Friday, October 17, 2008

Last Minute In LaCrosse

Thursday October 16th, 2008 - LaCrosse, WI

Flexibility is a huge asset in the comedy business. I picked up a last minute fallout up in LaCrosse, WI that’s booked by an agent down in Florida of all places. I’ve worked for the agent before and it’s a married couple who have always treated me fairly. They sent out a mass email trying to find someone and I offered to help out. They gladly took me up on it.

I know how it is trying to fill a fallout. It’s part of the business but it can sure be a huge bite in the shorts when it’s too close to the date. I’ve had to back out a few times over the years and I always try to make it right later if humanly possible. Sometimes it’s just not.

I had a gig already booked but it wasn’t that great. One of my former students is setting up afternoon shows in downtown Chicago because her husband used to work at the Board of Trade. They’re getting their feet wet in the booking game and it’s a few bucks to do an easy few minutes. I got Jim McHugh to replace me at that gig and I said yes to LaCrosse.

The weather was great and I had a relaxing drive up I-90. I thought about a lot of things and I got so deep in thought I never even turned my radio on. I do that sometimes and it’s like I’m in a hypnotic trance or something. I am awake and my eyes are open but my head is out past Uranus and beyond. I usually come back into consciousness many miles away.

Reworking my comedy classes has been my main focus the last couple of days and I am totally ready to get back in the groove. I’ve got a one day seminar in the Cincinnati area to prepare for and I think I’m more than ready. I’ve got all new sheets and I bought a load of three ring binders to put them in and it’s already the most organized that I’ve ever been.

I’m going to shake my ex business partner off like fleas off a dog’s ass. I’m the one that started teaching classes in Chicago and I won’t let anyone just come around and think it’s an unlimited cash grab scam. I’m going to outwork and outperform any and all of them.

The show in LaCrosse was just ok. There were a lot of people but it was way too smoky and a few of them were talking through the whole show. Until the end of time that one is a head scratcher to me. Why do these people pay a cover charge and then talk all night? I could never figure that out and I couldn’t tonight either but I did my time and got paid.

There’s a radio station that sponsors comedy night and they were here last time I was as well. It’s Z-93 and the afternoon jock is named Brittany and I did a phoner on her show in the car on the way up. She’s very sharp and very nice and not the typical radio bimberino. She has a pleasant personality and I hope she stays with it and makes it to a big market.

The program director is also the midday jock and she is a brunette stunner that is hotter than 99.999% of any radio babes I’ve ever come across. She’s gorgeous and still has that hot sexy radio voice that most radio women do but look like a Guernsey cow with a case of the mumps. Not this one. Smelling her perfume as we crossed paths on the stage made my drive worthwhile. This was a pleasant surprise to pick up some much needed scratch.

No comments: