful words like “nebulous”) I was in Alaska… Ketchikan I think, (rain capital of the US) and saw a small parade of convertible cars. There aren’t a lot of days in Alaska and especially in Ketchikan where you can enjoy a convertible, and put the top down. But there they were, tops down and drivers with smiling faces. I’m sure the ownership of a convertible car in Alaska is it’s own kinda pleasure… a secret that you know you have, and keep, and only let out to a few folks lucky enough to be there on a sunny day…

I have a few jokes like this, that aren’t often told, and hardly work when they are told… They’re not intricate, or part of my regular (i.e. money making) routine, but they’re some of my bits that I just like to hear now and again, to see if I can bring some thing new to it, or tell it right. Do “right” by the idea, or connect with the audience in such a way that they see it, (my thoughts) “my” way…

I think some of the material you write, should have a few things that you enjoy just tossing in. I saw an early George Carlin DVD where he told 2-3 jokes where he “expected” a groan. He commented on it, and laughed. I think HE liked to do the jokes, because they made him laugh… and that’s what we’re on stage for sometimes… to share the things that make US laugh… not just things we know will make them (the audience) laugh…

Now I’m not suggesting any comic out there, starting a career, or continuing the dream, fill their show with ONLY jokes that (ONLY?) make themselves laugh, but now and again I think it’s not only forgivable, it’s enjoyable.

Our sets of jokes, (our acts) are hopefully like cars that get us and the people we’re driving, from here to there, set up, punchline, act out… etc. Our talking and pauses, that are filled with laughs that build, (with sometimes and unintentional rhyme… oops) and audiences that’re entertained. I mean, why own a convertible if you can’t let the top down now and again? Why come up with jokes you like if you can’t tell ‘em, even if, when you let one fly, you’re the only one that laughs? Keep trying ‘em, ‘cause some time when you feel the groove, and the audience lets you take ‘em the scenic route… you get to put the top down, on a sunny day in the rain capital… and those are the times it’s GOOD to be the driver…

See you in a few weeks…

Surrounded By Funny…

2011-01-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

I’ve read in more than one publication and heard from more than one person that keeping a list of things you’re grateful for, greatly improves your life… I tried it for while and didn’t hang in there, but I think I’m going to get back to it with a small addition: I think I’m going to specifically add things that make me laugh.

It seems, every couple weeks, I try to collect enough coherence to put together a blog. The actual process is really, that throughout those two weeks, I write ideas down and spend time figuring which ones strike me hard enough to expand upon. (or if you’re an English major, “upon which to expand…”) And yet here I am, the morning a blog is “due” (thank goodness it’s earlier in Florida… so I’m not late yet) still unable to figure out “exactly” what to write about.

But what a great problem to have, I’m surrounded by funny. I sometimes think it’s a big deal, in my own little world, to wake up look over my notes and abstractions, take out the pen du jour (oh wait this is typed…) and try to add substance to the “supposed” joke ideas I have already come up with. But the truth is, there’s so many laughs that’re so often just given to me by the world (friends, family, fate) that sometimes all I have to do is note THEM down and my job is practically done. It's like starting the 100 yard dash at the 40 yard line...

So far this year I’m surrounded by funny. And while it would take 30 paragraphs to have solid/coherent setups for each of the laughs I’m thinking of (in just the first 2 weeks of the year) I’m hoping in 2011 to really strive to jot down more completely how much and what I’m laughing at because so much more seems to actually come from the real world than ever before. Maybe it’s my perspective, maybe it’s my mood, maybe it’s just that I’m in a VERY lucky time, (HONESTLY... I don't care) any which way it happens I’m grateful… and I'll hopefully let you know my progress in keeping track of it.

2011 Here I Come

2011-01-03T06:05:00.000-08:00

First Monday, New Year…
Happy (and I truly hope it is…) New Year for everyone… I hope your resolutions are easy, I’d hate to think that dear friends (and others) would start off with impossible goals when high minded “nearly” impossible usually suffice.
I will hope for the month just gone by, that your family was as easy to visit as mine, and that you were an easier guest than I usually am.
Sure I have (and tell) my stories, (just try and stop me…) And sure, I talk more than I listen, and eat/drink more than I (anyone) should…, but that’s the me that ALWAYS shows up. No… what I’m talking about is how I am always and continually (and redundantly) amused (when I head back home) as to how quickly and how much of our (read: my) youth is recaptured, (or is it more proper to say that we/I are so quickly recaptured by it?)
Now I, (since I’m writing this) am truly lucky to be able to visit the same street, the same house, and many of the same people that I knew growing up. And yet the last thing I seem to feel when I am around this group is “grown up…” Maybe that’s why it’s so true that I didn’t write a ton of comedy in the holiday filled month of December, or plan the next year of blogs, my next show, or even balance my checkbook, (which some months could be quite comical…) but I sure did get to fill up the brain in a restful, recharging way that I feel (or is that “hope”) will bring levity in the upcoming happy and funny new year. So here’s to a slower (didn’t the last year go by fast?) funnier, and even MORE enjoyable (don’t forget those roses smell good) new year to all.

Here's to a Great New Year and only a few White Elephants

2010-12-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas Holiday is not far away, and Hannaukah is not so far past. So however you celebrate, and with New Year’s just around the bend… Third Monday’s here and there’s just time for a new (last of 2010) blog. Well, let’s end this comedy year a bit easy… yakking about the “typical” holiday party… Some people’s only goal is to survive the annual holiday party filled with friends and family…, but this year I thrived! It was fun, fun, fun… and it isn’t always the case, in fact I’d think the odds are often high that someone is gonna turn the time into some trouble…, usually by a combination of talking up the wrong story at the wrong time to the wrong people… But still, we strive to have the party, (or at least go to one…) And if we’re in charge (i.e throwing the event) we invite the people, (hoping some don’t come ‘cause really how big is the house?) and then pimp the home (or primp it at least), buy, prepare to later serve and hopefully eat the food, pour, and serve, and hopefully drink (some of) the drinks. Then at the end of food and libation… some parties have a game and this year we followed tradition… Our game was called “the white elephant…” I had the explanation (Thanks P.J.) that a true white elephant is something that requires more upkeep than the good or service it provides you…

We termed it as an "item" you might think someone else will want… within a budget restriction of $20… Now, I’m usually one who seeks cooperation or compromise OVER conflict but this game requires some selfishness for the good natured fun to give fodder for next year’s party story… (And there was no shortage of selfishness at this year's party...) There was no bloodshed, no body blows, but some definite choice words were used when a wanted item was “stolen” and it can only be stolen twice and then it’s "safe." And as an extra incentive for bringing “good” gifts, we offered a special “additional” prize for the most sought after gift… Defined as the most stolen and the most talked about… I’m glad no one thought to bring as a gift anything like a full (or even partial) knife set… although next year, hmmm, maybe we’ll see… I'll let you know, if you don't read about it in the papers...

Thanks to the readers and commenters for the GRAND 2010, here’s to the best of everything for you and yours in 2011… and may your White elephants be few and all of them low maintenance...

Not So Busy Man

2010-12-06T17:36:00.000-08:00

One of the most valuable things I’ve ever been told is “Give something to a busy man to get it done…” I think the logic is that busy people find time to do more… they have to organize their time, thus it being organized they can fit more in, until... "Critical mass" sets in… With me, if I get a good cup of coffee and can carry it without spilling on my bag to the gate at MIA when I'm heading home, well… my day is pretty much done… SO this pithy (however true) saying goes against my slothy style of procrastination that I have so effectively (seemingly) perfected…

No good excuses... I even had an extra week to plan to get out my "First" Monday of December blog as I was out on a boat (a ship but boat just sounds funnier) but the itinerary changed and while being less than pushy about accomplishing all on my to-do list… (the word I’m avoiding is “lazy”) I am also extremely cheap and so while I MAY have had time at the airport, I wasn’t going to pay for internet when I could have he perfectly balanced coffee AND read the paper and hope to get bumped for the $400 voucher they promised rather than try to “publish…” AND also what I wanted to say, at 3 AM when inspiration hit me, (we often fight) it just as quickly left me, so now home again home again… I thought I’d at least keep the streak of the calendar going…

I certainly haven’t run out of things to say, I just have a hard time motivating myself to say them, or at the very least… say them coherently to others… The voices in my head seem to make so much sense to me, but letting them out on paper has proven tricky…

Anyhow it’s been a great MONTH since just about Thanksgiving (my last writing) and while I truly have SOOOO much to be thankful for… so far organizational skills are not yet things I’d put on that list… but as the eternal optimist, I know there’s always 2011 to look forward to…

But a few things I DO look forward to NOW, and want to clue you in, ONE is watching my pal Carlos Alazraqui’s web-series as it continues to unfold… www.theclubontheweb.com

And there’s also a live showing of Mike Dugan’s one man show this Thursday… a project that has come a long wonderful way from when I first heard Mike speak of it a few years back… www.menfakeforeplay.com/gateway.html

Hope you laugh a ton in this upcoming Holiday Time and I'll plan to "see" you (i.e. read me) on the Third Monday, (I can hope...)

