Dilemma In Duluth

Wednesday January 7th, 2009 - Duluth, MN

Old habits die hard. I keep saying I’m going to start turning down gigs that are too far of a drive and too low in pay but I seem to keep on taking them anyway. Last week it was St. Cloud, MN and now today I made an even farther drive to Duluth, MN for the same pay.

What gives? I’m a stage addict, that’s what gives. I really do love to perform more than life itself and after all these years of polishing my craft I’m at the peak of my game. I’m a green beret special forces elite soldier and I don’t want to waste my years of hard training.

Taking this gig was a stupid business move but again just like last week I’m glad I came anyway for several reasons. First, the booker of this gig thinks I’m the funniest humanoid life form who ever skulked the planet. He treats me like Elvis and other comics tell me all the time how sick they are of hearing him say how funny I am to anyone who will listen.

That never hurts and I always to hear it no matter who says it. Who wouldn’t? It’s a big honor to be thought of so highly and I can tell he means it. He always makes room for me on his schedule and in fact he bends the schedule to suit mine whenever I’m willing to go up to the north woods and do a show. If this guy ran the Improvs I’d be a major superstar.

Too bad all he has is a Wednesday night at a casino in Duluth which was exactly a 484 mile scoot from my house. That’s a long commute to work but I said I’d do it and I lived up to my end of the bargain like I always try to do. But this is getting to be a major pain.

The good part of it is the casino was just remodeled and the comedy room is really very nice. The hotel rooms are top end too and the whole experience is the royal treatment. We get a delicious buffet dinner included and the staff couldn’t treat us much nicer. It’s easy.

The booker spread the word that I was coming and we had a packed house tonight. It’s a nice room with a rocking sound system and those people just like last weekend over in St. Cloud came out to see a show. They were WONDERFUL and we hit it off immediately.

This one was right up there with some of the best shows I’ve ever had. I was on point in my act and my rhythm and pace and timing were razor sharp and the audience was on my wavelength the whole time. There was a synergy there that doesn’t happen every night but when it does it’s unmistakable. I leaned into it and made it a point to give them my best.

No matter what my problems are when it gets like that it’s worth anything. I never have to do heroin because I can’t imagine any high being better than the feeling of knocking an outstanding comedy show out of the park. I’m a very tough critic but this one was a grand slam from start to finish. Eight hours in a car through the north woods was worth it today.

Tomorrow is the big test though. Will I still feel this way on the way home? It’s a really long drive and I’ll have lots of time to think about life, comedy and my vocational choice of using not one but TWO full days to do this gig. But damn was it fun. This one rocked.