After two weeks of lockdown, I threw a show for my fellow locked down neighbors.
My living room had a balcony that overlooked a large courtyard in the back of our building. The space holds about 80 people, so we were able to keep the comics and audience safely distanced. While only residents of the building were allowed into the space, people from neighboring buildings hung out of their windows to be part of the audience.
BONUS: The Facebook livestream reached about 100 people before my phone died. Not too shabby for a plague.
I didn’t know it at the time, but this would be the last show I’d do in front of a live audience for over three months.
If all Zoom shows were this good, I wouldn’t have stopped doing them.
Amber Rollo and Gabe Pacheco ran this like a variety TV show rather than straight standup, which made it so much better than the attempts at online comedy I had been involved with up until this. Best of all, it helped raise thousands to bail out BLM protestors arrested during COVID.
Hit the road down south.
Headed down to Tennessee to be a “Comedian in Residence” at a Chattanooga-based creative agency. Along the way, I linked up with some local comics who were kind enough to show me “the road.”
First pro featuring weekend.
After showing up at open mics at Chattanooga’s Comedy Catch, I was offered my first weekend gig as a professional feature act. This pic was taken right after an audience member, who was a nurse, said she didn’t trust Dr. Fauci because he was “owned” by Bill Gates.
Are laugheasies the new speakeasies?
Well by now, the cat’s outta the bag, this awesome (outdoor/safe) show was at the legendary JJ’s Bohemia.
In Chattanooga, if you live in a hotel for two months they let give you a comedy show.
The management at The Bode were so incredible. Not only did they make living there very comfortable (especially during a pandemic), they transformed their large lobby into a socially-distanced comedy club for a special show.
A New York “welcome home.”
From being physically threatened by audience members to a dog eating my mask, this was hands down the most challenging evening of comedy I have ever been a part of. But what did I expect after leaving NYC for The South, a kiss on the cheek?
StandUp NY actually gave me a nice welcome back.
They organized a series of outdoor shows around the city, and I was offered a slot where I installed another piece of comedy years ago.
Amazing view of the city. Beautiful skies. Excellent weather.
If it weren’t for all the comedy, these outdoor shows would be fantastic.
I might be doing standup just to make the flyers at this point.
Music + Comedy + Great Turnout.
+ it’s getting chilly. Let’s see how far into fall we can push these NYC outdoor shows
Back down South.
Yes, Meno approved this.