Steve

Late Night Flight

2010-11-14T06:21:00.000-08:00

Over the loudspeaker, at my gate, last night, late (careful that was almost poetry…) I heard the announcement that the only problem with my upcoming flight, was that they couldn’t “find” the pilots!? Words which immediately turned the “red-eye flight" previously filled with quiet tired people, into a "red-faced flight" where many of the demure travelers were instantly awake, with a new sole purpose: to be completely upset with the counter people… the unfortunate bearers of bad news. As if those folks at the microphone had the power, influence, and/or incentive to kidnap, whisk away, or hide the errant pilots. Yes, I see the big advantage of celebrating April Fools, in November, at 11 P.M. ...I mean doesn’t everyone???

To the complete contrary, these poor folks wanted to find some pilots quick… ANY pilots, more than everyone on that flight. Which led to a small bit of concern in my head, when the next announcement came professing the idea that they were now looking hard for “replacement” pilots and they were confident they could find some, somewhere around the airport… The comic part of me thought to the headlines recently, “Yeah, I’ll bet you can find plenty, why don’t we just check the bar…”

I most always rest easy getting to gigs by flying in planes ‘cause I know the people in the decision making part of that kinda business care a great deal more about the 100 million dollar plane then they do about me with my 100 dollar ticket flying ON them… And given the premise, they’re never gonna look for someone that didn’t pass the right test, whether that’s altitude class last year, or the breath-alizer 10 minutes ago.

Still there was a sense of relief as I boarded the plane that the team they found from the incoming Toledo flight, or 'rent a pilot' or wherever, were out looking at the Jumbo Jet and visibly going through a check list on the out side of the plane, one of ‘em even grabbin’ the engine cowling and tugging on it… It’s certainly reassuring that the people in charge of flying MY plane are probably quite concerned that the machine can get the job done, since they KNOW that they can get the job done. Yep, once on that "bird," I slept like a baby, which is just slightly ironic or a great misstatement, since the baby behind me couldn’t figure how to sleep at all… Keep laughing.

November One

2010-11-01T03:48:00.000-07:00

11/1/10

A good date… I like a date with a lot of numbers that are in sync. I like when that happens in life like when I see my car’s odometer about to reach one of those car birthdays that signify something grand in my brain, like 100,000 miles. Sometimes I just stop and pull over wherever I am and enjoy the moment. I’m glad they don’t do that on PLANES…

I don’t have a point to the blog this week. So many thoughts pass through this head in the period of time between the first and third (and first again) Mondays, and I liken it to fishing in that you want to pull in one you can brag about… or at least pull in one that can sustain you, otherwise it ends up just a story about hanging out in the boat doing a bunch of nothing. Which can be good for some, but not AS good for me. Not AS good as finding a bragging or sustaining fish…

BUT don't get me wrong, it’s been a grand couple of weeks, I’ve had most of the month off of “serious” work, (read money making) and filled my time with solid milestones like 20^th and 50^th birthdays of people in my life, right after the 50^th anniversary of the comedy club where I was invited to do that “big” previously talked about 5 minutes, and also seeing the start of a new business idea that combines both the “scary” and the excitement of the new and untried. Can’t forget there’s also an election sweeping in and it’s the kind of voting season that drives some people “crazy” as in over the top, and others nearly underground. Yes, all this happening while personally trying and experimenting with new comedy styles both writing AND performing, seeing if the adage is correct about ‘teaching an old dog new tricks’ or more aptly seeing if this one can do old tricks perhaps better. Yep this head’s full of ALL these big/significant items of existence that are large enough that they make one WANT to pull over on the shoulder of life and just feel their effect, just enjoy being in the boat…

I think that’s what I’m doing today, this week, and month, maybe the rest of the year… All the while happily looking ahead for all the promise that passing good milestones along the road of life can bring, and ALSO I look forward with a smile, because one year from today it’ll be 11/1/11… maybe I can pull over then too… (and hope I’m not on a plane…)

5 minute nerves

2010-10-18T04:40:00.000-07:00

Whenever, say, in college, I heard about a big test for someone ELSE, I always told ‘em, remember… it’s just a couple of hours of your life, don’t give it too much thought if it goes wrong, there’s ALWAYS time to make it up, and if you cruise into a final (you know, when there ISN’T time to “make it up”…) well, then you have to hope that you prepared enough ahead of time to have set the right high grade in case you blew the big ending. My theory then and to a large part now, is simple: prepare as much as you can, then you do the best you can, you let life test you as it can, and you survive as you can, and (hopefully) move on.

If your preparation was the right kind the show/test will go well, and if not, then SURELY you know how to prepare better the next time. OF COURSE, it doesn’t ALWAYS work, but it works enough for the theory to continue in practice. The bottom line is that there’s so much more to life than worry, and it seems in my observation that worry hasn’t ever helped as much as it hurt…

STILL, sometimes I can’t follow my own advice. I worried recently over a small set in a big venue. I was to be a small part of a long time celebration of a comedy club that I was privileged to be included as one of the acts picked to perform. I haven’t been that nervous for a 5-minute set in a long time. I KNOW… 5 minutes, just enough time to say hello, maybe get a few laughs, and leave, but 5 minutes I ALSO KNOW is MORE than enough time to bomb.

I prepared, I practiced, and all that last day, I could still feel my throat trying to swallow my stomach which was still trying to escape through the very same route… Finally I looked in the mirror an hour before my time and said “it’s only a couple MINUTES of your life” (not even HOURS like college) but that didn’t help... just like it didn’t help that I prepared, or that I wanted to do the best I can, or even that I (thought I) knew what I was doing. Nope, nothing fixed it, UNTIL… somebody reminded me to have fun up there. And I did, it’s magic, this fun thing. Something I never did seem to have taking those tests in college… I should’ve tried that then.

Still laughing, AND still surviving. (whew...) See you next "first."

The Track of Comedy Life

2010-10-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

When I ran track, both in high school and college, I had fun. And let me also confess, the word “ran” is too of a big word for what I did on those teams… And while “lumber” isn’t exactly correct either, the more accurate depiction of my skill contribution is somewhere between lumbering and running. Yeah, that’s it, to be completely honest, picture 2 parts run, to 1 part lumber, and that’s how I was a participant. I wasn’t good. If there had been a bench in track I would’ve been under it. (I’m just glad there weren’t tackling dummies in that sport or I probably would’ve been one ‘em.)

That was always the biggest advantage to track: everyone can join the team that wants to. You want to race, join in, and after about 20 yards past the starters gun going off, the field naturally spreads out… Sometimes, in the longer races, I started behind people, and most often just fell further back from there… Still, I ran… and even more “still” I had fun.

I knew at the beginning of most races who was going to win… Unless there was rogue lightning, or a misplaced shot put, or javelin toss, first and second place were nearly set.

Comedy is a lot like track in some ways; you don’t have to be great to try it, the pack separates initially, but the big difference is there’s no CERTAIN end, no tape to cross, no finish line. You can make people laugh your whole life long, or at least try… You can get better along the way, “lose” one night (or several) and realize afterwards, the race isn’t over… And if you desire, the race is just beginning…

That’s the best part of this business, (even if it’s not a business for you…) whether you know how to run, lumber, crawl, or just survive… if you like attempting to get laughs, and can grab some fun along the way yourself… you win, even when you don’t see a finish line.

Keep laughing…

Passing Time

2010-09-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go? One of the “Age old” questions that I too have no good answer for. I took a peek at the calendar and it’s already the third Monday of the month. For me that’s “Tomorrow” (well you be reading it and saying “TODAY” but this is MY blog and it’s ALREADY Sunday when I’m writing it, which is later than I want to write it but…) Time has just passed by, especially THIS week, working with the most friends I’ve seen on the road in a long time. It’s my “ship” week, and on this particular vessel I know a ton of people. The fun part is that catching up takes a good bit of good time. It’s not just the “hi, how are you… what have you been doing?” — stuff, it’s the kind of catching up with friends that means you get to put more energy filling up the reminiscing tank. Make a few dinners filled with conversation, meet after the show, (and before the show) maybe just sit and chat ‘cause it’s gonna be a long time (probably) before you get to do any of it again… and we seem never get to do it enough…

The big benefit for me is I get to see some shows/performances that I haven’t seen for a while, so I get to have some laughs I haven’t had for a while and even better some new laughs that I’ve never seen. Sure it’s great seeing the old hit bits that that are tighter than ever, I mean most good acts have their usual things that happen on stage which grow stronger over time… But the most fun has been (and IS for me) the chatting and working on IDEAS for our acts that someday when they grow up, might actually become NEW, strong tight laughs.

So this SECOND of my “first and third”, (actually/technically this is the first “third”) harkens back to one of my first blogs… the one where you try to find people you like to write with. And lucky me this week that sometimes fate (or my agent) sets up a situation where you get to hang, write, and goof off comically in a rarer way than we performers on the road are usually allowed.

So I’m not sure how much insight I’m giving, but I do know that it’s due to weeks like this that I’m allowed to remember how much I enjoy what I do. Not just because of the strangers that laugh (sometimes…) but also because of the people that make me laugh, and make me feel creative, and help me create… It’s a nice, good, solid, bunch of people I’ve been allowed to meet and make friends and running into them tends to make a good week great…

Maybe THAT’s where the time goes…, at least when you’re lucky…

See you first Monday…

Bruner's First and Third

2010-09-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

'Been an eventful summer... a truly enjoyable run of good stuff, including a needed focus on the things important, (important to me) and a "gettin' done" of some stuff that just needed gettin' done... (I wish some things would go away when you ignored 'em but seems only category of consistency where that happens is "good people"...)

