Luck of the Draw

I’ve noticed a trend that I only really post about bad sets. That’s because I only learn things from the bad experiences, and those are the times I feel I should vent about. Last night something really frustrating happened. I went on after a comic friend of mine who, as he came off said, “good luck. They’re terrible.”

I was struggling up there, and this one guy kept heckling me. My only jokes that were hitting were my quick ones, one-liners, because this prick kept interrupting my set-ups, killing my rhythm. It was more than just this prick though because about 85% of the audience was retarded (sometimes just that many can kill a show). Any comic will tell you that when you’re killing, and you get heckled, it’s target practice. Not so easy when you’re bombing up there. The bouncer heard me railing this clown, came in, and told him to shut up. Apparently this guy ruined the MC’s set as well (I felt terrible for someone who had to be up there all night).

During my set, I yelled, “throw this piece of shit out” to the bouncer, but all he did was tell the guy to shut up. My set was already in the toilet, and I wanted vengeance. I became pushy. They didn’t throw him out though. I looked like an asshole because comedy is all about control, and I lost what little I had left right there.

If you are running a comedy room, and you don’t toss a guy that has no respect for the comics- you’re pretty much the antithesis of a comic’s comic. I run a room w/ no bouncer. If you’re a comic I booked, and you’re being disrespected onstage, let me know. I will personally throw them out on the street because comedy is abusive enough. We don’t need it from our own. I didn’t care about my set at that point; I just pleaded with the booker to toss this guy for the other comic’s sake. No dice.

The bouncer turned out to be a comic who went on later and he said it wasn’t this guy who ruined his set, but another table of ignoramuses. No shit. That’s the precedent you set when you don’t toss out a heckler.

As for bombing, sometimes I need it. I was on a roll all week, and this just made me hungry. I still hope this heckler dies young, but I’m happy because this set ensures that I’ll be onstage every night this week. As for the crowd, sometimes that’s just the luck of the draw. You never know what you’re going to get before you enter a room. After the show, I was out drinking with some friends at a bar in the East Village, and some really hot girls came up to me and asked, “Are you a comic?” They had seen me before, and told me I was really funny. I got bombed with them, and had a great night. Any hot girls ever recognize a heckler?

Thanks,
Sam