20031116

March 3, 2006

Charlie’s Standup Comedy Journal

November 16, 2003: A Star Is… Uh, Violated?

This was my first show. And, as I write this, my only show, though I hope to change that very soon. (Not the ‘writing’ part, the ‘only’ part. Don’t be a smartass, man.)

Anyway, I was a fresh-outta-standup-class newbie, one of a group of seven first-timers (or, as the program that night put it, ‘sacrificial virgins‘) taking the stage for our, um, ‘deflowering‘. Yeah, ewwww. I know.

In any case, I was the first newbie to go, and the second comic overall. The audience was fantastic, and treated me very gently. (Of course, it didn’t hurt that one of the three long tables in the place was filled with personal friends and well-wishers. Or at least no-harm-wishers. I’ll take what I can get.)

This also marks my wife’s first foray into the wonderful world of camcordering, and I think the results are pretty damned good. (No, I’m not just saying that ’cause you’re reading this, dear. Kisses!) I do seem a bit ‘faraway’ in this clip, so we might try a little zooming next time, but overall, the quality is good, the sound came through well, and that guy’s head in front of her only covers up my crotch. (Which is more important than you might hope, given my choice of material, but still — no real worries there.)

The venue for this show is the Comedy Studio in Harvard Square, Cambridge. It’s a popular place for Boston-area comics — there are usually ‘off-duty’ yuksters hanging out in the back at most shows, from what I’m told, and a lot of local stars have gotten a lot of face time there. It’s easy to get to — right on Mass. Ave., across from the Harvard campus — and is on the third floor of the Hong Kong restaurant building. (Hey, the first floor’s a Chinese food place, the second floor’s a bar, and == for four nights a week, anyway — the third’s a comedy club… what the hell else could you want? Get over there, already!)

One other thing — the video clip starts just a little late. I walked up on stage ‘Woo hoo!-ing and ‘Yes! Yeah!‘-ing. All of that sort of commotion ends just before the clip starts. So imagine for yourself. Or ‘woo hoo!‘ on your own, whereever you are, if it helps to set the stage for you. (Just be sure to clean up that mess if you get… uh, a tad overzealous. Again, I say, ‘Ewwww‘.

Anyway, check out the clips below, and pick the one that best suits your needs and bandwidth connection. I hope you enjoy my first foray into the world of standup comedy; I know I did. And now, you can see it just the way it happened, almost as though you were there yourself. Unfortunately, you’ll have to provide your own scorpion bowls. There’s only so much ambiance I can provide using modern technology. You’re on your own for the booze. And good luck with that — you’re gonna need it. Woo!

Download Clip of 11/16/03 Set —

Comedy Studio, Cambridge, MA (4 minutes, 45 seconds):