I didn't put a ton of thought into what the next bloggish items should or would be, but I did realize my original goal of a couple 'a times a week, mucho times per month, was a bit of an over reach... A stretch, almost a self imposed (medieval) rack...

THANKS for the received many positive comments (praise is always enhancement) and the negatives were ALSO good, (constructive criticism is always an enhancement too) but life sometimes gets in the way of living it. (Sometimes the internet got in the way too, as I polished up a version or two, I was without and didn't plan enough ahead for the "off line" possibility) and, of course, there's the issue, moreso than I anticipated, of what do you do when your (in this case... MY) brain is "off line."

Anyhow, for better or worse, I'm back on a schedule, hoping to take on a few ideas passed along by friends, and a few ideas I've had myself. So the "plan" is to be consistent on THE first and third Monday of the month... We'll see how that works out...,

Comically yours, (well next time I'll attempt to be MORE comical anyways...)

and happy labor day...

Steve

Listening helps but not always...

2010-05-10T05:28:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, I did a gig that was presented to me, as terribly difficult. From the time I booked it, arrived, rehearsal (which for me is 3 minutes… i.e. sound check, like: “is this thing on…”) and back stage, I was told how “Super Stiff” these people were. They had been an audience for a month, (WORLD Cruise) and NEVER been good. Well, it scared the heck/crap/begezus out of me. I wasn’t sure what to do, OTHER than what I do. But still I thought I’d re-write some stuff, and I'd worry, and I'd practice stuff I knew by heart: pretty much my plan was to fill my life with worry and busy-work until the show (NOT my BEST plan.) You can’t say I wasn’t prepared, and you know what, the first of 3 shows went FINE. Above average, but not killer, I was tentative, expecting HATE, but they were FINE… I started with a laugh, moved forward, and noted they were picky, moved through my material, won them over and hey, I ended strong. Show #2, even better, I mean, confidence was key. I went out and truthfully they were a better audience, there were more of them (In show #2) and they had been drinking longer, and were ready to laugh. A strong strong strong show I enjoyed doing, being a part of, it was beyond FINE, it was FUN.

SO the almost moral to the story is to listen to the audinence, pay attention to those observances of those who have SEEN the audience, but give them fair weight and the audience shouldn’t be judged completely before you get there, just as they will not judge you before you get there. Here comes show #3… TERRIBLE, AWFUL, HARD, HORRIBLE, OUCH! Yep, everything I was warned about for ALL shows, the one show that I was warmed up for, one show I was loose, ready, confident. I tried my tricks, tried my material, changed it up, had some savers (For jokes that BOMBED…) a big (hardly) nothin’. Double and triple “OUCH.” And I figured, I would just survive 45 minutes. At about 30 in, some folks had left, but the ones that stayed, STAYED and FINALLY got into it. The last 15 was ok, not FINE, not FUN, but ok (maybe even OK) so some shows you just survive, some you struggle/work through, and some are better than you are told to expect. If they were always the same thing, you’d be bored. I’ve been doin’ it a few years now and still can’t figure out the key to every new audience. That first 30 minutes of the last show was the most fun I have had bombing in YEARS, so much so that I ended up not bombing… I had a recorder too, but it didn’t function that final show… when I went back to my room to listen NOTHING… somebody up there likes me… and 2 out 3 audience folks like me too…

P.S. for those that follow this blog ATTENTION, I have some pressing life business until Mid July, so I will be back for sure then, but will attend my life as it needs to be attended. See you soon, and I say this in case I don't get a blog out prior to that. Steve

Newbie

2010-04-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

When baby birds leave the nest I wonder if the bird-parents “hope” they can fly, worry they can't, OR if they say… “Hey, they left the nest, there was nothing I could do…” That’s how I felt when a new pal went up for the first time doing stand-up. Hopeful, frightened. We had chatted a few times, he picked my brain, sent some material to ask questions about and I can say honestly: first time out, he FLEW. AND he flew well, maybe there was no outside loop/barrel roll combo, but he took-off, flew straight and narrow, landed, AND walked away… Way to go! I got to see the set (he sent a link) and I laughed…

It reminded me of my first time. It was GRAND. Adrenaline, excitement, jokes coming out so fast, and timing so off (unlike my pal) but it didn’t matter ‘cause I was having fun and that caught on, but really just to “DO IT” was ENOUGH and I was ecstatic. (Oh, uh we’re talking “jokes” here people... get your mind out of the gutter.) The laughter was secondary but it was there, enough for me to go back. Like my pal said in his e-mail he was, “Hooked…”

Comedy: the new drug of choice.

Once, recently, I went to an open mic’ and when asked for my intro. I said it was my first time THERE, but the MC didn’t hear the word “there…” and so I went up as a newbie/virgin/first-timer who had never done comedy. Man that was fun, with everyone there giving me that first time love and me bringing some tried and true material ‘cause the venue was a tough one. Then about 3 minutes into it everyone knew it wasn’t my first time on stage, but they didn’t get angry and no one threw any bottles, they just let me finish up with the idea they were in on some inside joke. So the set ended nicely, and the owner said after it was all explained that acting “brand new” was a pretty good strategy… Yeah, figures, the best strategies are often the ones I don’t come up with. (Oh well, I'll take whatever good-luck I get.) But like my friend, the real newbie, a laugh is a laugh when it’s a good laugh. And being given the benefit of the doubt as a new comic doesn’t buy you much more that 10- 20 seconds up front. After that you better hope you can fly. Congrats!!!

Heckling unlimited.

2010-04-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

Everyone should take a spring break, learning is a lifetime long deal right? I mean, we don't just learn when you’re in school so we shouldn't just take a Spring Break when we're in school. My Spring Break was last week and hence the no blog. Sometimes vacationing just gets in the way of doing stuff!!

Anyhow, “Welcome back Steve.” ‘Why thank you, so nice to be back.’

I was asked about heckling over the weekend at a really fun show, and quickly gave a small bit of advice I thought I’d share, since I only touched on it briefly in another blog.

Like the continuing laugher of a blog or two back, acknowledge the person sound or whatever interruption there is. Make the audience aware of it so those that (or who) don’t know what you know so they finally DO know. Then they will get the joke your responding with, you’ll be making the reference common, and by explaining what is happening to those that may not know, you are setting up the punchline of whatever you're saying.

The one thing I pointed out that I wanted to relay, is that a few times in my career I was heckled right out of the box. I hadn’t said anything yet. (My mistake according to the one heckler I remember is that I wore a bright blue shirt… and he wanted me to KNOW it… as if I didn't know it...) Make sure as a comic etc. to get out a joke before you respond to the heckler or comment. Establish to those in the audience, that you’re funny, that you know what you’re doing with your humor; that YOU'RE there for a reason, that it's YOU they should listen to (not him.) THEN, respond to the person who said something. (In my case the "fashion critic…") Get as many people “on your side” as you can FIRST, then you can more “appropriately” attack the interrupter, or ask him what he said. You establish that you’re the reason they’re (the audience is) there, you’re the funny one, and then you can respond to the comment on higher ground… If you respond right away, no matter who you are, you come off as mean which can be quite a hard hole to climb out of, even if your comedy is oriented as mean…

So go forth and be funny. Heckle commentary continues next time too (Unless I get another Spring Break…) I have to go now and buy a bright blue shirt.

The Little House

2010-04-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

There’s a little house on the I-5, that I pass on the way from L.A. to visit my hometown. Or it started as a little house, and it seems every 4-6 months for 15 years something was always happening to it. They added curtains, added paint, added a guest room, added a truck, added a second story, added a deck, (breathe) added a guest house, then a barn, then a bigger barn, then some horses, then some stables, (maybe it was stables and then some horses…) Then they added a motor home and (finally?) a bigger motor home.

I have seen that house become a home and I think about that every time I see it when I go by. They grew like a tree.

I’m never sure what moral to take from real life. Make a plan? Plant roots? Reach for the sun? Add to your house? Buy a bigger Motor Home? I don’t know but I like passing by that house. Remembering what it was like when it started. (Seriously, no curtains… you could see right through it.) And then to see it now… I like the feeling of growth it represents every time I visit the hometown. (Have I grown? I know I have curtains. Do I need a motorhome?)

I’m into progress, I’m into growth, and I’m into change (because to fight change is foolish and crazy.) I think what I like about that house is that I doesn’t matter how big you grow, how far you away you go, you’ll be OK if you can remember back to (and don’t forget) your humble roots which started as a see through one bedroom with no curtains.

Open doors, as many as you can.

2010-04-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

Keep your friends close and keep your friends that you can give gigs to closer.

Sure I know the “enemies” line from Sun Tzu, but, to be honest, I don’t have that many enemies and not looking to make more nor collect ‘em. (But you enemies… you KNOW who you are…)

My thoughts (and practices) for a while now have been to introduce those folks I know (and respect) to work options I’m aware of. And I’ll tell ya, it has helped me on many fronts. I figure there’s work out there. Sure I see the economy and know there’s not ENOUGH work, (is there EVER enough) nor as much as everyone wants… BUT, when you get a gig and it goes well, you often can’t do it over and over, year after year. And one great way to “spread the wealth” is in a parting “polite” shot to the company, you offer up names (and numbers) for a replacement for the future annual repeat of the event.

