Wednesday 26 October 2011

The Great Canadian Laugh Off

A couple of years into my comedy career, I went to Toronto to compete in the Great Canadian Laugh Off.  It was a comedy competition open to amateurs and professionals from all over Canada, with the winner getting $25, 000.  I qualified via an online draw.  Other qualifiers won their spot by performing at the various Yuk Yuk's comedy clubs across Canada.
I would be performing at the Toronto downtown Yuk Yuk's against 7 other comedians.  This would only be the second time I would be performing in an actual comedy club.  The first time was at another comedy competition in Prince George.  The only stage time I had ever had at this point was in front of Native audiences at Native conferences and in front of mixed audiences at the university.  University audiences were great.  They were very open-minded, but a little too PC for me.
But a comedy club audience was going to be different.  Usually when I performed, I was the only comedian on the show, or sometimes I was the only entertainment for the evening.  And sometimes, the audience did not even know there was going to be a comedian that evening.  But a comedy club audience is different.  They are there for comedy, they expect to laugh.  It makes your job easier.
Before I went to Toronto, I did an interview for a local newspaper and I told them I wouldn't go all the way to Toronto if I didn't expect to win.  I said, "My best 8 minutes can hold up against anyone's best 8 minutes."  This was before I ever saw Rob Pue (see my earlier blog).
Anyways, I did my set and felt like I had only did okay.  I didn't even finish in the top three which was surprising.  I didn't think the other comedians I competed against were that great.
But after my set, the owner and CEO of Yuk Yuk's, Mark Breslin, pulled me aside and said he wanted to talk to me.  At the end of the night, we talked and he said he really liked my material but he warned me about the dangers of becoming 'ghetto-ized'.  I raised my eyebrow when he used this term.  He said he could use that word because he was Jewish.  He explained to me that he had seen other Native comedians before that only appealed to Native audiences.  This is what he meant by ghetto-ized.  And I knew what he meant.  There is a danger of writing material that only Native people will understand.  I mean, I have a joke about Bingo that I have to explain to White people, but Native people get it.  And there are some Native comedians that make a career out of catering to just Native audiences.  That's not for me though.  Because I had done shows in front of mixed audiences, my jokes had to be accessible to everyone.  And I think they are.  So I don't think I am in any danger of having my material, for the most part, becoming ghetto-ized.  
After that one show in the Toronto Yuk Yuk's, I moved to Vancouver and began working out new material in front of mixed audiences, mostly White audiences, in comedy clubs and comedy rooms.  I also got a chance to watch other comedians working, developing material.  I got a chance to share ideas, and work out new jokes with other comedians.
It was during this time that I also got a chance to witness what Mark Breslin warned me about.  A big name Native comedian stopped by one of the comedy rooms in Vancouver and did a set of Native humour.  He did not get any laughs.  It was not his usual audience.  It was a real eye-opener.  But at the same time, I had some White friends tell me that when they saw Native comedians on TV, and they didn't laugh once.  But they thought I was funny.  So I must be doing something right.

Sunday 23 October 2011

Finding Inspiration

I watch stand-up comedy clips on youtube, stand-up comedy specials on TV, listen to podcasts by stand-up comedians, read books by and about stand-up comedians, listen to my old Richard Pryor records, and watch documentaries about stand-up comedy.  All for inspiration.
Last night I watched 'American - The Bill Hicks Story'.  First of all, it was visually spectacular. It won or was nominated for a few awards, including Most Entertaining Doc, and it is entertaining.  But the subject is also entertaining.  I was not a big fan of Bill Hicks, but I think I will be seeking out more of his stuff at a later date.
But the biggest thing I got out of the documentary was a quote by one of his friends.  The quote went something like this, "Being a great comic has to do with your inner voice matching your outer voice."
After the movie, I wrote a new joke.  I wrote it by talking out loud, speaking freely, speaking with my inner voice.  What Joey Coco Diaz would call 'subtext'.  "Don't ignore your subtext.  Pay attention to it."
Lately, when I'm performing my jokes, I've been trying to deliver them in a more conversational style.  It's a tough exercise.  But by using my inner voice, I can write and perform jokes in a more conversational manner because it is more stream of consciousness.  I am finding my voice.
When I wrote this new joke, I felt like I had reached a turning point that I had been reaching for for a long time.  All of my new jokes are going to be written in this manner.  You will hear a new Brian.  Hopefully a funnier Brian.
Another source of inspiration came from the WTF podcast by Marc Maron.  It was a special edition in that Marc, normally the interviewer, was the interviewee, being interviewed by comedian Mike Birbiglia.  Birbigs asked Marc, "What is edgy today?"  And Maron replied, "Being completely honest, about yourself."
Being honest about yourself is nothing new.  Richard Pryor did it.  He laid bare his soul onstage.
But to have the courage to do that is the heart of a real artist.  That is what I aspire to be.
I took both these quotes to heart when I wrote the new joke last night.  All my new material will be written taking these quotes into consideration.  It's exciting.
Be honest.  Find the funny in anything.  In everything.  In the truth.
It's like they say, "It's funny cuz it's true."

