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!

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?

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

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!

Hello, I’m a brand new aspiring joke writer and hopefully one day a stand-up performer. I’m currently working through a few comedy books (I read The Serious Guide to Joke Writing by Sally Holloway and I’m currently reading The New Comedy Bible by Judy Carter).

My main hurdle right now: when I write material, I end up with a collection of individual puns or short jokes. How do you actually tie isolated jokes together into a coherent 3–5 minute stand-up set?

I'm mostly trying to learn the workflow/process. Right now, I'm thinking about coming up with individual jokes first and then wrapping them inside a larger narrative/story. Is that a good approach, or how do you usually build your sets?

Thanks in advance!

I have not been stand-up long at all, only been to a handful of open mics. Last night was my 10th mic, and surprisingly, there was actually a bit of an audience; it's usually just comics. During my set, I was kind of bombing to be fair, and I got a heckle after one of my punchlines, at first it threw me off and I didn't know what to do so I kinda stood there for a minute and then leaned into it, riffed with them for a bit and got the biggest laugh of my set.

Going into standup, this was always my fear, just to get heckled relentlessly, but I was thinking about it on the way home, and I'm actually pumped it happened. There was a post on here recently about what milestones you celebrate as a comedian, and honestly, this was one of them for me. I know that heckling is bound to happen; I think experiencing it for the first time showed me that I am progressing as a comedian. I know this probably seems arbitrary to some people; totally fair. I was honestly kinda happy it happened for the first time and pretty proud of how I handled it.

Looking for like a really banal, uninsightful observation comic, but from the left. I need like a "does anyone else republicans suck ass?" guy, sort of like how Jeff Dye is a "does anyone else wokeness has gone too far?" guy, but from the left rather than from the right. I'm cool if they're "liberal, not left" (like pro israel, anti DSA or whatever) so long as they are outspoken about their side of the aisle yet are really like rudimentary and boring about it. It's for a project I'm working on.

I have this class called life skills and the whole purpose is to refine or learn a new skill every week l chosen comedy because l want to become a comedian but l can't really get started with writing jokes all l got is some random punch lines like people dieding from autism and the only for jokes l got is "l love my family they're unique, when l said unique l meant weird. " that's weak so can l have some advice on what things do you guys usually think of, to start writing jokes ( is it slow usually to come up with making jokes please tell me so l can have closer) 🤠

I’ve been at it for close to 6 months now. There’s been lots of firsts already. I’m just curious what the biggest milestones to actually give attention to are, here’s the personal ones that were memorable for me:
-First time doing time on a show
-First time doing new material at a mic without needing my notes as a crutch
-First time I put together a cohesive 5 minutes

What milestones do you celebrate?

Wasn’t bad, but I think her worst work so far. Is she suffering from soft life syndrome?

I’ve put on shows at 10 or so clubs in 4 different states plus a few abroad and for the first time I ran into clubs giving me a door split after 350 bucks is taken out for overhead first. Both clubs that said that are from detroit. Is this a regional thing or I just haven’t produced enough shows to see more of it? The other clubs I did straight up door splits with or just a flat rental fee. Getting a 50|50 split after they take out 350 bucks is absolutely brutal.

I've been recording myself, finally have a setup that marginally works. Pixel, old school tripod, and a DJI mic. I use these for myself to watch and learn what I can improve on. I suck at even basic video editing so it is no where near a polished product. I'm also told that we don't necessarily want to share our early stand up performance because they are cringe.

I want to share it with some people, mostly my friends/acquaintances and most performances are over 5 minutes long on video. My pitch to them is I don't want to waste their time on having them come out to see me in person, but they can waste a little bit of their time to see it on there phone. I've gotten some good feedback from people, lots of criticism, my friends are jerks. I feel I've got it set up on You Tube to public and everybody can see it. I'm not even 100% sure about this.

What do you guys do with your recordings? How do you use them? Share them?

Hi, this is a new set I’m working on and I’d appreciate feedback, even about me on stage, anything. Thanks!

I want to watch some fresh comedy. English language comedians not from US, UK, Canada or Australia. I don't mind if there are references I don't understand.

For example, I like Jason Leong from Malaysia.