Many of the peeps when I threw their name into the hat, have responded in kind… (Although, that’s not my point) But still, I’ll tell you many, if not most, of my best gigs are ones where my name has been suggested by pals (the gender neutral terms for comedy and civilian “friends”) Not always a fill in, but an event they thought I’d fit. They opened the door and I was able to sell the vacuum cleaner…

Life’s somewhat of an experiment, and I lived the method of keeping bookers and gigs quiet with the fear that if I gave it/that/them away there’d be no room for me. The truth that I’ve found, and the thought I want to live, is that fear multiplies fear and opportunities multiply opportunities. Besides, when I get to be of an advanced age, I want the computer equivalent of my rolodex to be filled with people that like hearing from me, (“Pals”) and people I want to talk to.

"Hating" Your Material

2010-03-31T03:19:00.000-07:00

Got asked another comedy question, and will try to offer another comedy answer.

How much should you practice your material? OR: if you are sick of your “set” is something wrong?

I can maybe best illustrate this by saying when I started, I only did comedy a couple of nights a week. Then I met a guy who was on Letterman and back in the day this was huge, I mean HUGE. (It’s not small potatoes now but back then it was a gigantic leg up ‘cause Letterman was NEW…) And this fellow had sent in a tape. And they called him from the TAPE (good tape…) So I asked similar advice, like “how many times do you do your set…” etc. etc. He told me (and I listened) that he does his bits as many times as possible. He did his bits so many times per week that he “hated” his material. That's what he said, just like that. But he wanted to get every ounce of performance practice he could which obviously worked. Yep, it led to him being noticed for being crisp and prepared and ready and professional looking… (left out commas as my high school english teacher doesn't follow this blog) and I’d say etc. etc. but those things might be enough.

So, I would say at the risk of being Nike-ish as in just do it, well similarly, do it just enough to hate your bits…, apparently that’s the right amount.

The side note to this is that if you “hate” your bits, it's quite possible that you’ll write something new so you have something to look forward to in your stuff. So get the “muscle-memory” equivalent to doing your “standard” material to a point where it's SOLID, but when you toss in a new/clever/funny piece to keep yourself amused, life will be good.

That would be my prescription but remember, I’m not a doctor and nor do I play one on TV, but it makes sense to me anyway.

Travel is a bit much this week, so there’s only one blog, try to control your tears and talk at you after Easter and Passover and whatever other religious observances I didn’t mention. Have a great week.

First Timer Laugh-Advice

2010-03-26T06:46:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine (OK good friend might be a strong set of words for someone I’ve met once, e-mailed twice, and read through some comedy material he wrote, perhaps he’d think “acquaintance” is a better word…) still I’m easy, but to suggest I’m not THAT easy I’ll do it this way: A Pal of mine (better?) is doing stand-up for the first time next week... hopefully... (I mean hopefully it's stand-up, he's definitely performing.)

So first let me say: YAHOO! Another person fights the good (if sometimes crazy) fight!

He asked me some good questions, and by good I mean he asked them, as most questions are basically good, it’s the answers that are squishy on the quality scale…

Anyhow, the gist of the questions was/is “Any advice???” Sure, I’m full of advice (of which some fits into the “squishy” category above…) but here goes…

1) Go prepared… have your material memorized… take control of what you can control.

2) Pause for a second or two (or a millisecond or two) for your laughter… this here’s the TIMING portion of your show, it's the cue to the audience that it’s their turn to be (hopefully) involved…

2a) On your script, if your write your stuff out, (and for 5 minutes I would) underline or highlight your punch word (the word after which the joke is ended... hopefully) and they (the audience) should (hopefully) laugh. SO let ‘em... (see #2 above)

3) We’re basically animals so bring confidence, we (audiences especially) can smell, see, hear, and understand fear. SCARED is not the kinda funny you want to be.

4) Tape (showing my age, I mean “record”) your set. This (performance) is a big wonderful deal, even if it goes astray a bit, there’ll be a moment or two where you really broke a leg or at least a toe, TREASURE THAT… And if folks are laughing at a different thing than you think they should be laughing at (see number 2a) rewrite your bit so they laugh where YOU want ‘em to.

This means 4b) would be that you listen to the tape (recording) and that might be the hardest thing of all… it is often the most difficult for me.

To everyone trying something new: good job, go break something like a leg or the toe mentioned. Trying is often the best part of courage, and have a good weekend…

Back to the Good Grind

2010-03-22T02:03:00.000-07:00

Don’t know much about a ton, but one thing I seem to know about even less than nothing is how to rest up when you’re only home for 30 hours. I take some great solace in the idea that I’m leaving for good work and that one (me) should always take good work when it’s offered. Like the “too much” laugher of the last two weeks it’s a “quality problem” to have. People pay me to leave the house, so I must leave the house…

Enough time home to see the family, pet the pooches, and wash the dirties or unmentionables… (seems to me if you call them unmentionables, you are still mentioning them… but I digress...) Off to a(nother) boat that will be the opposite of last two weeks… It’ll be this week’s Spring Breakers vs. the previous week’s Retirees. If the folks I performed for in the Panama Canal were on Spring Break they must've been the professors (or is “Faculty” funnier, or Alumni? hmmmmm decisions, decisions…) Anyhow (a shorter way to say “but I digress”) the funny will (hopefully) continue on… The new bits will be tried on new audiences and life and checkbook reserves will be good/better than they were before I left. I’m tired a bit, sure, I mean I was in Columbia yesterday at 1 AM, but not tired of what I do… WHEW.

Have a great week… and thanks for the comments.

Travails of Travel

2010-03-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

It’s a travel day, sorry for the late blog, looking forward to being home even if for a short time…

Heading through Cartagena to Bogota to get to LA and had intermittent inter-net the whole day. One of those days where you're locked (for a scary while) out of your room but nothing to fear compared to Cartagena rush hour which was/is amazing. I think I’ve only had closer calls in Bali, and when they were shooting people on the freeways in LA. The driver was amazing in not killing us (avoidance) and not killing anyone else in his/our way… A PRO!!!

Anyhow not much to report this Friday… but Re-my last blog: I agree with most folks who wrote; laughers are better than non-laughers, and they are nicer off stage. Some folks just want to be part of the show, some just laugh on their own, as in who needs to be a part of a crowd… So I say control what you can and “let ‘em laugh” for the most part. A fun 2 weeks, with only a little comedy done, but it was everything I had… 2-45’s... Sure they were a week a part but yep that’s everything… EVERYTHING...

Thanks for e-mails and comments… have a great weekend…

Quality Problem

2010-03-15T08:17:00.001-07:00

Had a good (???) quality problem last night. I had a laugher, (well more than one really, but one in particular…) that laughed too much. I’ve heard my jokes before, and most of ‘em work most of the time, but not THAT well..., and yeah, there were some new ones, (based on the recent experiences of the week) but WOW… what a new way to be thrown off: have someone laugh too much.
This someone laughed too long, laughed at set ups too soon, overly laughed at a punch-lines I had finished jokes ago... I was both flummoxed and flabbergasted (actually a more accurate word would be “flubbergasted” with all the great food I’ve had this week) but the fact remains I just simply didn’t know how to comment, or critique, or respond. Yep, I was fascinated in the midst of this experience when I couldn’t figure out if this person (gender kept secret from you, not the audience) was helping, or hurting, or something I couldn’t identify…
How interesting to have such a new experience that I couldn’t fathom how to comment during, or still even coherently after. It remains an animal I didn’t know how to pet, or hunt, or run from, but at some point I tried to do all three.
The best part, (other than surviving it) was that people who could hear this person were all laughing at the situation, and I was “getting” those laughs. Sure I tried to narrate it so the people out of range could understand what was happening, but it was better to see it first hand, unless you were ME trying to “figure” it out. Still, a quality problem, someone who laughs TOO much during your comedy act… I guess it’s better than someone sleeping too much during your act, but to be honest, I’m not sure…
Have a good week…

Rookie Maneuver…

2010-03-12T07:18:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you re-learn something you found out in the beginning of your comedy experiences. Here’s a little tip that I forgot to keep in mind, which I re-learned recently, and was reminded by comments after the show as to what I meant during a part of my performance.

The tip is, whenever there’s a distraction from the stage, (heckle, environmental, personal, etc.) mention the cause of the distraction to everyone in the audience. Do it over the microphone so everyone is “in” on the same distraction.

In a recent show, some stuff went on that only the first couple rows could see and hear, and my jokes about it, (my off-the-cuff improv’) only reached part of the audience. The material worked, but only the front rows knew what I was talking about, and so they were the only ones that laughed. Everyone else (the rest of the crowd) was confused about what my jokes were referring to. Worse than confused they were left out, a bad feeling for any part of an audience. Once you make mention of what is happening, everyone can then be included and then the retort about it (or retorts plural if you’re lucky) reaches everyone as well.

