My 5 favourite shows (so far), and thanking anyone that's given me a microphone 10/1/16

On Thursday night, I performed my 100th set of stand up comedy.

For the record, 100 sets is a drop in the bucket to any accomplished comedian. Absolutely nothing. But if you want to do 10,000 shows, you need to do 100 first. I've said it on this blog before, but if you told me 8 months ago I'd be at this point I never would have believed it.

I might have been able to reach this "milestone" earlier, but I approached comedy pretty casually for the first few months. I track every show I do, and I did 4 shows in January, 7 in Feb, 4 in March. I started taking it a little more seriously around April, and that, paired with a new shift at work that opened up more evenings for me, helped me start racking up the stage time a little faster. I did 43 shows my first 5 months, compared to 57 in the last 3. My initial goal was to get to 125 by my anniversary at the end of January, and I've bumped that number up to 175. I'm excited to see how it goes down the home stretch.

So I've decided to dedicate this blog to listing my 5 favourite shows so far. I've met a ton of great people, and had a lot of fun this year. Every show has been a good time, but these are the ones I look back on fondest.

Before I get into that, though, I would like to thank everyone that has given me a chance to go after this dream of mine. Nobody had to put me on their show, and all these people have, multiple times.

Lars Callieou, Ryan Short, Jamee Nall, Ashley Soper, Nadine Hunt, Simon Glassman, Carina Morton, Travis Howell, Celeste Lampa, William Hannigan, Sterling Scott, Stephen McGovern, James Ross, Kevin Light, Arturo Grijalva, Mike Dambra, Alex Fortin, Simon Gorsak, Brett McCrindle, Scott Porteous, Ben Proulx, Ronny Lugoma, Hector Velazquez, and David Kopp. Thank you for the opportunities, the advice, and the good times. I owe you all at least one!

January 21, 2016 - Yuk Yuks

My first ever set of stand up comedy. Frankly, my set sucked. But this night changed my life. There's a recording of this set that I plan on never letting anyone else see again. So bad......

August 21, 2016 - The Druid

The last ever Druid Comedy Night. I went to this show almost every Sunday for 7 months. Some people went to it almost every Sunday for 7 years. It's still weird not having it around. I've spent more time on that stage than any other. Some nights it was awesome, some nights it was pretty rough. It was my favourite place to try new material, because if it worked at The Druid, it should work almost anywhere. That final night was incredible. Red hot crowd, 50+ comedians, 7 hour show. I took bullet that night, which I considered an honour, and stuck around to watch the entire show. That stage helped me improve more than any other. 

August 27, 2016 - Dakoda's Comedy Lounge (Kelowna)

I got the opportunity to be part of the third annual Okanagan Comedy Festival this year. We did 2 shows in Kelowna on the Saturday night, and they were in front of the hottest crowds I've ever seen. We could do no wrong those nights. Add in getting to spend a few days with some great people, and how beautiful the city of Kelowna is, and you get the highlight of my Summer. Plus David Kopp is a beauty.

September 7, 2016 - Dinwoodie Lounge

I did a guest spot at the Dinwoodie Lounge on the U of A campus. They do shows throughout the year, but the "welcome back" show is the biggest one of the bunch. The lineup featured some of my favourite comedians, and it was the biggest crowd I'd worked in front of to that point. It was an incredible show.

September 28, 2016 - Yellowed Casino (Jokers in Training Finals)

My first comedy competition. We performed on the big stage at the Yellowhead Casino, with a trip to Los Angeles on the line. I had a ton of friends and family there, and the crowd absolutely crushed. They were so good. I came up Short (get it??) and finished third that night, but it was still an awesome experience. I posted about it the next morning and said it made all the late nights and bombs from the last 8 months worth it. 

So that's it. Like I said, thank you to everyone that has ever given me a spot on their show. They've all been fun, and I'm grateful to all of you for letting me do something I love to do.

I look back at my first show and I'm genuinely happy with how much I've improved from then until now. My goal/hope is to look back on my 100th set when I get to 200, and feel the same way. Keep working hard, keep focusing on getting better at whatever you're doing, and learn to enjoy the process. Comedy is awesome.

