Last night was my first headlining show as a comedian. I was nervous as hell.
I’m always nervous, not just about whether my shows will go well, I mean all the time. Right now for instance- nervous. It’s just how I am. But the idea that I had to get up and do 45 minutes of comedy made me exceptionally nervous.
After rigorous practice I had the first twenty minutes and the last five minutes down cold, but I wasn’t as comfortable with the middle. But because we got a late start and because we had to clear out in time for karaoke I only did about thirty-five minutes. If I felt better about my full set I would probably have been pissed off, or just refused to get off stage until I was finished, but believe me, the thirty-or-so minutes I did do were better than the forty-five I would have done otherwise.
I was going to shoot the show, but the lighting didn’t allow for it. I did get audio though, which I have yet to listen to out of fear that I won’t hear anyone laughing.
The opening acts were my friends Jeremy Onorato and Brandon Strohl, both did well and I’m actually going to be opening for Brandon at the same venue in early March. My set for that night will be thirty minutes, and now that I know I can do thirty minutes comfortably, I’d be willing to bet I do much better that night than last night. You’ll have to come to the show and see.
In the post-show write-up the show’s promoter, Gary Stewart, said that of the three comedians I was “the most polished.” Probably because I was wearing a bow tie. Bow tie = Polished. But I was impressed to see Brandon Strohl in a sweater vest.
I’ll close on this. I know a lot of people couldn’t make it to the show last night for a lot of different reasons, but to those of you who didn’t come because the show was at a gay bar: Smarten the fuck up.