Set notes + video: Love Shack Comedy (6/19)
Every set is an experiment. Here's what I learned from this one.
Date: Friday, 6/9
Show & venue: Love Shack Comedy at the Love Shack, Loveland, CO
Set length: 10-12’
Audience size: 20ish
What went well
Stage presence
Almost immediately I felt comfortable and grounded, which helped me to slow down and be totally present and relaxed. The more relaxed I am, the more I’m in my body than my head. The more I’m in my body, the more I can relax. And the more I can relax, the more control I have over the room.
It’s counterintuitive but it’s basically the Chinese finger trap of life.
Joke revisions
I’ve been reworking this Barbie joke since the beginning of the year, and I think the latest version is the strongest yet. Someday I might write about how that joke has accordioned and evolved because I keep finding new angles.
I also noticed that changing one word made one of my jokes stronger. It’s hard to know exactly why a joke lands differently from night to night, so I have to try it a few more times to see if this was a fluke——but it’s something I’m going to keep paying attention to.
I also added a quick callback to one of my jokes (that’s when you reference a previous joke), but it didn’t add anything except un-funny words. I am counting that under “what went well” despite not getting a laugh because it served as a data point.
Spontaneous jokes
I made a few off the cuff jokes and comments pertaining to what was going on in the room, which made people laugh as much as or more than the jokes I’ve workshopped half to death. Go figure.
The size of the crowd didn’t mess with my head
I have a history of freaking out when tasked with trying to make a small crowd laugh, but I’ve done it enough times now that it doesn’t rattle me.
The room setup
I love the changes the venue made since I last performed here about six months ago.
This time, loveseats were arranged in a semicircle around the stage area, just a few feet from the mic stand, instead of leaving a big gap between the stage and a cluster of high-top tables. Between the loveseats and a few rows of folding chairs, the room felt much cozier and more intimate.
I didn’t put too much pressure on myself
My last set didn’t go so great. So part of me was like “You have to do well tonight!” And another part of me was like “Yeah sure, because bullying yourself into having a great set always sets you up for being relaxed, confident, and hilarious. Good luck with that.”
My friend and fellow comic Catherine and I arrived at the venue with plenty of time for me to check in with the host and walk around the block a few times while whispering my set to myself. Before returning to the venue, I found an alley where I could be alone with my thoughts.
There, beside a Dumpster, I visualized letting go of expectations and creating a connection with the audience, which is a ritual I try to do before every show. (The visualizing, not hanging out by a trash pile.)
Mitch Jones’ laugh
Mitch Jones, our headliner, was hanging out by the bar during my set. Besides being phenomenal at what he does, he also happens to have a distinct, boisterous laugh, and hearing it during my set made me really happy.
What didn’t
I missed an opportunity to add one more joke
I have to go back and review the tape more closely but I’m pretty sure I had time for one more short joke. Kinda wish I’d taken it.
Too many filler words
One of my pet peeves is the use of filler words in any type of public speaking. And apparently, I use them too much.
I thought I’d banished filler words from my act, but video doesn’t lie (unless it’s AI generated, obvs). The phrases “no but” and “you know” crept in more than a few times.
Comedy is like swimming; you have to watch the tape to see you’re not as smooth as you thought.
What I learned
Have an extra joke in your back pocket.
I think I said all I need to say about that above.
Comedy depends on sharp writing and stage presence... and chemistry.
I think comedy is like dating or finding a therapist. When there’s a connection, you sense it almost immediately. This crowd wasn’t laughing their faces off, but we were vibing nevertheless.
I have no idea whether that energy comes through in the video, but it was real. I know because I felt it. Call it energy, chemistry, alchemy, witchy woo woo, or whatever you want, but I am here for it.
I think that connection gave me permission to play.
I’m my funniest self when I’m with the people I’m closest to, in part because I trust that almost nothing I say or do will make them reject me. This gives me tacit permission to be weird. Similarly, when I feel a connection with the audience, I subconsciously give myself permission to go off-script a bit.
As I mentioned earlier, I made a few comments that I could never have rehearsed ahead of time, and they landed really well. They weren’t what anyone would call comedy genius, but they were a function of the chemistry in the room.
Even something as small as acknowledging the one person in the room who laughed at a joke got a huge response. You can see my other random responses to what was going on in the room if you watch the full set below the paywall.