"Doesn't staying out late every night doing comedy make it hard to focus on your work?"

No. Getting up early for work makes it hard to focus on my comedy.

Adam

Everybody Bombs 9/24/16

*This Wednesday, September 28th, I'm performing in the Finals of the "Jokers in Training" competition at the Yellowhead Casino. The best set of the night is worth $500 US, and a trip to Los Angeles to do a set at the famous Comedy Store. The lineup of finalists is full of incredible comedians,  and they'll all be brining their A game to try and win this thing. This is easily the biggest show of my comedy "career" so far. If you're interested in checking it out, tickets are free, and can be found here:*

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/jokers-in-training-competition-finals-tickets-27779663722#tickets

Thanks to everyone that came out and supported us in the prelims, very much appreciated!

Every comedian bombs.

"Bombing" in comedy, if you didn't know, is the act of going on stage to try and tell jokes, and not having anyone laugh at them. You stand up there, rambling, and there's just silence. Sometimes you can see the people staring back at you, sometimes the spotlights are so bright you can't see if there's even anyone out there to bomb in front of. I prefer the second scenario, because I can try to convince myself that I'm not bombing, it's just that nobody came to the show.

We've all done it. Some more than others. I've had my fair share of bombs already. Sometimes the audience just isn't feeling that show, and you see 6 or 7 comedians in a row go up and tell jokes to complete silence. Personally, I almost find that makes it easier to deal with, because I can tell myself I wasn't just the weak link in the chain that night. That's always been my biggest concern with bombing. The actually bombing itself doesn't bother me too much. It isn't fun, and I always want to do well, but I know it's part of the gig. And I mean absolutely no disrespect to the audience when I say this, but I don't really lose a ton of sleep worrying about what thought of me. I'm going to do my absolute best to make you laugh, and if I miss the mark, I apologize. But nobody can please everyone, and I don't think you can beat yourself up over it. I just use bombing as a learning experience, "this worked, this didn't", and I try to get better. Hopefully the next time you see me, I can connect with you better.

My biggest concern with bombing was, and still is, letting down the booker/promoter of the show. And the other comics. Being a big sports fan, I can't help but look at our shows like a game, and the comedians are a team.  I want to help the team win. When it's my turn to go on stage, I want to do well, not just because it's an awesome feeling, but because I feel like I owe it to the other comedians to do my part for the show. When I bomb, and I go back to face the rest of the comics, I can't help but feel like they're looking at me the way a hockey team looks at a guy that scores on his own net, or a goalie that gives up a brutal goal (and trust me, I know that look). It doesn't get to me as bad as it used, but I still worry I won't get invited back to the next show. Like they look at me like a liability.

I know now that we all bomb. Almost every show I'm on, someone does. And it's no big deal. We don't hate him/her. Just climb back on the horse and try again tomorrow. I've slowly forced myself to learn that if I bomb on a show, it doesn't mean I won't be allowed back. If anything, I use it as motivation. If I stink on a show, and the person promoting it gives me another shot, I'm going to work extra hard to make sure that doesn't happen again. I don't want to let the team down.

I think part of the reason some comedians are so hesitant to write and try new material is because with new stuff comes a greater risk of striking out. There's really no way to know if something is funny until you go up there a few times and try it. Once you get some stuff you know works, it can be so easy to just relax and count on those jokes. There's minimal risk of bombing, and if you do, you can tell yourself it was just an off night, that material usually kills. I understand now why veteran comics say you have to bomb to get good. You learn 100x more from losing than you do from winning. The key is to use the experience to get better, and not to just convince yourself you did fine, it was just a bad crowd. I have the mentality now that no matter how bad the audience was, there was something I could have done to make it work. I listen back to the recordings, as painful as it can be, and try to figure out what I did wrong.

One night at the Druid, I bombed harder than I ever had up to that point. It still might be the worst set I've ever had, just awful. Earlier on the show, the MC, Lars, told a story about how one night, he told the audience his friend was coming to do a set. Lars wanted everyone to just be completely silent for the guy's set; don't laugh, don't heckle, don't take a drink, nothing. His buddy went up, did 5 minutes to absolute silence. And then after it was over, they let him in on the joke. So I finished my set that night, admitted I bombed, and shook Lars' hand. As I was walking off the stage, Lars says, "Hey Adam, remember that story I was telling about how I told the crowd not to make a sound during that guy's set?"

