20041118

March 3, 2006

Charlie’s Standup Comedy Journal

November 18, 2004: A Studio Anniversary

Folks, it was a year and two days before this show that I first took the comedy stage, also right here at the Comedy Studio.

A lot has changed since then. I’ve done thirty-odd shows. I’ve written close to an hour’s worth of material —

not all of it usable ever again, mind you, but still, I wrote it. I can’t take it back now.

In that time, I’ve been heckled, largely ignored, and — all too rarely — wildly cheered.

(Whoa… suddenly, this is starting to sound like my sex life. Damn. Focus, people. Focus.)

Mostly, though, in the past twelve months and couple of days, I’ve had a lot of fun. I probably could have done

more shows, and there are a few sets that I’m pretty sure I could have done better, but it’s all just a

bunch of baby steps toward… well, shit, toward what, I’m not sure, exactly. But this show marks a years’

worth of getting there, so it deserves a mention. I guess that’s all I’m saying.

And, to commemorate the occasion, I decided to trot out some new shit I’ve been working on. Looking back over the clip, I think the stuff’s got ‘potential’… but I’m not sure I was able to get enough ‘oomph’ behind it to

really sell it to that crowd.

(Where I mean ‘crowd’ in the loosest of terms. ‘Basketball team’ might be closer, or ‘barbershop quartet’.

Still, the dozen or so people who were there seemed to have a good time. And I’ve got plenty of excuses in this case for the house not being entirely rocked. Besides it being new stuff, this was also my third show in four days, which I’ve never tried before. And apparently, you’ve gotta work up to shit like that — my ass is tired, dammit!)

Anyway, I had fun. I dig playing at the Studio, and there were a few friendly and familiar faces in the crowd,

so it was an all-around good time. Now I’ve just got to get the booker there, Rick, to have me back for the

next years’ worth of shows. Let me at ’em, baby!

Download Clip of 11/18/04 Set —

Comedy Studio, Cambridge, MA (6 minutes, 42 seconds):