Friday 21 October 2011

Trying Out New Material

I did a spot last night opening for pro headliner Carter Hortie at Nancy O's.  I tried out some new material and it went over great.  I did some tried and true material, but it was mostly for context.  I'm building an act.  And the new material has to fit in there somewhere.
A couple of the jokes I had in my notebook for awhile but never tried them onstage.  Others were brand new.  I'm getting better at performing jokes.  I don't think the jokes I performed last night would have worked as well as they did a few years ago.  My style was too laid back.  Not that I'm manic now.  But I just delivered them last night with a little bit of energy, just what they needed.
Plus, I'm enjoying myself onstage and it shows.  And when the audience sees this, they enjoy themselves too.
When the new material works, it makes me want to write more.  It makes me go through my notebook to see what jokes I've maybe overlooked in the past that might work now.  My act just keeps on building.
I'm opening again tonight for Carter Hortie.  I'm excited.

Monday 17 October 2011

Taping My Shows

One piece of advice for any comic starting out is to tape your performances.  That way, you can view them later and take notes on how you're doing, what you're doing right and more importantly, what you're doing wrong.
A lot of comics I've spoken to hate watching themselves on tape.  But you have to do it.  It is a tough exercise, but you will only get better by critiquing your performances.  And yes, you will be your worst critic.  At least I was, and still am.  Because you know what you are capable of.  You know how your show was supposed to go, or at least how you hoped it would go.  So even if it looked like you had a good show, you might think it could have gone better.  Only you know the little mistakes.  But you're gonna make those mistakes.  Let 'em go.
 You should be able to learn from every show, even the good ones.  Especially the good ones.  Just keep on doing the right things.
I've been taping my last few shows with my voice recorder on my phone.  Just to get an idea of how much time I am actually onstage, as well as what jokes work in front of what audiences.  So far the shows have been going great.  I listen to the audio of the shows and I realized the shows I've been doing have been a lot better than I originally thought.  There are a few mistakes here and there, but at least I recognize them and can make adjustments.
I have a video clip on youtube and I asked a comic friend what she does to get past a writing block.  She told me to view my video and remember that I am a quality comic and that I am more than capable of writing good jokes.  So there's another reason to tape your shows.  Positive reinforcement.
If I ever figure out how to post audio links, I'll post one of my recorded shows.

Friday 14 October 2011

Last Night at the Casino

I did an opening spot at the casino last night for Brett Martin, a good guy and great comedian.  He is doing the casino run, which includes further shows in northern BC - Dawson Creek, Fort St. John.  The night before he was in Quesnel.
He made a comment about how the crowd was a little bit older than usual crowds.  I just saw a lot of White faces.  I saw one Asian lady and one Native guy.
I got there early to see first of all if I was actually performing.  Brett said it was fine if the casino allowed it, so I had to ask first.  The lady I spoke to said it was okay, but then asked me, "Are you any good?"  How do you answer that?  So I told her how long I've been doing comedy, where I've been, what I've been doing the last three years, and even said that Brett could vouch for me if needed.  I guess that convinced here and I was allowed on the show.
I went into the room to meet the sound guy.  The room was set up strange.  There were tables that had seats with their backs to the stage.  One couple arrived early and sat up-front with their backs to the stage.  I thought, "Who comes to a comedy show and sis with their backs to the stage?"  I found out later that the seats were assigned by number.  Plus it was a sell-out.
Anyways, my set just went OK.  It wasn't great and it wasn't terrible.  I've noticed with the kind of racial humour that I do, that sometimes I'm going to make people uncomfortable.  That's always a bonus, but I would prefer it if they would laugh.  And it's always a good sign if you get the guy that's sitting there with his arms crossed to laugh.
I did a short 7 minute set, got some laughs and got off.  I hope I get invited back.

