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BACK ISSUES INTERVIEWS Stand-Up Comedians Jim Norton Robert Kelly Donnell Rawlings Brad Stine Tammy Pescatelli Leighann Lord George Sarris Nick DiPaolo Russ Meneve Shang and more By Tasha A. Harris, NYC Comedy Journalist STAGE TIME The Magazine That Stands Up For Comedy |
How important is it for comics to be proactive and promote themselves? Your publicist
mentioned earlier that you want to do the interviews and get the word out. Some comics
are waiting for someone else to do that--
I noticed that on the black comedy circuit, a lot of comics are content with just performing at
one level. Like even in New York - out of all the black comics in New York, there's only like
2-3 percent that work any club because a lot of black comics don't have the patience or work
ethic to put into it. A lot of people call it "crossover" but I call it "mainstream" in the rooms
that count. They're cool with just working a little bar or a hole in a wall.
You can create a decent lifestyle but I had to take myself out of that. I wanted to go to the
next level. You can do six shows a week at $200 a pop or you can go to The Comic Strip for
a $20 spot and get the right people to see you where you can put yourself in a position to
make a lot of money.
That's one of the problems I had with the black comedy circuit...A lot of black comics think
that there's only one comedy job out there. When I first came here from DC, I knew I was
funny, but I wasn't getting the exposure I wanted and I looked at my set...I had a lot of jokes
that were three-dimensional. I talk about characters...so I took it upon myself to put a sketch
group together.
We practiced at this small coffee shop in Brooklyn. It got hot and the manager I was working
with, I told him I needed to do a showcase. We did a show at Caroline's - fans and industry,
and they got to see me away from doing just stand up. That's pretty much where my acting
career was going - but I had to create my own opportunities.
A lot of people say, "There's not a lot of opportunities." There's not a lot of opportunities if
you're going to stay in the house and be lazy. When get into a situation when you don't have
the opportunities, you have to make the opportunities. You have to make people know who
you are. That's the only way you get it. But then in a way, it's kinda good when you have lazy
people; it makes room for the people who are really dedicated.
What can comics do to stand out to club bookers so that they can get spots?
You can't take "no" for answer. You have to connect with an established person already in the
club. A lot of black comics don't think they have enough time just to hang out at a club all
weekend. Sometimes you don't know when you're going to get the call. It's all politicking. You
gotta be a politician. Introduce yourself. Let them know that if there's every an opportunity,
you're ready to go. Let them know that you don't have a problem - ask the club owner,
"What is your system? What is your procedure for me being passed in this club?"
You gotta be willing to take a club owner treating you like an asshole. Like now, I noticed a
comic can do an open mike night and can perform one time and they go to every club and
say, "I'm a comic" and get in free. But when I first started in DC, the ranking system was:
When I was young, at first I didn't get it; but it made you appreciate each level and it made
you have to prove something. These comics today - they don't feel they have to prove
anything. They have one good set, get some sex after the show because of that and a free
bag of weed and they think they're established. And that's not the case. You have to be willing
to start over. You got to be willing for people to say, "You suck."
Personally, anytime you tell me I can't do something, I'm gonna brag, "Watch!" I might not
say, "I told you so." I rather say "I told you so" on my resume and the things that I'm doing.
That's been the case with a lot of people that I've had bad relationships with and they're now
just coming around. When I walk in the comedy club, "Hey, you wanna go on?"
I can be acting like, "Remember back in 1997 when..." I realize that sometimes you're not in
the right place in your life to demand or expect certain things so you just keep stacking your
shit up so people can't deny it.
mentioned earlier that you want to do the interviews and get the word out. Some comics
are waiting for someone else to do that--
I noticed that on the black comedy circuit, a lot of comics are content with just performing at
one level. Like even in New York - out of all the black comics in New York, there's only like
2-3 percent that work any club because a lot of black comics don't have the patience or work
ethic to put into it. A lot of people call it "crossover" but I call it "mainstream" in the rooms
that count. They're cool with just working a little bar or a hole in a wall.
You can create a decent lifestyle but I had to take myself out of that. I wanted to go to the
next level. You can do six shows a week at $200 a pop or you can go to The Comic Strip for
a $20 spot and get the right people to see you where you can put yourself in a position to
make a lot of money.
That's one of the problems I had with the black comedy circuit...A lot of black comics think
that there's only one comedy job out there. When I first came here from DC, I knew I was
funny, but I wasn't getting the exposure I wanted and I looked at my set...I had a lot of jokes
that were three-dimensional. I talk about characters...so I took it upon myself to put a sketch
group together.
We practiced at this small coffee shop in Brooklyn. It got hot and the manager I was working
with, I told him I needed to do a showcase. We did a show at Caroline's - fans and industry,
and they got to see me away from doing just stand up. That's pretty much where my acting
career was going - but I had to create my own opportunities.
A lot of people say, "There's not a lot of opportunities." There's not a lot of opportunities if
you're going to stay in the house and be lazy. When get into a situation when you don't have
the opportunities, you have to make the opportunities. You have to make people know who
you are. That's the only way you get it. But then in a way, it's kinda good when you have lazy
people; it makes room for the people who are really dedicated.
What can comics do to stand out to club bookers so that they can get spots?
You can't take "no" for answer. You have to connect with an established person already in the
club. A lot of black comics don't think they have enough time just to hang out at a club all
weekend. Sometimes you don't know when you're going to get the call. It's all politicking. You
gotta be a politician. Introduce yourself. Let them know that if there's every an opportunity,
you're ready to go. Let them know that you don't have a problem - ask the club owner,
"What is your system? What is your procedure for me being passed in this club?"
You gotta be willing to take a club owner treating you like an asshole. Like now, I noticed a
comic can do an open mike night and can perform one time and they go to every club and
say, "I'm a comic" and get in free. But when I first started in DC, the ranking system was:
- You had to be funny enough where you didn't have to pay your own admission.
- The next level was you had to be funny enough to get a free Coke.
- The next one was you were funny enough where you get in for free, you get a free
Coke and you might get a beer. - The ultimate was when you could go and make your own soda.
When I was young, at first I didn't get it; but it made you appreciate each level and it made
you have to prove something. These comics today - they don't feel they have to prove
anything. They have one good set, get some sex after the show because of that and a free
bag of weed and they think they're established. And that's not the case. You have to be willing
to start over. You got to be willing for people to say, "You suck."
Personally, anytime you tell me I can't do something, I'm gonna brag, "Watch!" I might not
say, "I told you so." I rather say "I told you so" on my resume and the things that I'm doing.
That's been the case with a lot of people that I've had bad relationships with and they're now
just coming around. When I walk in the comedy club, "Hey, you wanna go on?"
I can be acting like, "Remember back in 1997 when..." I realize that sometimes you're not in
the right place in your life to demand or expect certain things so you just keep stacking your
shit up so people can't deny it.
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