Monday July 19th, 2010 - Cozumel, Mexico Today was the day to prove myself. Everyone has been very nice so far, but this was the day to prove that I can handle this kind of work. They were nice enough to keep me off of the ‘Welcome Aboard’ show, and Jim Brick showed me how to handle them in the future should I get the chance to do one, and hopefully I will. Nobody rushed me into anything. Last night was easy also. There are five thirty minute shows each night split between us but last night Jim had to do three to my two, and that made it easier. I watched all three of his sets, and he’s a very good comic for these shows. He has a quick mind and can adjust. I like to think I’m that way too, but I was still a little nervous to take my turn at bat for a three show night. It’s only 30 minutes for each set, but the room seats 450 and they’d like us to do different material for the family set and the regular one. We can repeat on the late shows, but working the audience really helps to stretch things out. I see why Jim does it. They switch our order from night to night so it was my turn up first at 7:30. There was a nice size crowd despite the fact the ship was at port in Cozumel, Mexico and the deadline to be back on board wasn’t until 10pm. The club manager Ben wasn’t sure if it might lead to low attendance but it didn’t at all. They were a polite audience and I had a solid show. I’m still on eggshells, especially with the early clean shows. Kids are allowed in and it’s just not what most comics are used to. ONE complaint can get me kicked off the job and I kept thinking about it the whole time. Still, I got solid laughs and Ben was happy with it. The second set at 9:45 was also full, but again they really didn’t buy my closing bit. It’s strange, because that’s the one I can count on in clubs when nothing else is working. They liked everything else I did, but not that. I cut and pasted and took out what I could as I did it, but it just wasn‘t what they wanted. Everything else got big laughs. I can’t figure it out. I also had to do a late show at midnight, the ship’s equivalent to late show Friday in the clubs. I was a little tight beforehand, as I’d hate to have one bad one keep me from getting hired back. I did get some laughs all the other shows even if it wasn’t up to my standards. It rarely is. I demand way more of myself than anybody else. I want to blow an audience away. I want a crowd to double back with laughter until they get whiplash. I want them to turn purple from losing air. I want them all to have sore stomach muscles from laughing. The third show wasn’t up to those standards unfortunately, but it wasn’t without several high points with big laughs. It was a challenge because of how tired they were from being in Cozumel all day, but those who came were polite and respectful. This was a cake walk. Compared to clubs, this gig is way better in many ways. The hard part is the lifestyle of living on a ship, and I still can’t say if I’m cut out for it long term. For this week it was an unexpected treat. I met some nice people and learned a lot. Let’s see how they liked me.
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