Roll Out The Barrel

Friday August 8th, 2008 - Oak Lawn, IL

My turn in the barrel. Again. That’s the punch line of a disgustingly filthy old joke and also the term Chicago comedians use when we work at the Barrel of Laughs comedy club in Oak Lawn. Nobody really wants to work there but the owner is such a nice person that it’s difficult to say no. Bill Brady is his name and he’s kept the joint running since 1977.

Everyone in Chicago comedy has performed at the Barrel at one time or another. When I first started I got banned from there for having an altercation with a loud rowdy table of drunken idiots and that was the start of a long and drawn out battle with many more of the same kind of people all over North America. I didn’t like them then and I still don’t now.

Over the years I’ve made my peace with Bill Brady as most comics have and it’s a place most of us work once a year just because Bill keeps calling and asking. It’s nice to get any booker calling and wanting to lock down a date but when we get there any thrill is gone.

It’s a small room attached to an Italian restaurant in a very blue collar area. The typical customers are not the sharpest tools in the shed and they can be very rowdy and just plain stupid at times. I’ve had some pretty good shows and others have been absolute torture.

Summers are notoriously slow at the Barrel as they are everywhere but the catch is that if a show is cancelled we don’t get paid. The pay is very weak to begin with but if we lose a show or two it becomes a losing proposition and I can’t afford to donate my time even if I like Bill Brady. He treats me very well and I appreciate that but I’ve got to pay my bills.

We already lost last night due to lack of reservations and there was no late show tonight either so that’s a double kick in the shorts. The first show was sparsely attended but it was really a good audience so that made up for it a little. I took the opportunity to experiment with some new material and new ways to present some old material and it worked great.

They were blue collar people and that’s not a bad thing but sometimes that can lead to a drunken bunch of yelling idiots. Not so tonight. A few people talked but not in a bad way and I just went with the flow and tried to be in the moment the whole time. I pulled it off.

I rode down with Michael Alexander and he did a set so that was my good deed for the day. He doesn’t have a car and is getting back into comedy so I felt good that I could do a favor for a fellow comic. He talked to Bill and will get a booking. He was happy about it.

One of my best students Tony Talley came out because he lives on the south side. He’s booked up in Milwaukee tomorrow at Potawatomi and I’m very proud of his progress. He is always working and improving and seeing him get paid bookings is a thrill for us both.

Tonight was a lot of fun even if it was a small crowd. I will barely break even on money but I’ll be ok. Knowing that I went from a dime a dozen unfunny opener to somebody Bill considers a ‘special event’ lets me know that at least someone appreciates my hard work.