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@ Zanie's Comedy Club - Downtown Chicago Video by JamesErvinBerry - MySpace Video

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I haven't blogged in a long time because of lack of responses.  People say they read it, but don't respond.  Since I'm talking to myself it seems, why bother?

Guess what?  Same thing happens on Yahoo, Smartgb, Facebook and everywhere I try to blog. 

So the real issue is that I'm not entertaining or interesting enough.  

So I'll start blogging here again soon.  Since nobody's 'listening' it really matter does it. 

Follow my updates on Myspace. 

http:// Twitter.com/JamesErvinBerry

I'll be uploading pics on Myspace from my cell phone too. 

Comics & Women. My greatest friends and enemies who've disrespected, dismissed and under-estimated me, dumping coal in my locomotive. As of Novmber 6 2009, I DECLARE WAR.

War on stupidity, ignorance, unsupportiveness and doubt.

I DECLARE that within less than two years, you will see James Ervin Berry on TV, SOMEWHERE. I DECLARE I will never stop until the revenge of my success chokes the piss out of your illusions of condescending arrogance. I'm quite content with every comic on the planet THINKING they're better than me.

Much like life, comedy iis a journey through which every person has their own path. We cross paths at times and journey together at times. The destinations are similar occasionaly, but we never end up at the exact same spot.

DESPITE your best efforts, I will end up at my spot. By plane, bus, train, motorcycle, bicycle or tricycle... I will walk, I will crawl...I will get to that spot. And when I get there, I will rock it like Tupac on "Same Song".

JAMES ERVIN BERRY IS OFFICIALLY UNHINGED AND UNLEASHED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

GENERALLY

I'm only happy to see this year go because I'm looking forward to '08.

When I think about where I started in January it has certainly been a journey. Comedy UPs and DOWNs were more frequent this year, but so was growth.

This is the first year that I wanted to be on stage every night. In fact, I can't remember having "perfermance withdrawal symptoms" in the past.

Part of it is seeing growth within myself and wanting that experience to keep building. Another part is the competitive side of me, because there's ALWAYS someone funnier.


UPs

This year's ups included:

1. Performing in clubs like Crackers, Comedy Off Broadway, Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle and Nitwits for the first time.
2. Feeling more creative while on stage and going with that spontaneous flow. (If I don't get that big laugh, it's perfectly ok.)
3. I stayed in contact with a few more comics. Each year I want to build personal friendships with more comedians.
4. My Dad, sister, my favorite Uncle, and an aunt all my show live this year.


DOWNs

1. My biggest "performance" UP and DOWN happened in the same place: Cleveland.

In March I heard the biggest laughs I've ever!! In November I heard the loudest boo's ever. That is the comedy club that gives me the most resistance (aka "Belly of the Beast"). Because of how strong I felt after that November experience, it's definitely one of my favorite clubs now.

2. Dishonest bookers.
3. Not being on stage enough (therefore not making enough income).
4. Not being a better business minded comedian.


I have a lot to look forward to for 2008. Quite honestly I'm getting geared up for 2009 already. Next year is a stepping stone.

(the Belly of the Beast: the place I have my worst sets. People there don't feel my style and I have the most comedic resistance. The Belly of my Beast is a predominately Black audience. In this case, Cleveland Improv).

So tonite was a very special because I was proud of me.

Wednesday- Worst set ever. I threw up the middle fingers and booed the crowd.
Thursday- I performed material I wrote THAT MORNING. Better set.
Sunday- Applause breaks.

My feeling going into Thursday was " oh, yall GON' laugh at me!!" "Imma MAKE yall laugh at me".

After I got "demoted" (to MC) because of Wednesday, I had to admit I felt stronger. Typically I thought clubs give you another shot the next night, but apprently not. But the Belly of the Beast was what I had to face. I refused to bow down or compromise who I am as a comic. I'm not a BET Comic, I'm just James Ervan Berry.

What did I learn from this experience?:
1. I'm resilient. Based on 1 conversation, I ended up with a 10 minute set. (Thanks Dime). That is a set that I can continue to build on and add to.
2. I finally faced my fear of performing in front of a "black" crowd. Not only did I do it, but I came out victorious. Not just laughs but applause (phuck 'em.. I won!!) lol
3. There is a lot more comedy within than I thought. I'll continue to find it.

Although I said in May I would never go back to Cleveland, I had to. Facing that fear was probably one of the best things for me. I knew I had to do it and I did it. There is no way to describe how relieved and stronger I feel.

That being said, I'm trying to get into churches, colleges and corporations. Some of my church friends made it known they are NOT supportive. However, I had to cut some off since they're not trying to help me do comedy on their turf. I mean if you won't come to a comedy club (during a non-smoking show) that's the next best thing, right??

So I got plenty to work on now. I'm very encouraged at how this week went.

The Feature act said to me today:
"When I saw you on Thursday, I was like... He came BACK!??? Man, my car would have been broke on Thursday or I would have been sick! You have my respect, man!"

Hilarious.

Normally I wouldn't even write a blog on a day like to day. One of those days where the heart is heavier than the body. I was dreading going to this funeral for many reasons but I'm glad I went.

Personally I don't believe in "last respects", since most people don't have FIRST respects anyway. But it was wonderful to hear other people say the same things I would have said.

I've taken away a lot from the experience of knowing Tony Miller. He was the "headquarters" of Milwaukee comedy. If you needed to get in contact with someone, he was the guy who knew the guy. As hard as it is to get work, he always tried to provide a stage for others to perform. I'm sure there's a Tony Miller in every city that has comics. But this one was ours and he is going to be missed.