It’ll save you time after the show, explaining what 70% didn’t understand. And you never want to lose 70% of your audience for any long period of time. Better to include the 100% rather than just the minority. And the big advantage is that you won’t have to repeat what happened to 70% of the people after the show. Let’s face it, you’d rather be shaking hands ‘cause you were funny, than explaining ‘cause you were confusing.

Personally, I get another chance with the same crowd later this week and hopefully, I’ll have a higher percentage of inclusion, rather than confusion.

Happy weekend.

Calm Day, Hard Week…

2010-03-08T08:42:00.000-08:00

This Sunday turned into a calm day of travel when I was more than a bit stressed that it would be anything but calm. I was worried about what to expect flying into Chile a week after the recent giant earthquake. The citizens and officials of Chile were helpful and kind, even as immigration and customs had to work in the shadow of serious destruction and damage.
It was a flight filled with people far more worried… People returning home for the first time to see the devastation of their country first hand… Returning home to see how or if they could help their families and friends.
I’m amazed how sometimes life is full of opposites. It did not escape me that as many people were attempting to join parts of their families, I was leaving the newer part of mine.
Here’s a good time to say how grateful I am for all the kind comments and e-mails from last weeks blog. It was one of the personal ones, where my wife and I were visiting her side (my in-laws) to join them in going through the very difficult end stage of life (hospice care) of their mother, my mother-in-law.
I did not know her well, but I do feel like I got to know the best of her in a very short time, through the eyes of her family. The insight given between tears and laughter that accompanied the many memories shared during the vigil.
Actually, this week I got to see much of the best of everyone, yesterday while being a visitor in a new country (to me) that was so welcoming, and this past week in my extended family. In both places people constantly managed to display great strength while going through adversity and loss.
I will try to remember to notice the calm valuable lessons of others when I’m allowed.

Only 1 Blog

2010-03-03T05:30:00.000-08:00

My first "Mid-week" blog. First, I love self-imposed deadlines… (I find the boss is more lenient when it’s self-imposed.)

This one here, this blog, well, I’ve re-written 5 times, different themes, a joke or two, different thoughts, ALL no good. I realized even putting in a blog I had written ahead of time wasn’t what I wanted. It’s like a long time ago, nearer 9/11, I had an article for my college alumni magazine, something funny, or mildly so, then along comes a world changing event, planes into the world trade center, and well, the funny had to go, just wasn’t right. Not for the time, not for the feeling, not for me.

That’s this week too, nothing seems right that I’ve been thinking.

I’ve been at a hospital type place this week, with family, a no fun type deal. In fact one of the most no-fun type deals I’ve run into in a long time, all caught up in a single word: “hospice.”

I like to think I’m as capable of making light of some tragedies, or general troubles as anyone. A society has some comics for that particular ability, laughing at the tough/terrible/tragic things sometimes helps us survive them, but sometimes it’s too close. This is too close. Like the folks not having glasses and reading the paper: it’s gotta be farther (furtherer) away. This is in-law close and a midweek blog is all I’m gonna get done. Appreciate the pass from the regular readers and anyone new. Treasure the people you care about as you can, they help you get past the most difficult of times, sometimes, maybe most times, even better than comics.

Lucky Week

2010-02-26T10:47:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, as performers, we’re especially lucky people. This week, I’m working a ship with friends I have known for ages but haven’t seen in quite some time. Good, talented, wonderful people. The kind of people you’d want around even if they weren’t so damn talented. In civilian life (and show biz) they’re called "friends."

On the road they’re the ones that make you look forward to eating dinner together, and seeing a show you might’ve seen before, laugh at jokes you've heard before. It's like visiting pals from your home town only when you’re not anywhere near your home town.

People often ask me “What’s the hardest thing about show business?” I think there are different times in life where different things are hard(est.) Getting the guts up to get back on stage when you’ve bombed BAD for the first time was pretty hard. Or it could be, just starting out and trying to find some good laughs. Early on, I could get laughs, they weren’t quality by any means or definition, and I wasn’t proud of them. Then, with perseverance, one works and hones and hopefully gets some material that’s solid and then the laughs become better. (What I call “good” laughs…, the kind you WANT.)

Then maybe the next “hardest” comes from trying to get work with those “good” laughs, maybe that’s ALWAYS a worry until you have enough money saved up to be picky about your work (whatever enough is, I have yet to figure THAT out???)

But the single thing that’s always been hard, often HARDEST, is being away from the people you care about. Wives, (I don’t mean that in the plural sense like several wives in several cities) kids, family, and friends. And I think some solid measure of success in this business (or any that takes you away from home) is your ability to make and keep friends when on the road. Good wonderful friends, who when they’re (so damn) talented, you might get to run into more often.

Comedy can be an easy job, making strangers laugh is an occupation that can be really great, especially when it works the way you want it to. (i.e. you speak, then pause, they laugh, and then you speak again… and so on with a check attached.) But being gone, having to “bring home the bacon” to handle your responsibilities, and being away from wives, kids, family, friends, for their big (and small) events, birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations, and yes even funerals, can carry a huge toll.

Now and again you get a lucky week, where you have friends that are almost like family, maybe like a second family, you get to catch up on their lives, share yours, and live and laugh off stage.

I don’t think it makes me miss home, and my peeps any less but, it makes the job aspect of what I do more enjoyable, so much so, I’d call it being lucky.

Grab your pad

2010-02-22T04:17:00.000-08:00

Thanks for my Friday off, (as if you had a choice…) It was part poor planning on my part, and part poor internet service availability on where I was’s part… (uh oh, in one sentence I used up my quota for the word “part.”) Still, it’s yet another reason/example, I should have a few of these put away for a rainy, lazy, or just plain won’t or “can’t internet” day.

My thought and suggestion today (since I’m back and they’re my thoughts and suggestions) is to add to (for the new or old comics/creative types that read this) what to have in the “comics/creative types” knap-sack of goodies. And it starts off simple (the simplest) with a way to keep and capture your thoughts: "The pad."

Keep a note pad for your ideas. The best comics/creators/artists etc. I know, don’t lose their ideas even the fleeting ones… The good guys/gals I have observed keep a pad: a sketch book, piece of paper, matchbook etc. etc. (does anyone have a matchbook anymore???)

As Confucius says (or at least I think it was Confucius, I mean, does one EVER really know who says smart stuff?) but in my world this was attributed to Confucius: “Short pencil better than long memory…” (or in a less favorite way but still to the point: “Weak ink better than strong mind…”) Write it down, convert it to some media with the ability to get it later, anything other than memory…

Recently, I even woke up a few times and reached for the pad I keep and wrote down what I thought was funny in the middle of the night… (dedication to my art, I know…) Next morning, the thoughts were barely legible, however, worse, they weren’t barely funny. Still the idea (about what to do with my daylight saving’s hour) I wrote down and kept ‘cause it suggests the brain is working, even when it isn’t working too hard, too good, or too funny. So my new friends who are plying their own creative winds, the “some” (as opposed to many) who have written, get a pad, and keep it nearby. One never knows when the GOOD thought, idea, picture, or recipe is gonna make itself known… Your job is to capture it on the paper, the napkin, the hand, the matchbook.

So Friday, if the fates get in the way, and the Blog SOMEHOW doesn’t appear… Well, you will know I tried to prepare ahead of time and failed. If you see it, you’ll know I succeeded in finding the internet in addition to my preparation… but either way, rest assured I’ll have my pad and something to write on it.

Keep laughing, and have a good week.

2010-02-16T09:25:00.000-08:00

To add to Friday’s blog bit about the argument that you can only learn from a bad show, let’s change the thought and premise to my actual experience: It’s EASIER to learn from a bad show, and you have to really work on learning from a good one.

This makes a lot of sense to me, when, as an act, you had a show where you barely survived, (well, where your EGO barely survived) the thing you’ve done right you have to find with a microscope, and the things you did bad burn a little brighter and are easier to find than a full moon on a summer night. (Whew… almost said on a “summer day,” but it’s easier to see a moon at night, but back to illustrating my point…)

This past week I continued working some new gigs with a friend of mine, a “jack-ette” of all trades in this environment called show business. My friend named Karen does a ton of different work: director, actor, producer etc. Putting on her producer hat, she cobbled together some shows for audiences that are a little more senior than I am usually used to. And after the shows, good AND bad, we went over what could be improved for the next one the next day…

The bad shows were easier, there was more to talk about and more to pick from, more to improve. However, new to me in a serious “talk about,” way, the good shows had areas of refinement, most helpfully; comparison with the other good shows, enabling me to pick which bit, or order, or inclusion/extraction to try next time.

Because of this added objective point of view, and as the shows continued and she got used to the order of the act I was using, her critique was also refined. And, not so amazingly, the shows continued to get better. So Karen can add critic, or “critique-er” to her list of things on her resume. (Editor is too easy of a word….)

Until the last show, where I was coming in on a roll and ready to continue that way… Drat the Fates who have other plans for us mortals. While the show wasn’t terrible, it was tough. I did the suggestions that had worked previously but couldn’t figure this one crowd out. No getting the group on a roll. Instead, it seems, I entertained the folks, one at a time, and I could never get them together as an audience, which is a good place for an audience to be: TOGETHER.

The nice part of not "killing" was it gave us a lot more than traffic to talk about going home.

