Wednesday October 13th, 2010 - Chicago, IL Back at Zanies in Chicago for the last of my two night run, and it was a nice full crowd. The club only seats about 110, so it doesn’t take all that many to make it seem jammed to the rafters, but it actually was pretty full. Again it was a tight audience, but I got them. These people reminded me of the crowds on cruise ships. I could tell they weren’t very hip to comedy, and most were probably first timers. I didn’t insult them, but could feel an underlying stiffness even before I got up. I don’t know why people don’t just relax and let comedians give them a show, but too often they don’t. They think we want them to help. Sometimes they’re just plain stupid. In a nation of 300 million people, sometimes it’s a random occurrence that a room full of 100 or so soup heads congregate on a given night. That wasn’t the case tonight though, these people weren’t stupid. They were just a tad bit late on the uptake. I slowed my delivery down and was able to locate their wavelength. It wasn’t a great show, but it wasn’t a waste of time either. I felt I got the absolute most I could out of that particular audience, and that’s the best I could do. Was it up to my own personal standards? No, but not many shows are. On this night, this crowd got my best. The other two comedians on the show are two of my very favorites - Vince Maranto and Denise Ramsden. I think both of them are extremely funny on stage and I like and respect them both as people too. They’re very professional, and have absolutely paid their dues. I’ve known Vince for probably 25 years. He’s well liked among comics and very funny. He works a lot, makes a living and can still be a father to his son. Is anything wrong with that? Not at all, but in my mind Vince should be higher in the comedy pecking order. He makes me laugh out loud, and minds his own business. All he wants is to pay his bills. Denise hasn’t been doing it as long as Vince and me, but she’s got a real style about her that in the right audience really destroys. She isn’t the typical ‘chick act’ and she went out to try her luck in L.A. but eventually moved back. They didn’t get her, but I do. If I had a tiny bit of power, she’d catch her big break. But I don’t. So here we all were at Zanies. All three of us were grateful for the work - BUT, in my opinion we all should be farther along in the business than we are. It’s not with bitterness that I say that either. It’s just the result of all of our choices over the years, and for whatever reason we weren’t on that list of chosen ones that made the big time. There just isn’t room for many people on that list. That doesn’t mean any of the three of us aren’t successful though. We’ve all stayed with comedy and are still making a living. Denise is also a vendor at Wrigley Field, and works her ass off doing it. I think she’d really kill on TV, and hope she gets her shot. She’s got a smart ass mouth and I love it. It’s FUNNY. Middle America would love her just like they loved Roseanne. I totally see it, but how can I give her that break? Or Vince? I can’t. I’m struggling myself. Just because someone isn’t famous, doesn’t mean they aren’t talented.
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