2961 DAUPHIN ISLAND PARKWAY
About two weeks ago I get a call from local Mobile, Alabama comedian Jacques West, AKA 2Loose, about a new nightclub in Mobile. 2Loose was to be hosting a Comedy Night at the club and wanted to know if I would perform on the inaugural night.
The nightclub is called "3O Something" located on The Dauphin Island Parkway.
Normally, If I hear about a new club opening in my area that will be offering comedy to its patrons, I try to check out the club before I perform. This wasn't any different. I went to the club the following Friday.
30 Something is what I would describe as a "supper club"; a restaurant with a stage. In fact, the building that houses the club was once a national chain steak/buffet restaurant. The new owners of the building did some remodeling, including a bar, and made the place look pretty classy. It looked like it would be a great place to get on stage and make some people laugh.
The night I visited, the club was "packed". Gina Brown was singing and putting on quite a floor show with jazz and Mo-Town favorites. The crowd lived up to the club's name and were generally older. This was an upscale "grown folks" place with some nicely dressed, attractive(some were downright gorgeous)people out to have a good time.
I was "sold". I wanted to perform here.
The following Thursday night, I show up at the Club a few minutes before the doors are scheduled to open. I arrive to a mostly empty parking lot. No worries, though. In Mobile, "the party" usually starts late. I wanted the extra time before showtime to prepare, to meet the owner/manager, and to check out the stage set-up.
So, I'm wandering around the parking lot of the club, because one of the employees opened the door about 15 minutes after the club was scheduled to open to inform me and one other couple that it would be 20 more minutes before they were ready to open.
While I'm wandering(and smoking), I notice that the club marquee says nothing about Comedy that night. It just says Live Music on Friday and Saturday. Okay, that's not necessarily a bad thing, after all this is just the first night that they are offering comedy; you probably wouldn't want to promote that, would you?
Anyway, the staff finally opened the doors and I go inside the club.
If you'll recall; the last time I showed up for a gig, the club was closed. So, that battle was won--this place was open and the bartender remembered me from the night I visited before. I guess I should point out that on that particular night, I was the only Caucasian in the place...so I guess I wasn't that hard to remember. The bartender and I talked for a while about which nights were busy and which nights were "dead". She informed me that Thursdays were "dead"; which was why they were experimenting with Comedy--to increase the crowd.
Showtime was nearing and so far, only 4 people had entered the club. 2Loose had even yet to show up. I was getting a bad feeling. At about 9:30, 2loose, the other comics and a small entourage show up. The cast included "headliner", Odis Odog, a comic from Atlanta who had appeared on BET's ComicView; Chris Flanagan, a Mobile comic that had performed with me in New Orleans; A fledgling comic also from Mobile, simply billed as "Slim" and "HuggyBear Da Poet", a friend of 2Loose's and a spoken word artist/poet. Still, it appeared that we might be performing for each other.
Flanagan and I talked for a while about the Mobile Comedy scene and lack thereof, and some trials and tribulations we had shared in the past as well as the current gas prices and how they were affecting "road comics". I complained to Flanagan that I was nervous about the small crowd; and I figured the show would just be called off.
2Loose had no such fear. The show would go on. By then, the club had about 25 paying customers.
"HuggyBear" took to the stage and welcomed everyone to the club, made a few announcements and introduce the host for the evening, 2Loose.
2Loose "worked" the crowd, did a "bit" directed at the only white couple in the place and did a bit on "MySpace". (Both bits were similar to material I had, DAMN) and then introduced "Slim".
This was "Slim's" second appearance behind a microphone. The rule is to never discourage a new comic. If you have the guts to get on stage, you deserve respect. I'll follow that rule.
2Loose got back up after "Slim" and introduced Flanagan. Chris Flanagan is young, cute, clever, and extremely funny. In "showbiz" vernacular--He Killed!. He took the crowd and made them friends. The guy has a serious future in comedy; if he keeps at it. His "break" will come.
I followed Chris. I was still nervous. I had some new material; some material that was good; and some material I had to "re-work" at the last minute because of a similar thought pattern that 2Loose and I had shared. I got some laughs, but on the whole, I thought I "died". Flanagan gave me a pep talk at the end of the night and reassured me that it wasn't as bad as I thought. It seems that I did some good crowd work, some off the cuff stuff was good and I looked comfortable. (Even though I wasn't) But, I thought I could have been better.
Finally Odis Odog took to the stage. (One other critique of the night would be that 2Loose had padded the roster too much. Too Many Comics, too much time. By the time the Headliner hit his mark on stage the crowd was tired and some had left.)
But Odog was in his element and did some good material with a great deal of "urban attitude". He was funny, and played well to the remaining audience. It was nice to see a "headliner" work his magic.
The night was another step for me in building my act. I made some changes in material based on my performance and I feel it will work better next time. I also deleted some material. A few bits I had tried previously on three different types of audiences. It was time to cut that material loose.
With the current gas prices, my next few gigs need to be close to home and I have a few options that I'm working on.
Until next time, look for me at the next exit.
