Another fun filled Wednesday night in ToonTown! Hit Toastmasters at 7:00 pm and enjoyed a very ‘punny’ evening. I had to do an evaluation for a presentation by ‘Steve’ a new member, and an awesome job he made of it. He adopted a high tone right off the bat, delving into his quest to find meaning in life after being confronted with the untimely demise of his brother to cancer. It is difficult for a beginning speaker to carry such a tone throughout a presentation, but, ‘Steve’ carried it ...and carried it with ...aplomb.
The remainder of the evening was highly entertaining, with Yours
At ‘Refuse to Sit Down’ I found what I might describe as a respectable crowd ...except ...they weren’t respectable at all! But they were fun ...and that’s important in a crowd. I couldn’t believe the line up of comics ...they’d really crawled out of the woodwork! Most of the old timers were most noticeable by their absence, and, in their stead, a bunch of fresh new faces!
I was met at the door by our Jester, who’s had a week at home, but heads off today for an appointment in Edmonton at Yuk-Yuks, and then on to Vancouver for a couple of gigs with Laff Shop. A lot of travelling for a couple hours stage time, but, in this neck of the woods, if you wish to stand up ...you have to be prepared to sit down behind the wheel for hours on end ...(rear end?)
First up was a new face, and an act I can only describe as bizarre! The Jester described it better as “White Trash Don Rickles”. This guy just heckled from the stage ...he got lots of audience response, though none that I’d want emulated for my own benefit. He kept referring to the Jester as, ‘That fag that introduced me’, which, to my mind, lacked both accuracy and discretion! He fixated on a young lady in the front row with a constant barrage of drooling references to her apparently ample bosom. A man lacking both charm and sensitivity! Once off stage he continued heckling from the back of the room and had strip after strip taken off him by our Jester and some of the following comics. It was a difficult crowd last night ...but ...and it’s a big "But" you generally get the audience you deserve. However, the continual bombardment of caustic comic castigation gave real challenge to comics of better intent.
Next up was the Master; I’d much enjoyed his set on Monday, but tonight’s offering was dredged up from the opposite end of his comic repertoire. Audience response ...poor at best, and some of the loudest, rudest and most enthusiastic heckling that I’d ever seen! All water off the Master’s back and I’m sure he had his reasons ...but I’m not privy to them.
Next were two newbies, each about 19, and their reception would have been much better had it not been for the two they followed, but, as it was, they were tolerated. They had put a lot of work into their material, and I really wish that they’d been up before all the fireworks erupted. Both get my admiration for persevering under far less than ideal circumstances. After the show I went up to each, congratulated them and added that I really hoped that they would return.
Then the Jester put up Joel Jefferies to quell the waters, and, it worked to some extent. Much of the problem with the audience, aside from that engendered by the comics, was the fact that the place was only half full, with no one immediately before the stage, and the rest dispersed through the entire room. Joel did well, but, while there was no heckling, there was a constant drone of conversation from the room.
Next up was the establishment’s regular bartender, Barry, for his second time. I’d seen his first foray; he’d been extremely nervous and less than ideally prepared. By his display last night it had been a hard learned lesson, but learned well none the less. The man was funny! Bright original material, and very well presented. My favourite bit was when he described waking up in a Calgary hotel and finding, to his horror, that he’d slept with a hermaphrodite! “Oh well!”, he intoned, “I wrote it off as my first threesome!” When he came offstage I shook his hand and assured him that, despite a cold audience, he’d been hot. Best of all, he seemed pleased with his performance.
Next, the irrepressible ‘Shandy’, a great guy, and a comic of the ‘shock’ variety. His third appearance; I’d seen his first, and he’d been heckled unmercifully, but ...Shandy likes it rough, and, in my opinion, goes so far as to promote the response! He is a member of an impromptu troupe at the university which conducts its rehearsals in a converted church. Last night he was very good, and I told him so myself. The highlight of his set was his describing how he’d conducted a christening in his converted church, but, as he admitted, it hadn’t gone well:
“Its skull was soft and unformed!
The Champaign bottle wouldn’t break!
So I had to do it the old fashioned way,
I held it under water!”
There were a few more, too numerous to mention, and, as it turned out, I got to close the show; a first for me I might add! I’d been watching this comic riot unfold, and, truth be told, had some misgivings. Lars Calieux has just returned from his comedy tour in Afghanistan, and described how the soldiers were under orders to bring their weapons to all the shows, as well as how he hoped that, under those circumstances, they’d refrain from heckling! Despite the different calibre of hecklers ...I knew just how he felt!
Heckler & Kosh
"Perfect for a Fire Fight
In a Phone Booth!"
But, as it turned out, everything went well; I don’t think so much out of respect for my material and delivery, as from respect for all my grey hair! Background conversation was minimal; I had their attention, and even received polite laughter. I did some old and some new, nothing borrowed ...nothing blue. I did my Tiger Woods bit and was pleased with its reception.
“Man! April ...and people golfing!
Even Tiger Woods is playing a round.
He and Ellen are splitting.
It's not Tiger's fault!
Instead of Nike ...he should have endorsed Pfizer!
It was their marketing team
That came up with the name Viagra!
Which is Sanskrit for “Tiger”,
No wonder Tigers got Wood!
Between his name ...and his billion dollars,
One woman couldn’t keep him happy!
...Unless he found one,
...With eighteen holes!
...Now that would be cool!
“Roll over Honey!
Tonight I’m playing the back nine!”
It went well, and I was pleased with the evening. I just hope that there aren’t too many like it in the future; it’s just not a great rut to fall into. Our Jester says that it’s because there are so many newbies; myself ...I’m not so sure ...it don’t take many rotten apples to spoil the barrel ...and that’s fair to neither audience nor comic. I think that my skins thick enough that none of it bothers me, but ...that was not always so; if it had been like that when I started ...I might have stopped!
Interesting length of time before me; I get to play the ‘Laff Stop’ this April 29th ...its ToonTown’s only Pro Comedy show, every Friday and Saturday evening. The Master has asked me to accompany him to a show in Clavet on May 8th. Beyond those two, I’ll have both ‘Refuse to Sit Down’, and ‘Laff Trax Comedy Theatre’ every Mon. And Wed. Things are looking good.
Tonight though will be straight, (perhaps not so straight!), R & R. Saskatoon’s only gay bar is having an amateur comedy night, run by a local Drag Queen! I’ll be Dressed to Kilt! I’m just wondering if the boys will flirt ...with a Scot in a Skirt!? Guess there’s only one way to find out!
No comments:
Post a Comment