So look at the responses, the audience, the material, the presentation after each show GOOD or BAD. It helps to have someone that saw you from the audiences point of view but just a few moments of recalling what went on, could help the next show… except for sometimes, the last one.

Anybody out there, I'm at sea, unsure if I'll have connection for Friday, stay tuned, heading to Hawaii, is a long trip over lots of water...

LEARN from Good AND Bad

2010-02-12T07:15:00.000-08:00

I’ve heard it a couple different ways from a couple different people: that "you never learn from a good show," (oh wait, maybe it was “you only learn from a bad show…”) I always thought that idea was true, in fact I held it up as a paragon, one of my pillars of truth in comedy. In a way it made me look for the silver lining whenever I did have a bad show… (and over the years there’s been PLENTY!) And that silver lining being: what can I do different (after a bad show) so this NEVER happens again.

See, in a good show, especially in standup, you feel great, ‘cause you connected with the audience, (or they connected with you) and all the good things that happened because of you, or inspite of you, or to you, or with them… stand out and are magnified. And the bad things, that had no effect on the outcome, seem miniscule so why bother even trying to remember them, let alone eliminate them? All you say after a good show is your mantra “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change… like how great I am…” When I’m in moments like that I later realize God shouldn’t just grant me serenity, God should grant me humbleness. (I think the word is "humility" but it’s still my blog.)

I’m here to tell you, (from recent experience) you can learn anytime you want to… good show, bad show, every show. If you can send your ego on a quick walk around the block, and you walk the other way with your good friend “discipline…” you can learn from most from every experience, good and bad.

So this blog doesn’t get too bogged (oh wait that's "blogged") down, I’ll split my recent epiphany/experience into two notes, this one and a follow up, when I’ll tell you how I was helped to learn even with good shows. (Yeah, there's been PLENTY of them too...)

Hope it’s a great weekend!! See you Monday.

Keep your funny…

2010-02-08T07:40:00.000-08:00

As a comic, or even a person with a normal ego, I don’t think you’ll do well as a Van Gogh. I read Mr. Van Gogh, Vincent to his pals, sold one (that’s 1) painting his entire life… Wow! Make that the equivalent of one laugh, or one gig, or one “atta boy” and that wouldn’t do so well with a person trying to be a comedian. And I’d hate to support my ego, or my “distressed bank” seeking another bailout, on a success rate equivalent to your professions “one painting” a lifetime.

As comics, we need “feed back” and we need that feedback mostly immediately. (Oh we get feedback, it comes in laughs or silence, I’m talking about figuring the LAUGHS part when there's nothing but the silence part) Sometimes it’s right after a joke, and sometimes it’s right after a show if we’re trying out new stuff, for us to figure out if and how what we said is funny. My suggestion is to pack in your bag some great confidence that what you say IS funny and THEN give different groups (audiences, peeps in your team, etc.) a chance to help you decide. I’m not even sure “decide” is the right word, I think “understand” is better and closer.

When it comes to me, I’ve believed in something that just DOESN’T work time after time. I’ve given, 3 or 4 groups a chance, 2 or three teams (and at this point I’ve done this comedy thing a while so 3 or 4 groups seems and feels like 30 or 40) You see, I’d like to think after 20 years I have a better clue as to what works from my point of view, but the truth is... sometimes I don’t. I just don’t get why the funny I’m trying to get across doesn’t make the distance from me to them.

Here’s the key, when that happens I don’t throw the stuff away (it probably helps that I’m a pack rat anyway) AND I look at that stuff with a new eye a month or year or decade later and if it still has a spark, if I still believe in it, I may write it again, may try it again, and then hope I’m just a better communicator of that idea. Hope that I have figured how to display what I was thinking is a simply funnier way.

Van Gogh may not have sold enough paintings while he was around, but remember that he (or his smart family) didn’t throw them away when they weren’t immediate successes. I’m glad for that, and so are the people that own them… so maybe your jokes (the ones that people don’t “get” yet) should be kept for the long term too.

Oh yeah, and keep laughing...

What A Week! (In a good way.)

2010-02-05T08:34:00.000-08:00

I hardly ever stop to say a simple “Thanks” to the cosmos, and/or the powers that be, for the many aspects and facets of entertainment in this thing called SHOWBIZ.

What a week. I started with a show where I was an opening act for people/groups who had hits in the doo-wop era. A huge audience filled people who were not young but not quite old enough to yet be called old. And who acted like people called young might act a rock concert… only much better dressed and behaved at intermission. Then you (or me/I ‘cause I’m telling the story…) move on to an art show where everything painted other than the walls at this restaurant was beautifully created by a friend of mine named Sara. (OK really she’s a friend by way of my wife’s so she's my friend-in-law…)

Then onto my usual open-mic where everyone going on stage was asked to do different (or NEW) material. Raw and original, what potential... Next day to show where people were a little closer to being “old” (certainly older) and I found out some of my material can be considered racy… but still funny, leaving me to wonder what to do the next time I do a similar event. On goes the week, finishing last night watching beautiful ballet, where some of these kids are going on to careers in ballet… Then climbing a different tree from my usual Joke Gym as I would be too late, I ended up at a club where people told stories or poems, (some funny some not, as comedy is not the goal, just one possible tool) and I tried one (story) myself. (to be honest, my goal was to be funny but it turned out I wasn’t using that tool at all effectively…)

Not everyone is making a living, or centering their life around their creativity, but the energy packed into this week made me feel pretty confident that no matter what part of show business you want to be in, there’s room and a place to do it.

On Monday I celebrated 23 years making my living as a professional standup comic… I’m not really sure you could count my first payment of $12.20 as a living, but it was enough for me to quit my job and try comedy full-time. It’s been a good 23 years!

To all those creative types that shared this week, that I got to enjoy, (and for my 23 years) I think I’ll end this just by saying a simple “Thanks” to the cosmos.

Holidays gifts and laughs...

2010-02-01T07:02:00.000-08:00

A new comic, and possible pal… by new I mean starting out in comedy, has asked what he should have around… you know, a new comic “kit.” And I have to think about that, to not leave anything out. I’ll bet there’s some stuff I’ve forgotten to tote with me, ‘cause new or old you shouldn’t make rookie mistakes.

It’d be stuff for before going on stage, stuff for ON stage, stuff for writing, stuff for etc. etc. etc. In thinking, I was contemplating farther, not just stuff for a show, but stuff for after a show. That’s where I am today: stuff for WAYYYY after a show...

Every year I try to send certain business associates a small (but not insignificant) gift. People that have helped, people I want to thank, people I want to book me again. (it’s “THANKS” but not altogether altruistic… c’mon it’s a business too…)

Anyhow, this year like some others… I sent cheese and beef sticks type stuff. Well, it was not a good year for me for sending food “thank you’s.” A few were just fine, some didn’t arrive, a few arrived late, and some arrived in terrible shape. Let me say, you certainly don’t want appreciation arriving as mouldy beef… (I like the old English spelling better… has more character, or would that be “mour” character…)

When I called to make sure things were OK (basically to apologize) after hearing about the ugly packs from a kindly e-mail, everyone “so afflicted” with a bad package appreciated the sentiment despite the poor presentation… All assured me I didn’t need to send anything else, as it’s TRULY the “thought that counts…” Look at me, a refund AND credit for the thought… merry holiday…

Well the good times continue, as I just got forwarded a note (by a few folks) that I assume was sent to all the peeps I mailed a gift package to. Some of the cheese mailed/delivered was possibly contaminated with Lysteria… wow… weren’t those folks lucky who got a package that was in such sad shape it was too bad to eat!!!

A few of the folks sent the warning note laughingly… “geeze Steve, you sure you were thanking us…” etc.

I now know what you have to have in you comic kit, whether you’re new or an old hand at this: A sense of humor, ‘cause sometimes nothing else is gonna work. Oh yeah, and think about fancy “Thank You” CARDS, rather than “mouldy” beef sticks and “diseased” cheese…

Happy First of February…

Not all about me…

2010-01-29T09:56:00.000-08:00

I was on a ship a couple weeks ago and after a show, (one that went quite well I might add, well… brag) somebody interested in DOING stand up comedy approached me. They wanted to know how to get started doing standup.

Now, I get asked this often, (I’m either very approachable — or they see me doing it and they think “Even I could do that…”) and my philosophy on new people is pretty simple: there’s always room in this world for more “FUNNY.” I also think standup comedy is a lot like skydiving: most people know the minute before they jump whether you’re ever going to do it again… (In the case of skydiving if you’re able to do it again.) So I gave him my standard advice: #1 write material. When he told me he’d already done that, I thought great, next comes the fun/terrifying part, you get to see if it’s funny, by performing it.

Maybe that’s what I thought, but I said: “I’d be happy to look at it if you want.” Now the truth is he might’ve asked if I would look at it, but this is my blog so it was my idea. If he starts a blog, he can tell his version, but I’m not telling anybody where to read it.

