one night in bangkok
If you follow my web site, you know that this week I am working in Seattle at the Underground. So far, everything is going okay and no one has threatened to kill me, which is how I judge a good show from a bad one. Another way to gauge a good show from a bad one is laughter, but that's the layman/Walmart way out.
For some reason, I am not really sticking to my game plan on stage. Either ego or boredom or a mixture of both has forced my show into new territory. The jokes are more natural and closer to the heart, but they are not refined and the delivery, though natural, isn't polished enough for a performance. It's important for me to remember that because I am working a real club with a real paying audience and instead of giving them a professional show, I am playing around with new ideas and concepts and doing a lot of free form comedy. Some of which, they aren't going to like or appreciate. The few people that do - Love me. But there is a huge section of people that are just staring at me. Awkwardly. (this is how the threats start.)
It's fun to try new things, but a professional show isn't the time or the place to try something new. Unless, of course, the people in attendance are there SPECIFICALLY because of you and they don't care what you do as long as they can just be there with YOU. Bob Dylan did it. One night, he came out on stage with an electric guitar and shocked all his fans who were expecting his folk acoustic set. The audience hated it at first and some of them left the show disgusted. Some left before the show was over. But as the years have passed, they have come to see the error of their ways and have come to appreciate that night. Those that left early will actually claim that they loved the set and stayed through the encore, even though he didn't have one that night.
Elvis Costello, an early punk rock hero, went on stage and did a country set at the height of his popularity. He's a Jazz artist now. I think his fans love him more for his rebellious nature than for his music. Well... That's what I tell myself.
BUT I go on stage and do "jazz odyssey" and these poor people have no idea what to think. It took a lot for them to come to the show in the first place. It takes a lot of faith to come to a show and sit there and watch someone bare their soul. Most audiences are nervous about a comedy show because humor isn't universal and they might find themselves on the wrong comedy planet. And unlike a movie that costs 12 dollars that sucks and you can't do anything about it, if you don't like my show, you can let me know right away.
My road humor is fine. I go into one-nighters and I do my job and I make the people laugh with my well worked jokes. That should be the time to try new stuff, but I never really do. I try to stick to what works because I know that "jazz odyssey" done in a small town one-nighter could close the room. Which is bad for me money wise and bad for comedy and comedy fans that had their worst fears realized - Comedy is using an electric guitar and playing country music.
The new jokes are coming out of me in weird ways. I wish I could share with you where they are coming from, but they seem pretty raw and unpredictable. For example; I have a Jan Micheal Vincent joke. When was the last time anyone even mentioned his name? And I just let his name fall out of my mouth in a really funny bit I'm doing about Bill O'Reilly. If you're a fan of comedy, this one is gold. If you don't know Jan or if you like Bill, this joke is a waste of the 12 bucks you paid to get in and the 40 you spent on the drinks.
But I love it...
I am the Miles Davis of Comedy. I can take a bit of Jan and a bit of Jew and a dash of serial killer and make a wild hour of wacky zaniness.
Hmmmmm...
Perhaps that is what the club meant when they called me "the Unabomber of Comedy".
I need fans... Real ones. The ones that know what a Dan Rock show can be. Not the ones that expect a "certain joke off the album".
I wonder what blog jazz odyssey looks like?
For some reason, I am not really sticking to my game plan on stage. Either ego or boredom or a mixture of both has forced my show into new territory. The jokes are more natural and closer to the heart, but they are not refined and the delivery, though natural, isn't polished enough for a performance. It's important for me to remember that because I am working a real club with a real paying audience and instead of giving them a professional show, I am playing around with new ideas and concepts and doing a lot of free form comedy. Some of which, they aren't going to like or appreciate. The few people that do - Love me. But there is a huge section of people that are just staring at me. Awkwardly. (this is how the threats start.)
It's fun to try new things, but a professional show isn't the time or the place to try something new. Unless, of course, the people in attendance are there SPECIFICALLY because of you and they don't care what you do as long as they can just be there with YOU. Bob Dylan did it. One night, he came out on stage with an electric guitar and shocked all his fans who were expecting his folk acoustic set. The audience hated it at first and some of them left the show disgusted. Some left before the show was over. But as the years have passed, they have come to see the error of their ways and have come to appreciate that night. Those that left early will actually claim that they loved the set and stayed through the encore, even though he didn't have one that night.
Elvis Costello, an early punk rock hero, went on stage and did a country set at the height of his popularity. He's a Jazz artist now. I think his fans love him more for his rebellious nature than for his music. Well... That's what I tell myself.
BUT I go on stage and do "jazz odyssey" and these poor people have no idea what to think. It took a lot for them to come to the show in the first place. It takes a lot of faith to come to a show and sit there and watch someone bare their soul. Most audiences are nervous about a comedy show because humor isn't universal and they might find themselves on the wrong comedy planet. And unlike a movie that costs 12 dollars that sucks and you can't do anything about it, if you don't like my show, you can let me know right away.
My road humor is fine. I go into one-nighters and I do my job and I make the people laugh with my well worked jokes. That should be the time to try new stuff, but I never really do. I try to stick to what works because I know that "jazz odyssey" done in a small town one-nighter could close the room. Which is bad for me money wise and bad for comedy and comedy fans that had their worst fears realized - Comedy is using an electric guitar and playing country music.
The new jokes are coming out of me in weird ways. I wish I could share with you where they are coming from, but they seem pretty raw and unpredictable. For example; I have a Jan Micheal Vincent joke. When was the last time anyone even mentioned his name? And I just let his name fall out of my mouth in a really funny bit I'm doing about Bill O'Reilly. If you're a fan of comedy, this one is gold. If you don't know Jan or if you like Bill, this joke is a waste of the 12 bucks you paid to get in and the 40 you spent on the drinks.
But I love it...
I am the Miles Davis of Comedy. I can take a bit of Jan and a bit of Jew and a dash of serial killer and make a wild hour of wacky zaniness.
Hmmmmm...
Perhaps that is what the club meant when they called me "the Unabomber of Comedy".
I need fans... Real ones. The ones that know what a Dan Rock show can be. Not the ones that expect a "certain joke off the album".
I wonder what blog jazz odyssey looks like?
posted by Daniel Loomis | 11:18 AM
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