Back in the Saddle

This week was perhaps monumental. After taking ten months off from stand-up comedy, I got back onstage.

Why did I take so much time off? Hard to say. It's true I felt like I wasn't improving. I wasn't writing much, and when I was, it felt kind-of forced, and I didn't feel like it was very good. I don't have any aspirations of being a pro -- I've already got a career. So the only reason for my hobby is to have fun. And I wasn't having fun.

I also was having trouble finding my voice. I think that in my favorite bits I'm acting not as myself, but as a character that's expressing ficticious and nonsensical emotions which are juxtaposed with the audiences' reactions. But I was writing unispired bits that were more along the lines of traditional stand-up -- the getting-to-know-you pointing out contradictory facts and such.

But last week, a lot of things started happening at the same time. Matt called, saying he wanted to get an FCN show for the end of January, and have mostly new (yet also great) material. So I levied a song-a-week challenge. Every Monday, we're supposed to both have a new song written. Some will suck, but theoretically some will not.

Around the same time, Todd Merriman, who was headlining the Velveeta Room for the first time this past weekend, was considering doing some guitar comedy as part of his act, and asked me if I was interested in a guest spot. The enthusiastic answer was YES.

How would I react? Would I fumble over all my old jokes and fail magnificently? No. Actually, most of the jokes came back to me, since I had rehearsed them so many times. Also, it felt very natural to use them in a conversational manner.

The first show Friday was pretty good. Second show Friday was even better. (Is that the first time I've ever had a Friday late show better than the early? I think so, but I can't be sure.) First show Saturday was fantastic! (I curse myself for forgetting my mp3 recorder Saturday.) Saturday late was adequate, but forgettable (the only show where I aborted ending on a song due to lack of energy).

Great weekend!

And now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get to writing this week's song.