Always wanting to help somebody be funny, or funnier, I handed him a card, and said I’d love to look at it. Now, I understand, that you can’t give every comic you see your material to look at for obvious reasons, some will be too busy doing career stuff and some comics if your stuff truly great they might soon be using it. But I’m neither too busy, nor too interested in doing other people’s stuff soooo…

Two weeks later he sent me some material and I laughed. Sure I rearranged a couple of things, poked my suggestions in, told him when I had heard something similar, and sent it back. I tried to be a “Goldilocks” critic. Not too hard, not too soft, just right. (REALLY, is any criticism “just right?”) He recently wrote that he’s now in a mood to do what a smart new wanna be comic would do, re-write his material a third time (maybe a forth) and then go and let a “real” audience decide. I’m sure he’ll let me know how it went and unless he starts a blog that you find, I’ll let you know.

I mean, it’s not ALL about me…

Destination Decisions

2010-01-26T08:14:00.000-08:00

A quick note to get out so I’m still on the 2-a-week blog plan…

SO, with Jet Lag, a head cold, figuring out web-connection on the high seas, and a helpful helping of Nyquil, my self imposed deadline came and went. Excuses, excuses, I try not to make ‘em, but still do sometimes. Still, with Tuesday morning and land appearing, a cloudy brain got a bit more focus… and I wanted to send something.

Currently I’m working on a RCCL ship, a great big one, called the Liberty of the Seas… full of happy, nice, and vacationing people from all over the world. Which gives me a perfect opportunity and mindset to mention a subject that’s been in the news lately.

As the recent tragic happenings in Haiti is on everyone’s mind, the parent company of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line: RCI, (Royal Caribbean International) has decided to continue sending many of their ships to a port (Labadee) a good distance from of the destruction of the recent earthquake. I easily understand the controversial mindset, vacationers on an island that has recently seen so much trouble and suffering, but easily applaud the decision to still go.

There are many Haitians that work for RCI on the island, it's great not remove their ability to provide for their families, and more, RCI brought/sent many needed supplies and donations with each ship that arrived.

I’m quite proud to work for a company that attempts to make a profit as all good companies should, but MORE proud that they make and deliver on humanitarian decisions that go along with that profit motive…

Anyone who knows me also knows I don’t get political much in my material, there’s plenty of that everywhere if you want it. And my blog will rarely be an exception, but in a small way I’m glad to mention the good works done by a company I associate with. I’m pretty sure I’d like what they’re doing in Haiti whether they employed me or not, BUT I hope I don’t have to find that out any time soon…

Team Work Part 2

2010-01-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

(Maybe it should be titled, Teamwork Too…)

To continue with the idea of teamwork, I think I’d put in as # 4 of the/my “rules” is: somebody you can take criticism from. (In case one of my Monty high school English teachers is reading: “someone from whom you can take criticism.”)

And when I say (or mean) take criticism, I don’t mean holding back your tears when they and you disagree. I mean someone you listen to EVEN when you’re not in complete agreement, and someone where you value their opinion in the negative realm also.

If you work in a team or group or a pair (or even mediate an argument with the voices in your head) the folks you rely on can’t be full of ONLY yes-men (or yes women for that matter.) You should be comfortable enough in the “group writers/creators dynamic,” as a critic, to state in a kindly or professional manner, the things that you don’t like, or don’t think are funny. And it helps if you’re packing a smart enough explanation of WHY you don’t think it’s funny. (And I accept that smart enough explanation being summed up as simply “I don’t get it.”)

The way I’m currently working, the goals of the group(s) I write with, are to improve ALL aspects of performance and material. That doesn’t just mean come up with help or compliments for the jokes that work, but also help (pointing out) when it comes time to cutting out the weaker jokes. (or heaven forbid calling attention to the just plain unfunny ones.)

Maybe this suggestion should be a subheading under “TRUST” (Rule #2 of last blog) in that you should not just trust their opinion about the good jokes but put value in their opinions about the ones they don’t find so funny.

The most important thing however, is to trust yourself. Everybody has an opinion, everyone’s a critic (or can easily BE a critic) but not everyone is on stage. You’re the one UP there. You know the feel and the sounds from stage, so you have final decision to throw the jury verdict out and be the final judge.

Having said that, I’m always up for trying suggestions from someone I trust, including taking something OUT, but I’m also not afraid to going back to the way I think it works best as long as I gave their idea a fair shot.

Finally, don’t think every idea is going to be taken, even the negative ones. Miners have found “fools gold,” and no matter what is done, it can’t be made into real gold. Your job is to keep digging in the mine, and help from the team should be always welcome, as long as they’re digging too!

As always, comments welcome, and thanks for those that have offered them so far. Compliments readily accepted, but if I’m way off, point it out, it’s not like I’m immune to finding “fools gold” myself.

Team Work Part 1

2010-01-18T08:56:00.001-08:00

(You can call it Team "Play" if you want to...)

“3 dog night” (Wow, my research says they started in 1968ish and are STILL touring…, bet they’re having fun!) had a hit called “One.” (by H. Nillson to give credit where credit is due…) And the idea of the tune that I’m recalling to make my point is from the phrase: “One is the loneliest number…” Well, without sounding “snarky” since I’m happily coupled up in life, I think in creativity for us mortals, is also better beyond the number one.

I have found more success in creating comedy when I have found peeps that I can write with. Personally, I attempt to generate the funny ideas on my own (and funny is a STRONG word for some of the ideas I generate) and then get together as often as possible to throw them around with some great creative folks. As I mentioned last blog, there are some “rules” that apply. You kind readers gave many like words on my wall, including ‘boundaries,’ ‘parameters’ (with a “pair” pun) and ‘guidelines…’ (THANKS)

I figure the list of “rules” will grow… (maybe with your help) And as I think about it, perhaps the order will change, as there are definitely tradeoffs between them, but here’s a couple essentials to start.

1) I would suggest team members be comprised of someone(s) you LIKE. (Yeah, I pluralized “someone,” if that offends stop reading…) Creativity is simply helped when ‘the process” is done in the presence of those you enjoy being with. Sharing ideas where the ego is even slightly involved is hard enough. To try it in an uncomfortable situation, would, to me, encroach on unbearable. Sure, If you choose someone you don’t like, and they’re impressed, you win. But if they’re not impressed, you’ll just dislike them even more and what’s the beauty in that? Picture a long first date, with scorecards between courses on how you look, how you think, how mundane or exciting your conversation is… OUCH.

2) Also important, write with someone(s) you TRUST. When you put your experimental ideas on the table, or are trying to build up your “tried and trues” do it with peeps that you know won'ts put the bubbles of thought that comes from your ideas on THEIR pad as a future premises for their routines.

3) And finally (for this blog,) write with someone that KNOWS who you are on stage. And knows what you’re trying to do. It helps to keep you in the realm you want to perform in, even if they do challenge you to step out of it for creative-growth’s sake.

"Like," "Trust," and "Know" aren’t going to replace "Faith," "Hope," and "Love," but they are gonna help you in a writers group. And yes, I not only like 'em, I use 'em when attempting to hone my comedy voice, and expand my material when writing with others.

I say Go Team! I mean, the band wasn’t called “1 dog night…”

Argue over words, (and find some writing folks...)

2010-01-15T08:09:00.000-08:00

If you’re lucky (and I am) you can find good writing partners. (which I have) And when you do, you need to set some parameters. Some folks might call them “rules,” but other folks feel “rules” are limiting, stifling, and uncreative, so I call them parameters.

And that’s my point of this blog… when it comes to your thought, or your punch-line, argue over words, ‘cause words are important. They have to feel right, taste right, and be heard right.

I’ll leave it to you to find the right kind of people to write with, which I’ll discuss in a couple of blogs down the way. But today, my thought is to not be lazy when it comes to words. If you’re going to go to the trouble of giving an idea of yours to a bunch of strangers (called the audience) put some extra thought into what you're giving them.

I wish I had time for a ton of examples, but I’m in port for just a few minutes and will download this, and will put more explanation on my ever lengthening "to do" list. But I wanted to get out the idea of picking good words, which is happening in the midst of my having fun performing, (last blog) I’m enjoying arguing over words.

So more to come on that…

Also thanks for the readers and even more my “followers.” I think I have 5 at this point… And my pal Peter suggested that 5 legitimizes me, as 3 might only be ‘stalkers’ but 5 are definitely ‘followers.’" And which my pal Katsy pointed out, “they’re all women. It’s like you’re Bosley from Charlie’s angels…” Nice… when it comes to making me laugh, I never argue.

Its not bad havin' FUN

2010-01-11T05:02:00.000-08:00

Blog 3 in oh-ten

Here I am, on the road after a really nice time of being home. And I find myself (again) with a self-imposed deadline for my blog to get finished.

And I see, that the “smart” thing to do is to have a few of these (the blogs) strung out in advance so I can (perhaps) fret about it less. Still, for the moment, (or lets be honest, since I started) doing it this way seems fresher and more exciting. And, the important thing to remember, for right now, doing it late at night, under the gun, is that THIS way is more to my liking… AND THAT should be part of the plan in some of the things you do… to LIKE what you're doing and even how you’re doing it.

Yeah sure a few other rules should apply to what you do. Maybe a good rule is “Do not cause harm to yourself” and “Do not cause harm to those around you” — (well, unless they're particularly vile people, and you know who you are…) But right up front, a rule should be, make sure a good part of the bottom line in whatever you’re doing involves an aspect of fun.

I got that advice today just as I was leaving, by a dear friend of many years — Peter. “Steven, remember to have fun.” And that’s some good advice, and I'm going to try to remember to take it more.

