20050221

March 3, 2006

Charlie’s Standup Comedy Journal

February 21, 2005: Now I Have ‘Backside Experience’

First the good news, folks. This show marked a couple of milestones for me. First, if I’m counting correctly — and there’s no reason to believe that I am — this was my fiftieth time onstage. Fifty! Five-oh. And they said I’d never make it past three. Pfffttt.

Also, I’m pretty sure that this is the furthest I’ve ever travelled to do a show. Marshfield is far! Not ‘jump in a plane and go’ far, or even ‘sit on a bus for hours with a bunch of smelly people’ far, but still — it’s pretty far.

(Besides, I don’t think any of the big smelly people buses go to Marshfield. It’s far, but it’s also sort of out of the way. At least for me.)

The other good news, though, is that Chrissy, who hosts the show, runs a great room, and the place was nice, with a willing and attentive crowd. And on a snowy Monday night on the South Shore, that’s way more than you’d ever expect. So the show was a blast. Thanks to Chrissy — and to Jan, who co-hosted the show! Woo!

And now, of course, the bad news. First, this clip is pretty much audio-only — either the stage wasn’t as well-lit as it seemed at the time, or my camera is choking, or something — but the images came out all shadowy and mysterious. Which is good, if you’re running an Agatha Christie play — or if I’m having sex, perhaps — but not so great for comedy. Not horrible, unless face contortions are your particular bit of schtick — but not optimal.

(Ooh, but the good news within that is, the show was also taped for local access cable. So there’s a shot I can get a better clip of the show, after all. And for you droves of fans living in the Marshfield area, check that show out when it comes on. Check those local listings, baby.)

Anyway, the other bit of bad news is that this is the same old shit I’ve been doing for the past three months or so. So if you’ve seen any clip since… I dunno, November, maybe, then there’s nothing new here for you to grab onto. And if you haven’t seen any clips since then, for god’s sakes, don’t watch this one first! Not that it wasn’t a cool show — it was, and the crowd was great — but you can’t see anything. It’d be like listening to porn — I’m sure it’s exceptionally exciting and all, but there’d just be something missing, you know?

So, there you have it. Comedy on the South Shore on a Monday night. And it was even more fun than that sounds. Not to mention the after-show entertainment — man, when comics get together and chat at an empty bar… hoo boy. Sometimes it’s pretty, sometimes it’s ugly, and sometimes it’s absolutely hilarious — but it’s always entertaining. And I’ll never think of ‘backside’ quite the same way again. Yeep.

Download Clip of 02/21/05 Set —

Backside Tavern, Marshfield, MA (5 minutes, 56 seconds):