Show Number 6

Well, tonight was a tough one. I knew , last week, that a scout form Comedy Central was coming to the show tonight. There was also a crew from Chronicle, taping the show. Oh. .. and the Globe and the Herald Reporters were there as well. No pressure. . . .
I had tried not to freak out about it. There are only so many things a person can control. I solicited some friends whose opinion I trusted. My friend Henny said to do the tried and true material . Maybe I'm sick of it (I'm not actually) but the scout would not have seen it before. My friend Cyndi quoted Carol Channing and suggested I picture someone who loves me very much sitting in the audience and play to them. That was very comforting. My friend Brian suggested that I should not give a shit. They weren't there to see me. It's a fluke that I'm on the show. Fuck it ! That was the most positive stance I could take. All excellent ideas. I used them all to some degree.
Since I was pretty sure I wasn't going to write 7 new minutes of FANTASTIC material this afternoon, I just concentrated on trying not to stumble over my words. I kept practicing my set in the car. I was stuttering a lot. I was moving the order around. I was trying to keep it to a tight 5. Yes, I had 7, but I wasn't going to drag the beginning of the show down with me trying out a new "Tai Chi" move. My job, as I am developing it, is to put the audience at ease. Don't panic. Or, if panic is mandatory . .. don't let anyone know I'm panicked. Since the automobile rehearsals were so stammery , I slowed it down on stage. I paused , I smiled. I looked at individuals. I was trying to have fun.
I was thinking about the very fundamental origin of why I want to do stand-up. I can trace it back to my friend Kevin Hession and I calling each other the next morning, in the summertime, and discussing Carson's monologue from the night before. We would laugh and laugh. It was fun. I started to want to do stand-up because I like to laugh. I like to share something with people. The best laughs are the ones you have with very close friends. After my Mum is gone, the memories I will have of her will be of her and me doubled over begging the other one to stop because one of us was in danger of wetting ourselves. Just Howling with laughter. Convulsed.
But I digress. . . . . .I had chosen an outfit before today and then felt like it didn't look right on me. I've put on some weight , so the clothes didn't feel right. I took off part of what I was wearing and tried something else and I knew that I had chosen the other out fit before and it made me feel good. I went with the colors that felt right to me. Yes, I did have a little spare tire, but I didn't look hideous.
I remembered the 8 minute bit , but I forgot the candy part. Really, the new stuff was in the pauses tonight. Some guy in the audience sort of yelled during my set. Not really Heckling, more like loud "Helping". . the guy was really drunk. I did 5:50. Good amount. I didn't end on a big laugh, I didn't say "Well, that'll have to do". I concluded by saying my name and that I was the Comic in Residence for the rest of the month, so that Rick would have enough time to get back up on stage. What a show it was. It was an amazing line-up and I can't believe I was able to be a part of the show. Even the audience watching the show was as talented as the line-up onstage. I saw some new stuff and some old stuff. Some people, I knew their punchlines and some had changed it up . I saw Dan Sally do some stuff thet he had done just last night and it killed tonight. Gosh, Tim McIntire -great ! Steve Calechman -Great! On and on . . .The Walsh Brothers -Fantastic !!! It was great the whole way through, as far as I was concerned. Unfortunatley , the lady from Comedy Central did not seek me out. She gave a little chin nod and a wave. . . . . but no business cards were exchanged.
I felt good about what I did tonight. I presented my self with confidence and some humor. I was present in the moment. I did not flinch. and, most importantly, I didn't wet myslef on stage.
"Hey , do you have a cat ? "
"No"
" What's that smell ?"
"Oh, that . .. that's our Comic in Residence this month. .. ."