Last night was my fifth open mic and first showcase attendance. It was good to see a few comics I’ve seen at open mics perform their eight-minute sets. Each person was much tighter and funnier, using their best bits tested over and over during open mics. I especially enjoyed Tyler Buckingham (who hosted my fourth open mic).
The Bowery Vault is tricky to find, but thankfully people found it - standing room only! The small, cavernous club is a cool space located above and behind another bar in East Nashville.
Cortney Warner is a warm, friendly, and funny host. She’s the best host I’ve seen since embarking on my journey because she clearly wants to be there. Her energy and spirit are awesome.
I enjoyed the format of seeing a handful of sets in the showcase before the open mics began. The room's vibe was much better for the open mics because of the quality of the comedy before they began.
I arrived at 7 to sign up and hit the stage at 9:30. I’m used to waiting at least two hours before performing at this point. It doesn’t bother me much. However, a few people who went up before me weren’t great, the audience was starting to clear out, and the mood had become a bit stale. I should add that it was a little annoying to see the featured comics return for an additional open mic slot before the others had a chance. Again, I get it. I understand this is part of the process.
I almost chickened out. I started second-guessing my set and myself as I sat waiting my turn. My back pain was screaming for me to go home and I was losing my patience. There’s a reason why kids eventually quit school sports when they are always selected last.
I finally spoke up and asked Cortney when I’d be up, and she said I’d be next. So much for chickening out. I hadn’t waited all this time not to perform. The lesson here is to speak up.
Before my set, I chatted with two comics Drew Davis and another fella (I forgot his name). Both told me they would soon go to a comedy festival in Greensboro, NC. I thought that was cool. It was good to talk to people since I was there alone. Drew asked me if I was a comic, and I said “Yes”. So I guess I am now?
If I have enough courage to hit the stage, I shouldn’t be so damned shy.
People know me as an outgoing, extroverted guy. However, it’s intimidating being a newbie and not knowing anyone. I also realize I’m older than most and could come off as more distant because I’m not making enough effort to meet people. My shyness can be misread as standoffishness or that I’m a dick. Next time, I plan to hang back at the bar to mix with the other comics.
My set went okay. But I forgot some jokes at the beginning, which annoyed me and threw off the flow a little. My four minutes came way faster than usual, and the video of me performing is 3:40, so I wrapped up a little too early.
I’ve realized with such a limited amount of time that, I should refrain from the crowd work. I also need to be more clear if I am expecting audience interaction. For example, looking at the audience, I asked, “Who’s that other president?” I didn’t get a reply because they probably thought I was asking myself. It’s a good lesson to be more clear if I want to hear from the audience.
Once I clarified the ask, I might have lost the audience by putting them in the hot seat. And he responded with “Bush,” to which I had no funny rebuttal. Oy vey.
I also think I need to edit my set and focus on what I know gets laughs at this point rather than continue testing new bits. This will help me memorize it.
I’m also getting a little tired of this set, and I think I need to write more jokes and test those. Instead of trying to weave it all together so neatly, maybe I need just to share a bunch of random jokes to see what works best.
The TikTok clip below is from my first open mic. I’ll be adding clips here of more recent sets soon. I’m also going to dissect each set on my YouTube Channel soon. Stay tuned.