I’m in Las Vegas this week for an event called The World Series Of Comedy. It’s a big contest for up and coming comics from all over to win about thirty weeks of paid work at various clubs around the country. There will be all kinds of bookers here to help judge the contest and it‘s a fantastic opportunity to get to interact with them away from their office.
Many times a booker won’t answer a call or email for any number of reasons, one of the biggest being they don’t know who the person is that’s asking them for work. Events like this can really open doors, and even though it’s designed for feature acts, I volunteered to hold a comedy workshop just to be a part of it. I think it’s good business to be part of this.
The guy putting it on is a comedian named Joe Lowers. He’s originally from Pittsburgh, but moved out here and started his own comedy room in a resort called Alexis Park, just a short ways off the strip across from The Hard Rock Café. It’s a gorgeous venue, and it’s a perfect place to do what he’s doing. He offered me a chance to teach and I gladly took it.
These kind of events are really good, especially for a social retard like me. It’s a chance to mix and mingle and make contacts with people that can last for years. I’m just not that much of a social butterfly, but these kinds of events make it easy to hang out without any pressure. Everyone’s usually laid back and approachable, and even I feel comfortable.
Judy Carter used to do an event at a resort in Palm Springs, CA that I attended several times at my own expense. Comedians made fun of me for doing it, and I probably could have taught most of the workshops I attended, but it was a chance to schmooze and meet a boatload of nice people, many of which I’m still in contact with today. It was worth it.
I can already tell this trip was worth it. I wondered a little on the flight in, as I came in on Southwest Airlines from Milwaukee. Normally I love Southwest, but today’s mix of passengers were all about 400 lbs. or more, and they kept getting up to use the bathroom and it seemed like every time I looked up there was a buffalo sized butt cheek in my face.
When I landed, Joe had promised someone would pick me up at the airport, but at that particular time, he didn’t have anyone available so I had to wait about a half hour in the blazing heat in a long line to get a cab. I landed at 11:15 and my seminar was scheduled to begin at 1pm. I didn’t get to the hotel until about 12:30 and it was a little bit stressful.
I ended up making it to the venue on time, and was joined by Cyndi Nelson from Zanies in Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, IL. She’s out here as a judge and is a sweetheart of a person so I knew I’d be ok. I met Joe and he showed me the club where the seminar was scheduled and there were three people sitting there. I thought I’d drawn the big goose egg.
By 1pm there was a full house, and it was a total blast. Cyndi was there and added on to things I said, and the comics who attended asked excellent questions. Now my ‘work’ is over, and I can hang out and press the flesh. These will be seeds for my comedy future.
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