Comedy Stray Notes
• Did stand up just ONCE this past week since I went on a work trip. It was last Thursday at a mic. It was a great mic so I’m foolishly riding high on it six days later. Can’t wait to get back to reality today. I need a tepid set to get back in the groove and back to work.
• Last Wednesday, Anna E. Paone and I went to Mike Lebovitz's “Comedians You Should Know” on what was easily the coldest night of the year to tape a few comic’s sets. Once again, a good show defeats bad weather every time. The place was CRAZY packed. Filled out. And the room was amazing. I taped Rufat Agayev who had one of those crazy, tight sets with no lulls. Just one of those sets that’s impossible to follow. Chatted with Alex Falcone visiting from Portland as well who I’d seen earlier in the week and got to see him run his dentist bit which is in the running for funniest thing I’ve seen all year. Yedoye Travis closed out the night and I honestly think he’s more in touch with the millennial voice than any other comic I’ve seen a the moment. Seriously, he gets it and makes my stuff making fun of my generation feel false. Good comedy night here.
• Helped Danny Vega film his “I’m Walkin’ Here” webseries at Madison Square Garden last night. Man, what a great comedy experience. Basically, it’s just a nonstop pitch session of bits for what’s happening around us. The idea for the series is brilliant and allows Danny to just act on his comedy instincts in the moment rather than just jot them down in his Notes App like I do and then tell said jokes onstage weeks from now. This is so much more pure. His bit with a large popcorn bag we spotted was top notch. If you haven’t watched his stuff, you should. He’s ahead of the curve.
• Don’t want to get TOO inside but I started a thread in a Facebook group where I told people that if I followed them and they followed back, I'd Fav 10 Tweets. It worked! Got 200 followers out of it. Social media is a weird beast and sometimes it feels impossible to get over humps but occasionally it just works to GIVE in return if you want to GET something. New York's most desperate comedian secrets here, folks!
• Finally downloaded Hulu and Netflix on my phone and I have been watching mad content on my morning treadmill runs now. “F is For Family” recommended by Sam Zelitch is a standout and really flew under the radar. “Atlanta” is obviously the gold standard. If you’ve slept on it, both seasons are on Hulu. Nice to catch Seth Meyers every so often. They had a bit where Trump incredulously reacts to Trump that blew my mind. Freshest take I’ve seen. Also, caught Gabriel Iglesias’ special (he does the best Snoop impression I’ve ever seen) and Ray Romano’s as well (genuinely very fun; the bit about his son becoming an ordained minister almost made me trip I was laughing so hard on the treadmill). Also, I’m up to date on “Crashing.” I enjoy it. Sue me. Haters.
• Last shout out goes to Jimmy Peoples Otto’s Shrunken Head open mic. This is easily the most fun mic in New York City at least for me. Without going into it too much, Jimmy creates such a great atmosphere that is different from any other place to work out new bits in. You can challenge comics for their spot in the lineup, if you ask how much time you have left in your set, the audience can yell, “Four seconds,” it’s just great. If you haven’t gone and you’re free at 3 PM someday, go. It’s worth giving a shot.
Peace.