My eyes lit up. Maybe this wasn't my fault! He set me up! "You didn't....." I said.

"Nope, I didn't. You just bombed!"

At least I was responsible for the audience laughing once that night.

He apologized afterwards, and we had a laugh about it. It did't bother me at all. That night actually really helped me start to convince myself that the other comedians don't care that you bombed. Half of them probably weren't even listening. We've all done it, we'll all do it again. When you're learning how to walk, you don't just stand up and run around the block. You have to fall down a few times first. And you learn why you fell, and what you can do to not let it happen again.

If you're a new comedian, and you go out to a show, and you bomb, don't beat yourself up too hard. Nobody is mad at you. We've all been there. Just use the experience to learn. Record your set, and listen to it. And be honest with yourself. If you got 3 laughs in 5 minutes, you bombed. But make notes. Take those 3 laughs, and try to do that more, figure out what about those jokes worked. Don't get discouraged. Comedy is an intimidating thing to get into. The comics on your show that went up there and crushed, they were where you are right now. And they used those experiences to learn and get better. Be your own biggest critic.

Embrace bombing. Remember the nights you bombed when you go up there and crush. It makes them 100 times better.

"I failed over and over and over again in my life....and that's why I succeed."
-Michael Jordan

Put in the work 9/17/16

Stand up comedy is hard work.

But like anything in life, I think you get what you put in. If you work really hard at something, you'll eventually get rewarded for it. I firmly believe that. I've spent the better part of 15 years working in warehouses, and as much as I hate it, I've always worked really hard, and it's usually turned into promotions and opportunities. The problem is they were just opportunities I didn't really want. I've always thought "what could happen if I put this much time and energy into something I actually wanted to get good at?"

So that's what I've been trying to do with comedy. More than just going to open mic and shows now. I try to write as much as I can, and as I mentioned a blog or two ago, I have a few new ideas I really want to get off the ground.

The podcast is happening. I have the mic and everything I need now, I'm just playing with settings, recording and editing right now. (Massive thanks and shout out to my friend Patrick for the recorder recommendation). Now Im just trying to decide on a final format for the podcast. The world needs more podcasts people don't listen to. I also have a camera on order right now to start playing with Youtube. I have a couple ideas for that channel as well. As of now, I think the plan is for the podcast to be co-hosted by my friend Dave. It'll be just the two of us talking about anything we want. I'm going to touch on stand up and what I have going on as well, but I don't want to dedicate the podcast to it. The Youtube stuff I want to get going will deal more with that, along with my personal opinions on things. An open mic comic doesn't have a ton to talk about. But to me it's partially about just having fun and trying something I haven't really done yet, and partially about trying some of this stuff now, and working on getting better at it so that if I ever hit a point where any of this stuff could help my career as a comedian, I've already gone through some of the growing pains. I fully expect the podcast and video to suck, at least at the beginning, but you have to start somewhere. This kind of stuff has fascinated and interested me for a long time, so why not?

And I'm going to try and post on here more often as well. I think my end game is a hopeful weekly podcast, a couple youtube videos a week, and a blog every 7-10 days. I'm still working some long hours at work right now, and most of my evenings are dedicated to actually writing and performing stand up, so I don't know if those goals are realistic, but I'm excited to try.

I've been told that to make it in comedy, it's going to take a ton of hard work. Sacrifice. And I understand that. Maybe I don't know what exactly that's going to entail, but I know that I've spent about 1/2 of my life working at something I don't really want to do. So if I'm going to have to put in some hard work anyways, why not put it toward doing something fun? If I can't make a career out of this comedy thing, it isn't going to be because I didn't try hard enough. I'm having more fun with this comedy stuff than I have doing just about anything. I look back at my first couple sets of comedy, and Im proud of how far I've come. My early jokes and sets that seemed good at the time suck now. I hope in a year we can all look back at my jokes, blogs, podcasts, and videos, and agree they sucked, too. It means they're getting better.

