Sunday May 15th, 2011 - Kenosha, WI Back on the radio for another Sunday night ride on The Mothership Connection on AM 1050 WLIP in Kenosha, WI. I keep waffling back and forth on whether I should continue doing the show, then a night like tonight happens to remind me how much fun it can be. Last night I had a comedy show that blew the roof off a beautiful old theater with a jam packed house, and that was a blast also. Two nights, two home runs in two different fields of endeavor. Most people never get to experience one, so why am I having pangs of panic ricochet all over the inside of my skull? I’m not hauling in money, and that’s a red flag. My ‘show’ is finally getting there after years of paying dues, but my ‘business’ is sorely lacking. It’s very imbalanced, much like a basketball player that can only use one hand to dribble. There’s a whole other side that needs to be developed, but if it is it would mean a dramatic improvement for the player’s entire game. My business side needs improving. Unfortunately, that’s much easier said than done. Part of the reason I’ve always done all I do is to experience the fun and excitement of being an entertainer. It’s the greatest high I could ever imagine, and this weekend proved it. I floated off the stage in Hobart Saturday, and the four hours on the air tonight went by like four minutes or less. It was pure ecstasy. I guess the question here is, what’s wrong with having fun? Not a damn thing, but when it comes without money, there’s a major ingredient missing. I’ve sacrificed my whole life to acquire a skill set in not one but two extremely difficult and competitive fields to have to keep struggling financially. By all accounts, I should be in my peak earning years now. I’ve seen what people with less ability than I have make, and they can’t do both comedy and radio like I can. Why am I not getting paid like they are? This is the question that’s at every level of entertainment from sports to music to acting to comedy. The bottom line is, it just isn’t fair. Never was, never will be, isn’t now. I have to find a way to rework that. If it’s going to be unfair, why not make it unfair in my favor for a change? I think I need to reinvent myself in a way that will appeal to a certain audience that isn’t currently being addressed. What is that audience? If I knew that, I’d be riding in limos counting my cash. Dane Cook is an example of someone who did that extremely well. I don’t have to like his act, and I don’t. I do love his marketing prowess, and he’s the exact opposite of me in that his business is way ahead of his show. He gets people in seats though. Good for him. This kid Russell Peters is another. I’ve never seen his act, and probably wouldn’t like it, but he’s filling arenas catering to an audience of Indian people. Again, good for him. He’s got a niche I could never fill, so he’s no competition to me in the least. But how can I find a way to cash in on my own ability? I know there are people who like what I do, I’ve done all kinds of killer shows in the past few weeks alone. I just don’t know how to turn a buck with it. Well, a fair market value one anyway. If I can get an audience, I can ace the job.
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