Overall I can honestly say that I've been a blessed guy. All of the people I have had to see in a casket, have all given me good memories. I can remember the times when Tony would come over to do work on our house. Man, you would swear that was a comedy show going on. We'd be laughing so hard my stomach would hurt.

He was always "working on a new bit about....." whatever. He was the guy you were glad to see coming and hate to see going. I hope I can be that guy to somebody.

What I enjoyed most was getting to know him OUTSIDE of comedy. Many times comics only associate when it's inside the comedy club. Granted, he was doing work for our family but he became part of the family. That's the guy you want to be like..the guy that's family to everybody.

R.I.P. Tony Miller

Since Tony was a carpenter and we always needed some work done, he was like family.

I cannot count the number of times we shared laughs while he was working. In fact, he would put me out the room because he knew he couldn't get work done otherwise.

As a comedian, Tony Miller gave a lot of people stage time at the Safehouse in Milwaukee, WI. I remember when I first tried comedy in 1998 he was the guy to talk to. He continued to be "the guy" for me since he was always trying to look out for other comics.

A label started to form for comics that worked with Tony. "Tony Miller's Comics", which was actually a misnomer. He wasn't training a bunch of comics or anything. All he was doing was helping the comics that he could help.

He was one of the few comics I would call if I needed advice. Tony was like a big brother. The kind of guy you claim as family.

R.I.P. Big Brother.

My Dad and I always had an antagonistic relationship due to his rough upbringing.
But I got my selfish ways from him though.

We got into an argument because I borrowed his shoestrings.
He put me out the house!

I'm thinking, Nigga I'm going to CHURCH... to praise the LORD...
and I can't borrow some shoe strings?

This nigga ain't GOT no respect for Jesus.


Now the problem is I hold grudges too long and he has a bad memory.

I learned early in life that my Dad's favorite word was "later" which really meant NEVER!
He still owes me that bike ride in the park!
I don't care if it was 1985...2nd week of July...12 noon.

Once I became a teenager his hugs were real quick!
Like hugging was a virus!

He'd be like..
*real quick*


I'm like.. um..
*sniffing armpits*
You know, LONG hugs don't require a vaccination.

It's not Acquired Immune-to- HUGGING Syndrome

Nobody's immune system
I don't think he was ready for kids because of the way he said "i Love You".
Mama said it with an exclamation point!
"I LOVE you!!"

Dad said it with a question mark!
"I looooooove YOU??"

Just because I'm not a thug doesn't mean I don't know about hustling. Growing up in the Upper LOWER class, I learned a lot from my Pops

I say upper LOWER because we were at the top of the lower class. Another $9.66 and we'd have to PAY for school lunch. You KNOW you hustling when just to get free lunch you get your overtime cut.



Blog:

One thing I will say about Pittsburgh... I REALLY needed it to get away from Milwaukee. My mind is more "open" than it's ever been. That's the term I use to describe when comedy ideas come to me. Memories reappear which means topics jump out.

Like a fresh onion ready to get cooked, I feel the layers coming off. Every comic has those layers. Each layer for me has just been more honesty with myself. I haven't been trying to mine the comedy nuggets from the truth yet. But I have been trying to let my mind remain open. When my mind is open, things are flowing a lot more freely. It's happening more often which is a good sign.

Oddly enough, all of this started a couple weeks ago. I was under the most stress I had ever been under as far as paying bills. Cuz a nickel owes not just bills but them BACK TAXES, son!! Oh yeah... And Uncle Sam (who is definitely THE molester of the family jewels) is asking for his cut.

So without any new gigs pending after October, and already behind on rent more layers are peeling back. I never would have seen that direct correlation until now anyway. As long as this pans out, I'm all good. "Pans out" meaning if suffering means more laughs on stage and bigger laughs, then I'm cool. Orchard Bank ain't tryna here that though.

So December 15th is the big day. It's my first Headlining gig in Milwaukee. It will be at the "Y Not 3" Club on E. Kennilworth. 9:15pm. Tickets are $6.

I got 20-25 tickets to sell. Self-promotion is an aspect of my comedy game that I am terrible at. I have NEVER been good at self-promotion or selling anything. Man I was terrible in Junior Achievement! We had to make these chimes out of spoons one time. Basically the spoons were pounded flat, a hole was drilled at the tip of the handle and it was hung on a string around some wood.

It seemed like them suburban kids were RAKING in the dough! They were selling them raggedy ass chimes like they was girl scout cookies. I don't know HOW I tricked my Aunt Charlene into buying mine! My POPS didn't even want to buy one! That nigga FINALLY gave me some allowance but told me to KEEP the chimes!
I'm like, dayum.. I'm so terrible at this that dude would rather just give me the money than buy a chime!

So that self-promotion stuff has never worked for me. I tried to get under the tutalege of a couple comics from MIlwaukee when I first started. These were people who had been in the game a while. The main cat had his comedy thing established in Milwaukee, so he was the first one I knew. Eventually he ended up asking people to stop supporting me and support what he was doing. So much for being under a wing. The other two cats really didn't have anything consistent going anyway so no disappointment there.

So I'm at the point where I have to get schooled on that self-promotion thing. Learning how to access sponsors for my events... all that. That's stuff I never even knew about. Quite honestly, mingling with people and learning how to network is another weakness. It's just something I never learned. It's hard to learn that stuff being up in church seven days a week. lol

So I'm eager to learn how this stuff works. I didn't want to Headline this room because I didn't think I could sell 20 tickets. That's the God's honest truth. A lot of the people I know won't come see me for FREE! lol So 20 tickets seems like a mountain. But since I do want to record this for a DVD, I will figure something out and get cracking on it.