If you come out and support our comedy shows, thank you. If you decide to follow the podcast or youtube channel, thank you. And if you're reading this, thank you. I'm doing all this for me and my happiness. But knowing someone else out there is enjoying it too makes it 100x better

Adam

I love this quote.

Busy couple of weeks! 8/31/16

I've tried to write this damned thing three times, and just haven't been able to make it work. It's been a busy few days, I haven't gotten a full night's sleep in a while, and just can't focus. So this might seem rambly, but.....bah. The world needs more rambling.

Fair warning: this is a LOT of rambling.

Since I started doing comedy in January, the Druid Comedy Night has become part of my weekly routine. I traditionally get pretty down on Sunday night, knowing work is right around the corner. I've hated them since I was a kid, when school was waiting for me in the morning. Having a comedy show to look forward to every week just made it easier. I said to one of the guys, it was like a reset button. It could be a rough week, you couldnt get a spot on a show to save your life, but you could always count on the Druid, and then start the next week fresh. A guaranteed chance to get on stage, and talk to the other comics. It was a sure thing. But after 7+ years, August 21, 2016 was the last Druid Comedy Night.

A lot of comics have been performing at the Druid for longer than I have. Some for the entire 7 year run. And I won't pretend to be as affected by the show's run ending as they are. But it doesn't matter if you've been doing comedy there for 7 months or 7 years, we're all on the same wavelength now; none of us know a time where there was comedy in Edmonton without the Druid. I hate being the new guy anywhere; work, school, a team. I've always banked on adapting by being the funny guy. Trying to fit in with a entire group of funny people wasn't easy. The time I spent at the Druid didn't just help me become a better comedian, but it gave me a chance to sit around and talk to a bunch of great people. It had the same feel a locker room does before a hockey game, we bonded like teammates do. It made me feel like part of the team.

That last show was one of those nights I'll never forget. I got there around 5:30, had a couple beers with the guys, and then the powers that be were kind enough to treat all of the comedians to an incredible steak dinner. We then got the chance to tell jokes in front of an absolutely sick crowd. It was special invite only, and people PACKED the Druid. It was shoulder to shoulder. Over 50 comedians, 7 hours. I got the honour of taking bullet (1st comedian to go up) on that show. I was one of the newest comedians on the list that night, and Lars had a dozen Druid veterans he could put in that spot, and he gave it to me. That's something I'm incredibly proud of, and humbled by. I finished my set, and hung around for the entire show, I got to watch so many great comics say goodbye to the stage we've all shared. It was an awesome night. Lars, Marko, and everyone else involved should be incredibly proud of the Druid Comedy Night. I said it at the end of my set, but I don't know if I would have gotten into stand up without that show and the support I received there. That stage changed my life. 

Then this past week, I was on holidays. My nephew Ben flew in from BC to hang out with us, and it was like summer vacation as a kid again for a few days. Stay up late, play video games, and do something sweet in the afternoon. Trampoline Park, laser tag, the waterpark at West Ed, we had a really good time. And then Wednesday, we hit the road for BC. Originally our plan was to drive to Quesnel to visit my girlfriend's family, and take Ben home, but Lars offered me a spot at this year's Okanagan Comedy Festival. My girlfriend Shaley has been more supportive of my comedy dream than I could have ever hoped, and even though I said I should go visit her family, she insisted I go to the Festival. (Maybe she just needed a break from me). So she and Ben dropped me off in Kamloops, and they took off to visit her family. I got to hang out in Kamloops and Kelowna, and live the dream of being a full time comedian for a few days. I told jokes in front of some incredible audiences, and got a lot of time to drink beer and bond with some great comics. I met a ton of wicked people, including David Kopp, who runs Dakoda's Comedy Lounge in Kelowna. That room was awesome, check it out if you're ever out there. Thanks for having us guys, and  for giving me the chance to come along, Lars. It was a blast. 

I also think I have a crush on the city of Kelowna. Absolutely beautiful.

Oh yeah, and I got to sleep in the same bed as Ryan Short and Kevin Light. Cross that off the bucket list. 

