The second quarter of 2008 was a challenge for me.  I was trying to make some headway as a comic, but instead was feeling like I was moving in slow motion

Ok, Here is the word,   Webster's defines the word Frustration as  a deep

chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs.

That in many ways defines the months of April, May and June. 

I started April with an opportunity to perform at the Baltimore Comedy Factory,  I drove there,  paid for parking.  The comics showed up, and unfortunately there was not much audience.  The show was cancelled.  It was not the Factories fault, they were there ready for business.  Unfortunately the audience was not.  It lead to frustration.

In the same week I was invited by Simple JT to perform at Montgomery College.   I performed last year as part of a variety show that he was producing.   It was a mixture of comedy, rappers, dancers, and spoken word.  I must tell you this is a mixture that can lead to many stories, and this show surely did.  So of course I had some concerns about doing another show where comedy was not the focus.  He told me it was all comedy.  I asked who was on, he told me about the comics and I thougth it would be good so I signed on.

The show was ok,  Sampson and Marcus where there and they are always funny and great guys.  Greg Pahanish hosted some of the show and he did a nice job.   Jennifer Wardrop, a big supporter of comedy in this area, came and did her thing, it was good to see her perform, it had been a while.  The only rough part was just before Marcus performed a newbie was on stage and would not get off.  He just kept going and going, but Marcus played it off and was great.  So after the frustration, came a good show.

That week ended with a Feature show, where I had Bill Monaghan, who is just a great guy and a funny person,  Boogie B. one of my favorites, and Zach Toczynski, who I would pay to see perform.  I saw him at Topaz last year and he is hysterical.  Unfortunately we did not have much of an audience.  People missed a great show, but my Frustration was that not many people came out to see the show.  A show that was really funny.  I will say that the comics did deliver though, and for that I was very impressed.  They all proved that you  have to give your best, whether 5 people pay or 500.

The month of April ended with the contest "So you think you are funny".  I have blogged previously about this, it is the blog on Kaleidoscopes myspace,  "A venue stands up for stand up."  That night was bizzare.  You had very rude audience members,  trying to insight my host Brett the Irish comic, who deserves a lot of credit for holding the show together.  In the face of a person threatening him, he just got past it and went on with the show.  It is important to know that the person threatening Brett, came in without paying and with alcohol from the outside.  He also threw Courtlands phone for no reason whatsoever.  It was the first time I ever heard her yell at someone.  There were about 70 paying customers at the show and they were also upset by the intruders. 

In May Pelican's asked us to bring back the open mic. This was something that sort of suprised me, based on the departure that occured the year before.  We started up in the beginning of May and they cancelled us by the fourth week, adding to my frustration.   We had been consistantly bringing an audience.  Comics were doing there thing.   Somehow the management felt the extra 20 people coming each week to see the comedy was not good for business.  Am I bitter maybe, but they shut us down for no reason.   I just said ok, and informed the comics, because in the end, the venue is still in charge.  It just adds to the frustration.

In May also I got to perform on a show created by CJ Burney.  It was called We got next.  I thought this was a great concept, it was geared toward the newbies of comedy.  The comics that are up and coming.  He picked 8 of us to perform and he was the MC.   I felt like it was a reunion of some of my favorite people in the comedy scene that I knew.  It had Sonny Fuller,  Lisa Lanham, Marcus Brown, Tommy Sinbazo (who at the time I did not know that well but got to know as the year moved on)  CJ hosting, and more, it had the makings of a great show.  I will tell you it was a very good show and I will always appreciate CJ for thinking that much of me to include me in the roster.

I took a big chance in May,  I brought in Gary Conrad a hypnotist, for a two day gig in May.  We talked a lot.  I advertised the show.  We traveled to Fairfax to be on the Mike O'meara show.  (Gary absolutely killed on the radio show, hypnotizing the producer Beth Ann McBride.)   We pumped the show, we had flyers being passed out at the metros.  It was the show to really hit and see.  On friday we had a small audience.  Same with Saturday.  I must tell you Gary Conrad's professionalism was amazing.  He went on and did the shows.  Hypnotized people and it was an absolutely great show.  I learned so much from him in one weekend.  I learned that the show must go on.  I learned about energy even if the audience is not huge.  Gary is a great asset to the performing community and I hope he keeps hitting the stage.   My frustration is the lack of audience again.  I also feel bad because my attitude was not as good as Gary on friday, but I learned and Saturday I was better.

