Tuesday July 1st, 2014 – Rosemont, IL
The
sweetest music any comedian can hear the week of the 4th of July is
a phone ringing. This is traditionally the deadest week of the year along with
Christmas week, and that’s just how it is. It was like that even during the
peak years, but it’s really true now. It’s not easy to get a booking.
Cruise ships can be decent on Christmas week because Jewish people tend
to fill the ships, but comedy clubs on land tend to be ghost towns. Most clubs
do a local ‘best of’ show with acts that live in town and don’t cost much. It’s
something a club plans for every year, and they squeak by.
4th of July week is similar, but Jewish people celebrate too
– at least if they’re Americans. I’ve never seen a rush of communist
sympathizers or terrorists in comedy clubs or cruise ships on the week of 4th
of July. It’s slow for everyone, and there’s always the variable of what day it
falls on.
Saturday is always the money night in any week, and when Christmas Eve,
Christmas night or the 4th happen to fall on one that makes it even
harder for a venue to turn a profit that week. I’ve seen a lot of places in
recent years just bite the bullet and close for those weeks. I can see why.
Zanies Comedy Clubs in the Chicago area will be open this week, but will
close on Friday the actual 4th. They’re piecing ‘best of’ local
shows together, and Chicago is a big city with a lot of options. It’s a chance
for comedians to get their feet wet working at a Zanies location, and that’s a
big deal in Chicago. It’s a chance for the clubs to be able to stay open as
well, so it’s win/win.
I couldn’t have been more delighted to receive a text from the manager
of the Rosemont Zanies asking if I would mind hosting the shows tonight and
Thursday. Would I mind? Are you kidding
me? I would be willing to host the show, vacuum the showroom after and take out
the garbage at the end of the night. Being able to bring in even $1 on 4th
of July week is a victory in these times.
As if that wasn’t enough, I received an email shortly thereafter from
Bert Haas asking if I’d be willing to close the shows at the St. Charles
location in Pheasant Run Resort on Saturday. Again, I was barely able to
conceal my joy as I pretended to look for my calendar to see if I was open.
This couldn’t have come at a better time, and I couldn’t be more
grateful. I hate to be in such a pickle to need money this badly, but it’s a
big barrel and I’m not alone. Every comic I know that hasn’t gotten a day job
by now is also sniffing around for anything they can get. Times are tight.
I’m really going to have to be better prepared from now on, but at least
for another year I’ll get through another 4th of July week and
another summer. I’ve picked up a couple of straggler shows for July and August,
and there could be a few more in the mix when I rattle some cages I haven’t
rattled in a while but need to. This particular week was wide open, and now
it’s not. I’m thrilled.
The show tonight was excellent. The Rosemont location is part of a
beautiful new complex that has a lot of bars and restaurants, and there is a
significant amount of walk up business. That’s the exact type of location the
most successful comedy clubs in the country are. Hopefully this club is set up
for a long successful run. There was a nice house tonight, and I enjoyed every
minute of it. I’ll enjoy Thursday and Saturday too. Thank you Zanies, you saved
me again. www.zanies.com.
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| Zanies in Rosemont, IL is one of the most beautiful comedy clubs in America. See for yourself! www.zanies.com |
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