So that's been my last 10 days. I'm home now, back to the grind of forklifting during the day, and telling jokes at night. With a little draw luck, I'll do my 100th set in September. I hate my day job as much as ever, but I love my night job so much that the day one barely even bothers me anymore, except for the 3:30 am alarm. I say it almost every blog, but if you want to try something, do it ASAP. I hope whatever it is makes you feel the way comedy makes me feel. Which is really, really good! 

He who says "he can", and he who says "he can't", are both usually right. 

- Adam 

The last Druid list (about half complete)

Photo credit: Liam Creswick

Artist!

Ryan Short  crushing it on Saturday night.

Good times, good people. So much fun.

Creative Outlets

One of the most satisfying, and hardest parts of stand up comedy is the writing. It can be so frustrating to plug away at it for an afternoon, and come up with absolutely nothing. But taking a basic concept and turning it into a bit that works is an awesome feeling. It might be my favourite part of comedy so far, the feeling of accomplishment that comes with coming up with a new joke.

It has my creative juices flowing. When I was a kid, I'd create stupid games, I really liked to write, and I fell out of that as I got old and boring. Comedy is reignited that spark, and over the past month or so I've had a few more ideas pop into my head. I dragged my feet with comedy for years, and now that I've dived into it, I'm pissed at myself for ignoring it for as long as I did. Im not going to do that with any of my other ideas anymore.

I don't own a computer or laptop these days. I get by with my iPad and my phone. But a few of the projects I have in mind are going to require a little more than a tablet, so I'm in the process of socking away the cash to buy a new computer and camera. (I hate having too much credit card debt, been down that road too many times before). I hope to pick some stuff up in the next couple months, and start plugging away at a couple side projects to go with my comedy.

I want to start a podcast, because the world simply does not have enough amatuer podcasts. My buddy Dave and I have talked about it for a while. I've read it can be a great way to improve as a comedian as well, just talking and thinking on your feet. Even if nobody listens to it, it's something I'd really like to try. 

I'd also like to start a YouTube channel. If people don't support YouTube it might not make it. Again, I don't know if anyone will watch it; but podcasting and creating videos sound fun, and editing and creating that kind of content is something I don't have a lot of experience at. I figure I can learn a thing or two, and explore a couple more outlets for my creative side at the same time. I'd also eventually like to try building a website to put it all together. An open mic comic with less than a years experience really doesn't need a website or anything, but it's not about marketing myself or anything right now, it's just about getting this stuff out of my system, and working on becoming a better comic, which is my ultimate goal.

I'd also like to use the camera to start recording and reviewing more of my sets. A couple of my friends have recorded sets and sent them to me, and watching yourself and reviewing your performances is probably the single best way to get better, IMO. 

I need goals in life, stuff to work toward. I've spent 10 plus years getting really good at warehouse work, and I hate it. If I put that same kind of effort into comedy and creating content, which I actually want to get good at, who knows what'll happen? So in addition to my stand up goals for the rest of the year, I want to have a podcast and YouTube channel up and running by January. I'm shooting for a couple videos/vlogs per week, and a weekly podcast. I'll keep posting on here as well, the feedback on the blog has been overwhelmingly positive, and mucho appreciated. 

I say it all the time, but keep trying stuff. Eventually you'll find that 'thing', and when you do, it'll change your life. 

I have a show tonight, gotta get going. Chase your dreams! 

-Adam

Feeling inspired.

July was the biggest, busiest month of my comedy "career" so far. I got to go on the road for the first time, and I got my first opportunity to host as well. It did nothing but solidify my belief that I made the best decision of my life getting into stand up.

I got a chance to go on the road, and do a guest spot in Saskatoon, courtesy of Lars Callieou. Lars hasn't shied away from answering my questions and offering me advice since I started in January, and a few weeks ago, he offered to bring me on the road with him for the first time, and the two of us, along with Brent Ehtun, did a show at The Capitol Music Club. It was a blast, and everything I imagined life as a comic on the road would be, including Yahtzee at 2 am. I also learned some valuable lessons about the business side of comedy, and as Brent pointed out, it was awesome of you to show us how that works so up and close, Lars! 

Thanks a lot for the opportunity, man. Hopefully, we get to do it again soon guys.

