A Bad Match

Friday December 7th, 2007 - Chicago, IL/Lake Villa, IL

Not a fun day today. I recorded both shows at Zanies and neither one was worth it. The problem with recording shows is that it rarely is one the person taping wants to remember. Maybe it’s Murphy’s Law or human nature or who knows what but time after time a show that’s recorded is a complete disaster. A waitress drops a tray of drinks or someone has an aneurism during the show or a fire alarm goes off. Who knows? Taping is just asking for it and it’s not only me this happens to. The good thing is that it’s getting easier to record.

A lot of things went wrong tonight but the most difficult thing to overcome was the vibe of the feature act. We’re just a poor fit and I can’t stand following him. Our styles clash so if someone would like him they probably wouldn’t like me and vice versa. That makes it as difficult as it gets for recording purposes. He takes the crowd in one way and then I have a monumental talk of bringing them back in my direction before I take them where I want to go. It’s not easy to do that in general but with cameras running it’s downright impossible.

My style is very quick and it needs to establish a rhythm. The feature act has his rhythm and we don’t play well together. It would be like a polka band and a rapper trying to book a show together. The audience would be confused and it wouldn’t flow together very well. Our shows don’t flow together very well and I could see that happening from Tuesday on.

I don’t have anything against the guy personally and I don’t wish him anything bad but it does make it extremely frustrating to have to follow him every show. He’s cocky and dirty and full of himself and I just don’t like that vibe at all. I’m sure he’ll get a sitcom and be an American icon in the future and that’s great but for this week I wish I could pick the acts I want in front of me. I would think after all this time I could do that but it’s not the case.

Bert Haas says he puts all the ‘iffy’ comedians in front of me because he knows I’m able to handle just about anything. In a way that’s a huge compliment but in another it punishes me for being competent. Other bookers have said that too. I remember one guy telling me ‘I give unproven acts a shot with you because I know you’ll mop up any mess.’ Thanks.

Both crowds tonight were chatty and drunk and it was survival to finish my time on both shows much less worry about putting anything new or subtle on tape. I felt like I was back in Arkansas again and neither one of these shows were fun at all. I’m in this for fun but the audiences were in it for alcohol. I am getting sicker and sicker of entertaining boozers. It’s old and getting older and I am rapidly realizing I need to do something different but quick.

Working on the Uranus Factory Outlet business is different and it will be a challenge but also possibly be what puts me over the top. If I can become a draw at least I will deal with drunks who have paid to see ME rather than be a babysitter like I am now. I love being an entertainer when the audience enjoys it but when they don’t I wish I was driving a truck. It took a lifetime to learn my craft and tonight I felt I wasted that lifetime because I had to be in front of two separate groups of people who had nothing in common with me and in fact they loved the cocky kid in front of me and thought I was terrible. This is not what I need.