The nightclub is called "3O Something" located on The Dauphin Island Parkway.
Normally, If I hear about a new club opening in my area that will be offering comedy to its patrons, I try to check out the club before I perform. This wasn't any different. I went to the club the following Friday.
30 Something is what I would describe as a "supper club"; a restaurant with a stage. In fact, the building that houses the club was once a national chain steak/buffet restaurant. The new owners of the building did some remodeling, including a bar, and made the place look pretty classy. It looked like it would be a great place to get on stage and make some people laugh.
The night I visited, the club was "packed". Gina Brown was singing and putting on quite a floor show with jazz and Mo-Town favorites. The crowd lived up to the club's name and were generally older. This was an upscale "grown folks" place with some nicely dressed, attractive(some were downright gorgeous)people out to have a good time.
I was "sold". I wanted to perform here.
The following Thursday night, I show up at the Club a few minutes before the doors are scheduled to open. I arrive to a mostly empty parking lot. No worries, though. In Mobile, "the party" usually starts late. I wanted the extra time before showtime to prepare, to meet the owner/manager, and to check out the stage set-up.
So, I'm wandering around the parking lot of the club, because one of the employees opened the door about 15 minutes after the club was scheduled to open to inform me and one other couple that it would be 20 more minutes before they were ready to open.
While I'm wandering(and smoking), I notice that the club marquee says nothing about Comedy that night. It just says Live Music on Friday and Saturday. Okay, that's not necessarily a bad thing, after all this is just the first night that they are offering comedy; you probably wouldn't want to promote that, would you?
Anyway, the staff finally opened the doors and I go inside the club.
If you'll recall; the last time I showed up for a gig, the club was closed. So, that battle was won--this place was open and the bartender remembered me from the night I visited before. I guess I should point out that on that particular night, I was the only Caucasian in the place...so I guess I wasn't that hard to remember. The bartender and I talked for a while about which nights were busy and which nights were "dead". She informed me that Thursdays were "dead"; which was why they were experimenting with Comedy--to increase the crowd.
Showtime was nearing and so far, only 4 people had entered the club. 2Loose had even yet to show up. I was getting a bad feeling. At about 9:30, 2loose, the other comics and a small entourage show up. The cast included "headliner", Odis Odog, a comic from Atlanta who had appeared on BET's ComicView; Chris Flanagan, a Mobile comic that had performed with me in New Orleans; A fledgling comic also from Mobile, simply billed as "Slim" and "HuggyBear Da Poet", a friend of 2Loose's and a spoken word artist/poet. Still, it appeared that we might be performing for each other.
Flanagan and I talked for a while about the Mobile Comedy scene and lack thereof, and some trials and tribulations we had shared in the past as well as the current gas prices and how they were affecting "road comics". I complained to Flanagan that I was nervous about the small crowd; and I figured the show would just be called off.
2Loose had no such fear. The show would go on. By then, the club had about 25 paying customers.
"HuggyBear" took to the stage and welcomed everyone to the club, made a few announcements and introduce the host for the evening, 2Loose.
2Loose "worked" the crowd, did a "bit" directed at the only white couple in the place and did a bit on "MySpace". (Both bits were similar to material I had, DAMN) and then introduced "Slim".
This was "Slim's" second appearance behind a microphone. The rule is to never discourage a new comic. If you have the guts to get on stage, you deserve respect. I'll follow that rule.
2Loose got back up after "Slim" and introduced Flanagan. Chris Flanagan is young, cute, clever, and extremely funny. In "showbiz" vernacular--He Killed!. He took the crowd and made them friends. The guy has a serious future in comedy; if he keeps at it. His "break" will come.
I followed Chris. I was still nervous. I had some new material; some material that was good; and some material I had to "re-work" at the last minute because of a similar thought pattern that 2Loose and I had shared. I got some laughs, but on the whole, I thought I "died". Flanagan gave me a pep talk at the end of the night and reassured me that it wasn't as bad as I thought. It seems that I did some good crowd work, some off the cuff stuff was good and I looked comfortable. (Even though I wasn't) But, I thought I could have been better.
Finally Odis Odog took to the stage. (One other critique of the night would be that 2Loose had padded the roster too much. Too Many Comics, too much time. By the time the Headliner hit his mark on stage the crowd was tired and some had left.)
But Odog was in his element and did some good material with a great deal of "urban attitude". He was funny, and played well to the remaining audience. It was nice to see a "headliner" work his magic.
The night was another step for me in building my act. I made some changes in material based on my performance and I feel it will work better next time. I also deleted some material. A few bits I had tried previously on three different types of audiences. It was time to cut that material loose.
With the current gas prices, my next few gigs need to be close to home and I have a few options that I'm working on.
Until next time, look for me at the next exit.
Labels: Stand-Up Comedy
1 Comments:
hey wassup this is comedian Odis Odog I would like to thank you for your comments and after 10 years of doing stand up I am stilling learning myself. So keep hitting the stage that is the only way we can keep getting funnier.
Peace and God bless
Odis Odog
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