• My good friend/funny comic/super producer pal Danny Braff generously asked me to host his monthly show at Verve last Friday in Somerville, New Jersey. It’s a long way out (you have to take two trains on New Jersey Transit to get there; Anna E. Paone guided me there) but once you arrive, it’s totally worth it. Danny packed the room to capacity not once but TWICE. That’s right. Danny produces a 7:30 PM and 9:30 PM show, charges paying audience members and has repeat customers. On top of that, he brings in touring headliners each show. This is a model we should all aspire to. This show had Kevin Downey Jr. from “America’s Got Talent” headlining and he lit the room up. Very strong one-liners that made me a fan for life. As for the experience of hosting, the first show went really well. I did, ya know, “A” material for ten minutes and most everything hit in a good way. The second show, I told myself, I wouldn’t repeat any bits from the first set. This was a bit of a mistake. A rowdy, late night crowd appreciates a looser set than me trying to work through bits I hadn’t done in a minute. The laughs were there but they were tepid. It was a good learning experience in reading the room.
• After a blah show set, I find myself watching a lot of specials to see what works and what doesn’t. This week, I watched three. The first one I checked out was Mo Amer’s “The Vagabond” on Netflix. I wasn’t super familiar with his work but I kept hearing his name pop up and was curious. I’m a converted fan. If you’ve never seen him, this hour is a great place to start. It’s pretty much his story about fleeing from Kuwait to Houston, Texas and all of his international experiences in between. There are great voices/accents thrown in, callbacks that pay off 30 minutes later and strong joke writing. It’s a perfect hour. Somewhat emotional, very funny and personal. It would work for an early or late crowd. Deon Cole is the same thing. He works everywhere. His new hour “Cole Hearted” is a bit more shallow with many observations about “big women,” silly asides about Arby’s and relationships. It may not have the same heft to it but is fun nonetheless. Also, finally, caught Bill Burr’s “Paper Tiger.” Burr is uncompromising and sometimes it comes across as a bit much but when he tones it down and expresses himself in a way that shows his humanity (arguing about his wife and cultural appropriation and his love for his dog), you can’t help but be astounded by what a master he’s become.
• Open mics can go for a very long time. You sit around, the host doesn’t time comics properly, people run the light, you go at the end of the mic, a number of factors could make you sit at a mic forever. Luckily, there is one mic that bucks the trend. It’s on Thursdays at 7 at Bushwick Public House. The mic runs for exactly an hour and the time is split up evenly by however many comics are in the room. There’s a projector behind you that shows exactly how much time is left in your set and displays who is performing next as well. You have ten seconds to get to the stage. If you do less time than you’re allotted, that time is evenly split back into the room. It’s a beautiful system. Unfortunately, the projector went out midway through the mic (computer battery died that was connected to it) but other than that it was incredibly efficient and lived up to its title.
• Finally, special shout outs this week to a few things. First of all, I love the Ringer (Bill Simmons’ controversial former ESPN personality/writer that people are split on) and they put out an amazing six-part series about comedy in the 90s which was catnip for me to read. It concluded today. If you’re interested in checking it out, there’s a link to it in the comments. Also, started watching this season of “South Park” on a whim. Best satire around. Amazing that Season 23 of a show can be sharper than ever and take on the Chinese Government in a way that is funny and doesn’t feel heavy handed. Also, listened to some friends’ podcasts this past week. Really enjoyed Billy Procida’s “Manwhore Podcast” (I was too afraid to Google it at work but listened on Spotify) and Sam Evans and Jordan Scott Huggins’ “Up Your Butt and Around the Corner” which made me laugh a bunch (it was the Leland Long episode and the section about all the weird foods Leland’s eaten over the years is really disturbing and hilarious). If you want me to listen to your podcast and it’s on Spotify, I’d be more than happy to do so.
• Anna and I are doing the honeymoon thing this week starting Friday (Celebrity Cruise to the Caribbean) so there will be NO Stray Notes next week for the Stray Notes faithful. Maybe a pic of me at a buffet though. Keep your eyes peeled for that.
I wonder if Facebook will still be a thing in three years. I bet it will be