Also in May we had the feature show,  this one had Jermaine, Eli and Aparna.  Three people that I really enjoy watching.  Aparna and Jermaine have been doing shows with me right from the beginning.  Eli is a staple at EJ's and a really supportive person of comedy in general.  I was looking forward to this show.  In the guest spots I had Sampson, who is a good friend.   Billy McCaleb a funny guy.  Travis Miller who won the contest in April, and a late addition of Hampton, a very talented and funny guy.  It had the makings of a great show.  Welll somethimes things just do not work the way you would hope.   There were some people in the audience that felt they had to be part of the show.   They seemed to think comedy was all about sex and drugs.  cursing or whatever.   The heckled the comics none stop.  For some reason they just felt it was there place to be the show. My frustration got the best of me and I lashed out at them, as best that I can.  They eventually left but the damage was done.   

May did end with some hope.  I was asked to put together a show for Kehilot Shalom, a temple in Gaithersburg Maryland.  They had had comedy before, and they were looking for a local group to do it this time.  So they approached me about doing the show.  I admit the comics I wanted for this was easy.  I called Lisa Lanham and she said yes.  I called Geoff Kole and he said yes.  I needed one more comic, so I went with Jared Stern.  (which turned out to be perfect)

I also called Jim Pate, a phone call that would begin a relationship that would grow a lot during the year, and asked him about doing a show out at Brittanys with Geoff.  Jim said yes so the weekend was complete.  The show at Brittany's was great,  Geoff did really well, so did I.  I lost my frustrations of April and May so far and saw potential.  We had a great time.  Jim really delivered that night.  The next night was Kehilot Shalom, and we were ready.

When I arrived at the temple they were setting up for the show.  They expected about 80 people, which I do believe is about what they got.  Jared was nervous,  he seemed to be unsure about a clean show.  I had my frustration, my ex-wife and her mother came to the show.  For those of you who know my comedy, that is a subject that I delve into.  So I was concerned I should temper my comedy.  Lisa Lanham said it best,  use the material that got you to this point.  I did just that.  The show was great.  I met Mike a friend of Geoff's this weekend and he did a great job MCing the show.  I had a nice 15 minutes,  Lisa did a great job.  I must tell you though  Jared was awesome, the audience loved him.  He got huge laughs.   The headliner was Geoff, and Geoff did a great job.    He started easy and really realed them in.  It was a great show and the people at the temple loved it.  Maybe the end of frustration.

June started with the first semi-final of the year for the contest.  The show was great, the weather was not, but we still had a great time.  The night was recorded by local point tv.  (We miss them).  This was a night dominated by Jim Pate,  he just lit up the room, with one of the best sets I have seen.  Its funny because he was late arriving,  was pissed about traffic, and went up and killed the place.   Billy McCaleb and Vince also did very well and will be in the finals.

I traveled back to NY in June, I was invited to be a participant in the funniest Jewish comedian show at the Broadway comedy club.  My mother was going to see my on stage for the first time. ( I perfomed last year at the moose in VA but that was early on)  I had friends coming to see me.  The top three would go to the finals.  I was nervous but I thought I had the material to do the job.   Unfortunately, I did not have my best set that night and finished fourth.  It was frustrating to me because I know what I did wrong and I was not happy about that.  My family and friends thought I was robbed from the finals, but the judges saw that I stepped on a couple jokes and seemed out of sorts so I understood.  Frustration with myself.

I had been given an opportunity by Andrew at Magooby's to do Ten minutes at the monthly contest.  He saw it as an audition for me to be a weekend host at the venue.  I really appreciated the opportunity that he was giving me.  I also knew I would be under a microscope.   I was ready to play.  I will say I did well, but again like in the funniest jewish competition, it was not my best work.  My frustration with my material was really getting to me. 

I had a discussion with Marc Unger that night, he said my material is fine, but I need to stop relying on the Half jewish jokes to bail me out.  he was right.  I mean its funny and its a good closer, but if the material leading up to it does not hit, all it becomes is a coating.   I needed to tighten my opening and middle material.  Frustration was growing, but I was growing and beginning to understand more and more about comedy.

So, the second three months were ok,  did not get on stage enough, did not work on new material enough.  A very frustrating period, but a great learning period.  I found new friendships, in Jim Pate, Gary Conrad, and Jared Stern.  I continued to rely and work with Marcus, Matt and Lisa as much as possible.   I used the advise of Ron Bender, Marc Unger, and others to help me forge forward.  I also found out a lot about myself.  So I continue my growth, only with the hope that it continues.  Again only 20 appearances in three months.

A special shout to Courtland who continues to support me like nobody ever has in my life, even when she wants to run from the comedy game, she joins the fun.