I propose to you, whatever your “gig” is, find a way to enjoy what you do while you’re doing it. If you can interject the fun you’re having with your skills, I’m gonna bet people can’t help but notice. Sure, sometimes it’s not so hard to have fun making people laugh, but other times it is not that easy. I’m gonna set the goal (even when it's the not easy parts...) of having fun, and see how it goes. I’ve tried to be somewhat serious about MANY aspects of comedy, but in this (so far) wonderful year of 2010, I’m NOT gonna forget to TRY and have fun.

SO thanks for readin’ my writin’, ‘cause I like it, and this is fun.

Exit to transition.

2010-01-08T07:30:00.000-08:00

Blog 2 of 0h 10…

I very much like epiphanies, that flash of brilliance, or the simple new thought, that makes everything on a subject, a dilemma, an idea — CLEARER. The literal (OK OK figurative) “light bulb” when something makes so much sense, it’s as if you were amazed you didn’t know it all along.

Recently a good pal Tyrone introduced me to my latest epiphany of “exit strategy.” A simple revelation that whatever you’re doing, unless you want to do it forever, unless you want to DIE doin’ exactly what you're doing now, you need a plan to stop doing it and to move on to the next level. Otherwise, you’re possibly done growing, possibly done learning, possibly just DONE.

When it came to comedy, I had GOALS. My first goal was to make money being funny. Any money. And when I made $12.20 at the Holy City Zoo in San Francisco, I couldn’t have been happier. But having accomplished that goal I knew I needed another. Harder ones followed: pay my rent with comedy, make a living with comedy, be on TV doing comedy, etc. etc.

Still, I was so busy back then with the excitement of trying to achieve my goals that I forgot to think about something very important. You shouldn't just think about the way in, but you should also think about a way out… a way beyond where you are, a way forward, a way in a direction that doesn't keep you stuck. In other words to make it personal, an exit strategy from this comedy “space” I'm in, through the door to the next comedy “space” I might like even better. In my experience, a stuck comedian is a frustrated one.

Maybe because as I write this and it being so close to the “new year,” that’s also the new decade, with resolutions and hopes for the future and such, that the idea hit me as so profound and so eye opening and so new, as to be epiphanous. (I may have made up that word as my spell check says there’s no such thing…)

Truly my life is good, and right now I don’t want it to drastically change. Yet, who wouldn’t like to know the taste of life being great? So to try and get there, I’m very thankful to have the idea or the challenge to mentally chew on the thought of developing an exit strategy. Personally, I like the idea of calling my next move a “transit” strategy.

And I encourage you also, in whatever walk of life you find yourself, or whatever run of luck you’re on, to have one too. Have your goal and plan but don't forget to come up with your exit strategy that moves you from short-term success to long-term happiness. The plane doesn’t always have to be going down for you to figure how you’re leaving it. And for this blog, that analogy is my exit strategy.

New Year, New Comedic Speech Recognition/Resolution

2010-01-03T21:49:00.000-08:00

T’was the season to be jolly and now it's a brand new year. This year in all its newness I'm trying something different, a resolution if you will.

You see, I'm very behind the times when it comes to technology. Sure, I have a computer and even a few computer literate friends, but I don't have a computer mind. And still they (the smart computer people) keep coming out (or up) with things to make the person with a non-computer mind (me) think they can join the group that "gets it." And worst of all we (literally) buy into it.

My jump into the fray this year is to try talking (in)to my computer. I talk a lot, that’s one of the skills on my life's resume, so I thought I'd use that to my advantage. I bought software, put it on the computer, (which you have to do) that lets you talk into your computer with the idea that NOW I can be a little more hands-free. The learning curve so far isn't too difficult. It's been a big help with e-mails, I look forward to trying to edit stand-up routines. This blog was done 95% without the keyboard. I'll keep you up-to-date on my progress.

Also for those that read this, my goal is two blogs a week, Monday's and around Friday's. That’s another of my resolutions. Resolutions are hard otherwise we wouldn't have to keep making them. So in regards to my twice a week I'll try to stick with it and not act as I used to say on stage: "I make resolutions on New Year's and on my birthday… that way I get to break them twice a year.”

Thanks for reading.

Building the perfect audience for 2030…

2009-12-25T02:00:00.000-08:00

Imagine this kid's laugh in 20 years—with a two-drink minimum!

Tool in the Box

2009-12-16T20:00:00.000-08:00

I wasn’t competent when I started. (SHOCKING, I KNOW…) I had a few jokes, a strong desire, and, most important, was deaf to response.

I started a "career" in San Francisco, and the city was in the midst of a comedy boom when I moved there. There were lots of clubs to fail at, and lots of people who encouraged you through those "sucky" times until you 'got a clue' (a phrase that hadn’t even been invented yet). Lots of people, but not everyone…

I hung out with a small subset of comics during that great first year. It was like we were all high school freshman transfers; we were new, not sure what to do, had some idea where to go, but the best thing is that we were all confused together. It's easier on the ego to be confused in a group...

To complete the analogy, not many seniors stuffed us in garbage cans, during our confusion. The only exception, we were fair game when they followed one of our particularly awful sets. And back then this "hazing" wasn’t taken as an insult, it was expected. Simple rules—ipso facto—when you blew it, you got called on it. An event chain that made you better by not wanting to blow it again. If you had a problem taking the stage-ribbing of a fellow comic, you weren't gonna last long.

Some early lessons were even more pointed. At the first "big" showcase I signed up for in San Francisco, a slightly more established act came up to me and said "Quit now, you suck!"

Now the fact is I probably did indeed suck, but I didn’t know it and more so didn’t think it!! Plus I had to ask myself Who made this guy the suck police? All this pausing in brain function allowed me to overcome the shock/hurt/self-doubt trifecta just enough to say "No, I don’t!" (Shades of being a five-year-old shouting "Am not!")

My mature version of the kindergarten retort was apparently JUST brilliant (or quick) enough for the other act to pause and say, "You can stay, those guys who start to cry shouldn’t be in show business."

So add this to the things you need in your comedy toolbox: thick skin.

If you don’t have that, you might want to pack a hanky.

2009: The year of the open mic…

2009-12-15T01:45:00.000-08:00

Creatively, '09 was a good year. With it coming to an inevitable close, (as years always do, hence the word inevitable) I look back and am happy I took a step that seemed scary at first, but turned out to be, well, scary but also valuable.

I ventured back to open mics.

Here’s how it happened. I printed up what I call my “book,” a printout of everything creative I'd ever entered into my computer. Completed thoughts, unfinished strands, and even some sentences that looked like what a monkey might do with a keyboard. What I'm saying is… I printed EVERYTHING.

As I read through my “book,” I realized more was poor than golden, but there was some funny in there. The kind of funny that might never see the stage at most of the venues I play. When you’re paying that mortgage with your comedy, you aren't often allowed lulls to work out new material.

But I made the time at a different venue. I started going to open mics, where you drop your name into a bowl or hat for the chance to spend five-ish minutes sharing your material with an audience—or just a roomful of other comics. Sometimes fellow comics can be very supportive, sometimes they can be overly difficult and sometimes they're like a bunch of recently liberated lab animals.

Luckily for me, I found more "support" than "lab animal." Initially, I thought the open mic was a workshop, but only a few comics wanted to give or get notes. But sometimes few is enough and some great discussions and insights happened with the small group who decamped to Denny's after the shows.

Just like the old days, only newer, funnier, and… creative-er.

All in all, '09 was a good year.

A serious article about comedians…

2009-12-12T02:00:00.000-08:00

"We trust comedians with our minds, our moods, and to tell us the truth. Hmm, sounds a little like a good psychotherapist, doesn't it?"

That's just the half of it. Read the whole article in Psychology Today.

WOW! I'm blogging…

2009-12-10T12:18:00.000-08:00

Got a blog… typing stuff in… and to be honest I thought it would hurt. Turns out that like tons of things I think, (and I mean TONS) I was wrong.

Goals for my blog are simple. I plan to:

• Capture (and offer) thoughts that probably won’t make the stage routine, but are funny (strong word) anyway.

• Share a few showbiz "gems" (again, strong word) that I’ve learned from some 20 years on stage and off. Still, experience doesn’t prevent me from making rookie mistake(s)… (I figured I best make that plural.)

• Divulge the stand-up rules I follow, have learned, sometimes practice, or just somehow luckily "know" that might help someone else on this performance road.

Maybe down the line I'll discuss why a certain joke doesn’t work, or how it can work better. However, that would require actual readers, so I’ll put that on the cliché-esque “back burner” for now.

Several people helped me when I started. Jim Samuels gave me some performance and material tips. I remember Jim (I never called him Jim) saying something like “these are my rules, but there’re hundreds of comics making lots of money breaking every one." Or something close to that, and that's how my thoughts should be received, take what you can from the ravings, and make your own rules that work for you.

I'll thank others for their advice in future posts, but all the mentors in the world won't change the fact that the best way to learn is to DO IT. Writers write, swimmers swim, and comics… do what they do (a single word has yet to be invented).

If you’re out there being funny, good luck and good wishes. Yours is a noble endeavor ‘cause the world could always use more laughs. And if you just wanna laugh, we need that too.

Anyhow, thanks for dropping by…