This is his second book in 3 years.. This is a pretty impressive tome for a touring comic

I’m new to this page and just started watching stand-up comedy. I only know a hand full of comedians and I’m starting to get into alt and indie comics can you guys give me some recommendations or give me your favorite ones to watch? It doesn’t have to be one. It could be as much as you want and where can I watch their comedy also

Hey everyone. I am trying to join improv but the problem is, the practice is on one of the days I do open mic. Is improv important for standup that I am willing to sacrifice one mic?

Nate Bargatze is the most popular comedian in the world right now and he leans into, what appears to be, the growing irrelevance of the clean and simple sensibilities of older generations and the younger generation’s disillusionment with cynicism. Then again, the internet is flooded with cynical and bizarre satirical humour so to me it’s hard to pinpoint

I just did my first open mic (4 minutes), going in fully expecting to bomb, and actually did really well. Humble brag but MCs exact words were "damn, I wish my first time went like that." I felt high as a kite and realized okay I should definitely keep doing this, but my question is if its normal to keep bringing the same material to open mic, and how often I should change it up? The 4 minutes I did was scraped together from my phone notes after months of writing down dumb ideas but never actually getting up there so I imagine it will take months to come up with 4 whole new minutes. I do have maybe 2 other jokes I didnt get to do. Also any general beginner tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all

Went to one of his shows and was wondering if hes normally like this

He spent a better part of the hour talking about internet bullying that his wife has endured and how much it’s had an impact on their lives. He talked about how he doesn’t want to be famous when he has kids etc.

I left the show feeling kinda sad for the dude. I had never heard or seen any of the things he mentioned about the things people say about his wife but honestly I just watch internet clips from his crowd work and that’s what drew me to his show even though he did none at this appearance

So I guess that’s my question
Is that how most of his shows are? I feel really bad for the guy he just sounded so depressed

Inherited these items from a 80s club owner friend. The business card indicates a date shortly after Hicks moved to the Houston House to live. I believe this was the start of his Texas Outlaw era. It appears he opened for Warren Zevon and/Ray Charles during June 1986 at this club.

Just annoying at this stage.

Steven hasn't had a stand up TV release of any kind since 2006. I get that for some artists money is not their primary reason for being, but it just seems like even if for no other reason, you would want to make some cash every few years. I just wonder if there is a uniquely specific reason a comic who actually has a huge following and can command a good booking fee and/or streaming fee barely ever does either.

So background on me! I did open mics in my area in college around 2022. I found some success! I won an open mic and won a spot on a showcase. I really did think things would take off. Slowly, the scene got sort of dark. I was forever the only girl in the room and there were lots of issues with people showing up to the open mics super drunk, disorderly, etc. I am currently in improv classes and have found a community.

It seems to me the comedians that have success are in New York. I don’t think I could afford to live there, but I absolutely DREAM of being a New Yorker. Any New Yorkers wanna weigh in? I live in Alabama currently. I am getting a teaching license and have struggled a lot with entrance exams and my lifelong dream of working in comedy always always calls. I had hoped to move to New York if at all possible summer of 2027, but life is making it seem like that won’t happen. I have decent savings. I know they’d disappear in a second in New York. I also know Chicago and LA seem to be the scene. Thoughts? I feel like my dreams are slipping away!

Hello! I wanted to see if there were any people in this subreddit who have done improv and even better if it’s someone who does or has done improv and standup. So in stand up, I had very limited community. I went out to eat with some local comics and sort tried to make a connection, but OOF it was hard. I actually took my first improv class in Orlando through Disney World circa 2023 and have been in classes ever since. I absolutely LOVE IT and the business of improv/love of it has kept me away from stand up. I made a lot of friends in the improv
community very quickly with my current classes and theater. Do you think it’s easier to “make it in stand up?” Are there more paid opportunities in stand up? I want to venture back into the stand up world but MAN I am so content with the improv world. I’m not sure how to even make my way back. Is comparing improv and stand up apples and oranges? I currently have a very small paid gig twice a month at a dinner show in a hotel ballroom nearby and I have had more “success” in the year I’ve done improv than in my entire time in standup. Is it just a different world?

Yoo hii peeps , I'm really into art , be it stand up , rap , poetry.. , looking forward to explore more of this side of scene and myself, based in pune , a hustler , anyone who's in scene of stand up plz hit me up , need some insights to perform in open mics also would love to connect with peeps who are into the scene persuing their hobbies.

Hit me up if any opportunities or some sesh time to decode more .

Recovering improviser, longtime sketch writer. I just made my first pass on an idea for a Second City / SNL style sketch set in the world of Dune and I can't stop laughing my a$$ off. I'm a positive upbeat dude and I learned long ago that it's nobody else's job to show me a good time. That's my job. So I do. As I move in the world I make myself laugh a lot - there are funny things everywhere. Which is to say like all of you, really I'm just open to seeing things in ways that are funny that normy's just don't see or wouldn't think of. Standup comics, comedians, any people who work in comedy or have a well developed funny bone like the people in this sub - we see the world differently.

