20040107

March 3, 2006

Charlie’s Standup Comedy Journal

January 07, 2004: The Isle Strikes Back

Well, now I know what they meant…

If you checked out the page about my last show, then you’ll remember that I’d been led to expect a crowd that would be ‘small and jaded’. It was supposed to be a sobering ‘coming out’ party of sorts, wherein I learned what it was really like to be a struggling new comic. Or what it was like to be a woman, or about the true meaning of Christmas, or something. I wasn’t really paying much attention, frankly.

Anyway, I was saved from that cruel fate by a group of friends who showed up to watch, and offered much-needed and much-appreciated support. I had a blast, and the seats weren’t as empty as it was advertised that they were going to be.

Ah, what a difference a new year makes.

Fast forward to January, and I finally get what’s coming to me. My first show of 2004 at the Isle featured twenty-plus comics, about half that many people in the audience, and a big group of friends who I told too late about the show, and who were thus conspicuously — and understandably — absent. Add to that the fact that I went onstage in the last handful of comedians, and that several folks had already packed up and gone home by then, and you’ll get a feel for what I was up against. ‘Small and jaded’, indeed.

But there was a silver lining. (Or a ‘lucky bounce’, or ‘one good turn’, or ‘nipple slip’; whatever works for you.) Due to some serendipitous scheduling and outstanding peer support, more than half of the graduating members of the ‘Standup 101’ class that I took were in attendance — two of them did great sets of their own, and another two came to watch. So there were still friendly faces in the room, and that’s always a good thing. (Hell, there were more friendly faces there than I see at work every day, or at parties, or even at my wedding. Believe me, I appreciate it.)

And despite the lack of witnesses, I still had a really great time up there. I got a few chuckles, and I got through some new material, and being onstage is always a blast, so I really can’t complain. Just don’t expect to hear a ‘laugh track’ or anything like it on the clip. You can even see the rows of empty seats and two warm bodies that I was playing to. The rest of the people were ‘in the wings’ off to my left; that’s why I kept turning that way, looking for some action.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. And for what it’s worth, I was lucky enough to score another gig at a different place the next night, and did the same material for a somewhat bigger crowd. Unfortunately, I didn’t get it on tape due to some ‘technical difficulties‘. (I’d be more specific, but my wife would kill me… let’s just say she’s apparently got something against ‘pushing buttons’ on the camcorder. We’ll get that straightened out, though, so as to avoid any further service interruptions in the future.) But I’m happy to say that those folks seemed to like the material, and I had a ball there, as well. Hope you like it!

Download Clip of 01/07/04 Set —

Emerald Isle, Dorchester, MA (5 minutes, 39 seconds):