Tuesday 11 October 2011

My First TV Appearance

I forget the actual date of my first TV taping, but it took place in Victoria for the A Channel on a program called the New Canoe.  I just saw the episode on APTN not too long ago.
I had been doing comedy for about two years at this point, did maybe a dozen Native conferences, traveled a bit.  I contacted a couple of Native TV shows to let them know who I was.  Didn't hear back from some of them, but the New Canoe contacted me and told me they were doing a comedy night and filming it for one of their episodes and wanted me to be a part of it.  Of course I said yes.
They flew me down to Vancouver, then I flew from Vancouver to Victoria on a 12 minute flight!  Or something like that.  It was very short.  I was met at the airport and driven to my posh hotel.  My suite was nice and big.  Somehow I managed to flood the area outside the washroom when I showered.
I went downstairs and met the other comic, Dawn Dumont.  We had already corresponded via email.   She later blogged that we bonded over masturbation jokes.  We were  both looking forward to the taping, which was later that night in front of a paying audience.  This afternoon's rehearsal was free and open to everyone.
Prior to the show, I was contacted by the Victoria Times-Colonist newspaper to do an interview.  I was in Saskatchewan at the time and did the interview by phone.  The interviewer kept asking about my stage name and where it came from.  So I finally told him that The Bloody Savage was a joke that I don't perform anymore about a drink I invented when I used to drink called the Bloody Savage, which was Clamato juice and Lysol.  Guess what made it into the paper after he promised not to use it?
Here is the link to the newspaper article.
http://www.canada.com/cityguides/victoria/story.html?id=43fe680d-52e8-4dd7-b078-eda2cb564f14
Anyways, the rehearsal went well.  There was lots of sitting around and being nervous.  I asked Dawn if she had ever been on TV before, she said no.  I guess she doesn't count her acting stint on an American soap opera.  After the rehearsal, we went back to our hotel.  Dawn told me later that she draped her duvet around her neck and walked around her suite like royalty.
After a quick dinner, I was driven to CBC Radio to do a promo interview for the show, but the tickets were already sold out.  It was gonna be a packed house and there was lots of buzz on the streets about this show.
Our MC for the night was Lorne Cardinal from Corner Gas.  Art Napoleon did his My name is Joe and I am Canadian bit.  An improv troupe did their thing.  I did an 8-minute set, of which two minutes actually went to air.  It was over before I knew it.
Overall it was a good experience.  It gave me some credibility.
Plus, Dawn and I started working together as the Rez Jesters and booked a couple of shows, but that fizzled out.  Hopefully we work together again soon.
Here's my first TV appearance.

Thursday 6 October 2011

Last Night's Show

I felt really good after last night's show.  I made everyone laugh and didn't offend anyone.  I cut a bunch of material out, so I had a shorter set, but it made for an overall better show.
The show was for an Aboriginal health conference.  We had a great dinner beforehand.  The usual salads, rice, and fish, but they also had garlic prawns.  I had to go back for seconds.  They were so good.  Plus, not all the delegates were there yet, so there was plenty.
After dinner shows are always tough, especially when your performance takes place in the same hall or room where the meetings are being held.  The room is just not set up properly for comedy.  Comedy is very intimate.  It requires the audience to pay attention, to be facing the performer, preferably in a darkened room.  Round tables are the worst.
Last night was good, despite the audience member's reluctance to move forward, even after we asked them twice.  If we hadn't, they would've been so far from the stage, that my jokes would go out there and just fall flat.
The crowd was good.  Or I'm getting better at holding their attention.  You have to get them right away or you'll never get them.  I have a few jokes right off the top that I am going to keep in my routine for a long time.  They are very strong jokes, they introduce me to the audience, it gets their attention, makes them laugh and we both get settled in.
You do this long enough, you start to get a feel for the audiences.  As well, I had a chance to sit with them for dinner and interact with them.  So I knew what material was gonna go over with them and what wasn't.
The audience was mainly female, so I cut a good portion of my dirty material.  Stuck mainly with the Native material.
But after the show, a lot of people went out of their way to come up to me and thank me for my performance.  Not only that, a lot of people asked for my contact info.  So hopefully I will be getting a few more gigs in the future.  Christmas is coming up, don't forget.  Book me now to avoid disappointment.

Sunday 2 October 2011

Small Town Gigs

I did two gigs over the weekend with a pro headliner, Patrick Maliha, and a few amateurs.  The shows took place in Vanderhoof and Prince George.  Surprisingly, the first show in Vanderhoof was the better one.  I think it's because it's a small town and there's not a whole lot to do on a Friday night, and stand-up comedy is kind of a novelty.  It's not like Vancouver where you can go out and watch live stand-up comedy every night of the week.
The show in Vanderhoof was put on by the Kinettes, the female version of the Kinsmen.  The show was sold out.  The audience was expecting to see the headliner, they did not know about us local comics.  So I was a little bit apprehensive about the show.  Not only that, but there were very few Native people in the audience.
But my little jokey-jokes went over okay, better than I ever expected.  I didn't want to leave the stage.  I did material that I normally reserve for just Native audiences, and they got it.  They were right there.  I was expecting to get heckled and it never came.  In fact, one guy even yelled out a joke!
One of the Kinettes said they had been getting a lot of compliments about my performance.  That felt good.  A lot of people came up to me and thanked me for the show and said I was really funny.
I even got an offer to perform at a stagette!  Hope it works out.
I was feeling really good about the next night in Prince George.  But when I found out there was going to be more local comics performing, it meant we all had to do less time than the night before.  That sucks.
So I tried to race through my material in Prince George.  It still went over well, but I had to cut out a lot of material.  They still laughed in all the right places, but not being able to do as much time meant the audience wasn't able to get to know me better.  I was able to do one new joke about the offer to perform at the stagette party.
They say you learn more from bad gigs than good ones, but I learned a lot from these two gigs.  I learned that my material is accessible to all people, not just Native people.  I developed most of my material in front of mixed audiences, Native and non-Native.  But when I do full shows of all my material, it is in front of a Native audience for the most part.  It's good to know that my jokes can be enjoyed by everyone though.  I'm looking forward to my next gigs.