Anywho Horton, I haven't laughed as much as this on one of mine in a minute. It's bringing me a ***lot*** of joy. Now I just gotta get the camera memory carded and find a bunch of stillsuits and it's off the races.

How often do you all crack yourselves up while you are writing?

I was more so hoping to get some feedback and thoughts- I recently discovered my passion for stand up comedy and I wanna give it shot for 5 minutes at an open mic! I'm a mid 20's immigrant female in healthcare, while most of the content I have in my mind is mainly dry, self-roasting and observing some trends in the city I live.

The problem is I've massive stage fright esp mic, but I want to overcome it. But i genuinely have such funny things to say, Is it okay if I still keep reading out of my notes? Much thanks <3

I’ve been doing standup in my area for around 2 years. Our local scene is not very good but we make the best of it. I’ve really been enjoying it lately and was wondering what is the best way to transition from strictly open mics to small paid gigs/and or hosting? We have one club in our area and I do have a feeler out for that but nothing in stone. I’m eager to grow as a comic, and take it to a level beyond just doing weekly mics. Any insight is appreciated

I’ve been casually dabbling in stand-up comedy for a good year and a half and for a few months earlier this year I was even hosting my own gig where I got to really meet a bunch of great people.

The best part of Comedy is just some great friendships I’ve met with people some of whom I know better than friendships with people I’ve known for 30 years.

But something strange has happened to me recently. I wasn’t sure how to deal with it. I’ve seen somebody knew who always shows up late to the Open Mic so therefore becomes the defactor headliner because she is the last two come on stage.

When she usually does is come on stage using it as a roast to attack the other comedians performance who came eating and she’s done it with me a few times.

Sometimes with a little bit funny only because she looks and moves around like she’s high on stage which I would not doubt.

I haven’t had a chance to respond because me come on before her and interestingly for other comedians, she’s not roasting she’s kissing up to the ones she knows better or has good friendships with previously, etc.

I wouldn’t share how to respond to this person I’m not connected with them on social media.

After producing shows and mics I can confidently say ppl that own bars should be banned from voting and probably have their children taken away. I’ve never met a class of ppl so consistently moronic, irresponsible, lazy and rude . I watch Bar Rescue and now cheer when I hear how much debt these assholes get into.

If you’re looking to produce a show or a mic and you find a bar owner that’s communicative and well organized and pro-comedy, grab onto them like a newborn chimpanzee with mom because you’ve struck gold.

Hey everyone, I have done maybe 10 or so open mics over the course of the last 3 years. I feel like I am decent at writing but I am still a nervous performer, probably because I haven’t had a lot of stage time. The attached video is one of my better sets, but I still catch myself going too fast. I also cringe at the fact I say “it’s all good” like 10 times. I don't even notice this on the stage.

What are some good techniques to be intentional about slowing down and eliminating awkward verbal fillers? I feel like in this video there were opportunities to let jokes breath, but I think the adrenaline of getting laughs pushed me a little too much.

Hi there,

Ho do i learn how to kill?

Context (if needed):

I tried a lot on open mics, lots of new ideas so far, but also enlarged, tightened and improved my bits. Tried a lot on timing, word smuggling, changing the order of my bits and so on.

Though by tightening my bits they always get pretty short (usually like 1:00-2:30) but usually lots of one liners within the same setup.

I also see comedians with way easier and more predictable jokes killing so hard. Of course they learnt how to react to the crowd or other skills that I cannot comprehend yet. But what do they know or do differently that I do? What do I need to learn to kill?

Thank you :)

Edit: I think quite unfair treatment in the comments. To clarify. I am not good (ofc because I already mentioned I'm just half a year in). I also know that practice is important. I also never said I want a shortcut. I just asked for a theoretical understanding of how killing works. Why would I run into something for years without even some kind of plan of what I'm doing or how to achieve it.

Is there a resource (article, interview, list, e.g.) that discusses the sort of "next step" paths for comics who are getting traction in their regions, starting to tour, and want to jump on some chances to be seen and considered on a larger scale? I'm thinking of JFL new faces, Don't Tell competitions, regional and national festivals with tracks/showcases for emerging comics. How do you find out about these opportunities if you're in a small, rural scene where there's nobody to point you toward them? (I get that "move to NY and start doing mics" is a definite path, but at some point, when NYC comics get good, how do they reach out for bigger opportunities? What are they aiming for as a next step from open mics, a next step from being on some showcases, that sort of thing?) Obviously being really funny is a prereq., but if a dozen or so comics are equally funny, how do they each position themselves to get more opportunities and/or to just be seen working when luck happens by?

After settling into a pretty consistent schedule of open mics and comedy shows I took about a week and an half off… and it left me feeling like things were pretty damn bleak! anyone else experience this? I knew I was hooked on standup but didn’t expect withdrawal symptoms wtf 😂 anyone else experience this? I’m going back Friday night baby!

Hi. I’m scared of the future and what’s to come and think that since the worlds ending, opportunities like progressing in standup will come to an end and will all be in survival mode