Standing Up, Standing Out

Holla,

In general, I would say that I am a fan of stand-up comedy. There are many comics that are out there whom are extremely talented, and can thoroughly entertain an audience for extended periods of time. They are extremely witty people that provide some interesting perspectives on everyday life. Kissing for the first time really IS like jumping Double Dutch. That's funny.

And then, there are other comedians that aren't nearly as skilled. They certainly try hard to be entertaining, but it's pretty obvious if they aren't going to make it. I was among a group of these people on Tuesday at a place in San Diego called Brick by Brick.

It was here that I made my first attempt at performing stand up. Brick by Brick is normally a concert venue for hard rock acts, but management is trying to put together a weekly stand-up show with local comedians. I responded to an ad on Craigslist that was looking for "Anyone Funny". I managed to convince them that I had some experience, and they gave me a shot.

I walked into the club, and met the manager. There was one other guy that was standing by the bar that I started talking to. He said that he had been performing stand-up around town and we got to talking about different places that offered open mic nights. He was a really nice guy and offered me some advice for my first act.

By the time the show started, there were about 25 people in the audience. There were two performers that went before me, both of whom were pretty terrible. One guy talked about smoking weed and pornography, while the other guy also talked about smoking weed and his teenage son (which coincidentally turned to talk of pornography).

I was introduced by the host as "Nican Nector" and I took my turn on stage. I corrected the host and introduced myself to the audience. I had decided earlier in the day that I was going to focus on telling stories about myself, rather than focusing on jokes during my act. I write stories, not one liners.

So I started talking about how my family and friends thought it was hilarious to make fun of, what I like to call, my "gay tendencies". I stressed that I wasn't gay, but because of my acting, dancing, and gym choices, I had become an easy target for their jokes. I talked about how my grandmother had called me a "poof" over Christmas, the Sammy the Sailor Christmas ornament that I had received from my roommates, and how a girl that I dated told my parents, "Micah is the gayest straight man I've ever met."

I received a few laughs at specific points throughout the act, but there was nothing that got the audience to roll. In general, I was pretty happy with the performance, but I'm unsure whether I will continue to pursue anything within the stand-up format.

After a few more acts, the guy that I had spoken with before the show, stepped up on stage. He introduced himself and said, "Unlike the guy that performed a while ago, I actually am gay. And proud of it."

I silently cussed at myself. After the first two guys had talked extensively about drugs and masturbation, I was the one that was offending members of the audience.

Then, the gay comedian started telling some gay jokes that were super offensive. Jokes about having sex with military personel and getting hit on in gay bars. I would get more specific, but my mom reads this blog, so I'll let your imagination do the work. The crowd was not ready for what they were hearing, and the majority of his bits received stunned silence. He finished up and sat down again.

After the show was over, he came up and spoke to me. I told him that I was sorry for some of the stuff I had said, but he told me that he wasn't offended by any of it. He actually said that he was more upset that I had taken all of the "gay laughter" out of the audience before he got up on stage. I told him that he had some funny material, but Brick by Brick might not be the best venue for it.

In the end, I enjoyed getting up on stage. I've made the conclusion that stand-up is not the most effective forum for me, but I would consider doing it again. I will let you know.

-More to come...