A couple weeks later, I got a chance to host my first show, at Chicago Joes here in the north end. I've done that room a few times now, and I'm pretty comfortable there. I was really excited to get to try something new. It went pretty well, the comics killed, and I got some really positive feedback from the guys, and the show organizers. Massive thanks to Travis Howell for the stage time, and the opportunity. I hope to get to do it again soon.

In addition to these opportunities, I've been offered spots on upcoming shows hosted by established comics like Mike Dambra and Ben Proulx, as well as a chance to take part in the Okanagan Comedy Festival this year, courtesy of Lars again. I've worked really, really hard at this comedy thing the last few months, and seeing hard work pay off is one of the best feelings imaginable. And I sincerely thank all the guys mentioned above for providing me the chance to start taking steps toward advancing my career, it means the world to me.

Shaley and I had a long talk this morning about comedy and our lives in general. I've said it in this blog before, but I feel like I've finally found that thing I was looking for. This isn't a hobby or anything more. Comedy has become my life, after just 6 months. It's what I want to do. My obsession in life is just being happy, and doing what I want. And this is it. In the last 15 years since I graduated High School, I've had one job I really liked, and I left it thinking more money would make me happier. It didn't, but being at a job I hated again pushed me to keep chasing that thing I was looking for. And I finally found out. 

I don't care about money anymore, I need enough to pay my bills and live, and that's it. I turned down a big promotion at work and said I don't want overtime anymore. It didn't do me any favours at my job, but that's fine. I don't want to be there forever, anyway. And it's left me more time to go after this comedy thing. They say nobody should get into stand up to get rich and famous, and I agree 100%. Do it for the love of the game. But I've made it my goal to do it for a living. Not to get rich and famous, but to be happy.

I know I'm going to make it. This will be my livelihood someday. I won't stop until it is, and I'll do whatever it takes. I have some talent, I know I do. And I'm going to push that talent as hard as I fucking can to make it into something special. I'm not trying to be arrogant, I'm just calling it like I see it. There are some really talented comics on the scene with me right now, and I hope they all feel the exact same way. We can feed off each other's drive. 

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your support. Never, never, let anyone tell you you can't do something. Just figure out what you want, and do every god damned thing you can do to get it. The only person that can stop you, is you. 

"The first step, before anyone else believes it, is you have to believe it. There's no reason for a plan B because it distracts from plan A."

Thanks for the spot

Stage time isn't easy to come by. I don't know what it's like in other cities, but here in the 780 (that sounds cool, right?), there are more comics than there are spots. Most shows have waiting lists to get a spot on, and book a few comics in advance for each week. Most also offer "draw spots" the night of the show. This is literally a "pull a name out of a hat" method to fill the last couple spots on a show, and you spend many nights driving to shows, just to enter a draw and hope you get a spot. It's fine with me, and most of us, as it's a fair way to dish out stage time. And it doesn't have to be fair. People running shows put a lot of work into them, and they're 100% entitled to decide who gets to be on it. Leaving a couple spots open for anyone to have a shot at is very generous, IMO.

This would be one of my first pieces of advice for a comic that's newer to this than I am. ALWAYS, ALWAYS thank anyone that is willing to put you on stage. They've sunk a lot of work into their show, and would totally be within the rights to just let their friends be on it every week. If you're a new comic, nobody in this industry owes you a damned thing, especially stage time, and they're taking a big chance letting someone brand new get on stage in their room. They obviously want to put on as good of show as possible, and there's a better than average chance that a new comic isn't going to light the world on fire up there. I've never understood the mentality of any comic that complains about how long they have to wait between spots, or where they're scheduled on a list. Stage time is the single most valuable commodity out there for an up and coming comedian, and if you don't show any appreciation for a spot on a show, the powers that be will have no trouble finding someone else to put on that will. 

If you don't like the way people book their shows, start your own room. I assume you'll find out it's not nearly as easy as it looks.

That's really it. I was just eating lunch at work, and started thinking about this. We're very lucky in Edmonton to have as many great rooms as we do to perform in. Make sure you take a moment to thank the people responsible for them. And to any and all of you that have taken the gamble of giving me a spot on your show over the last 6 months, thank you very much. I do my absolute best not to waste them. 

Cheers!