Summer Money

Tuesday May 31st, 2011 - Fox Lake, IL

   Here comes summer, and all that goes with it. To most, it’s a long awaited chance to get that boat out that’s been put away all winter and drown some worms on a lake somewhere far away from home. It’s also time to dust off the old grill and start torching big chunks of animal carcass over an open flame, just like the cavemen did. Summer is the time for fun.

  Unfortunately for me, summer also signals the start of the annual seasonal hibernation of the standup comedy business - at least in the rust belt. Wherever it snows, people wait for summer sun to come so they can jam pack all their outdoor activities into a few months.

   It’s very tricky to stay working during the summer, but I’ve always managed to be able to squeak out a living somehow. It’s getting tougher and tougher though, so I’m going to look for ways to supplement my income from now on. I’ve got work in June and a single week booked in Tucson in July - which will be like working on the surface of the sun.

   Yes, the hotel will be air conditioned and so will the club. I’m sure the airport will be as well and I’ll rent a car that has air conditioning too. Still, it will be a challenge to survive, dry heat or not. The people out there are used to it though, so the club won’t be affected.

   Summers in the north are completely different. Crowds are sparse, and those weeks are often when bookers either test out new acts or try existing acts in an elevated position on the bill. I got my first chances to headline in summer weeks, and I took advantage of it.

   In the old days, the Funny Business Agency out of Grand Rapids, MI used to even have a ‘summer money’ pay schedule for gigs in those months. It would be lower than the rest of the year, and you can imagine how it went over with most comedians. The joke always was “Well, I guess I’ll have to do my summer act with less jokes.” That’s just how it was.

   I can’t blame the people of the rust belt for wanting to be outside in summer. I grew up in Milwaukee, I can totally relate. I want to be outside too, but I also want to earn a living while I’m out there. Running a tilt-a-whirl is not my idea of planning for my golden years.

   The sun belt is used to the heat, and they continue to function no matter how hot it gets. It’s a lot like us, who drive through a foot of snow like it’s nothing and never let a winter storm stop us. Winter is the peak comedy time in the North, whereas a half an inch of the flakiest of snow will shut down every metro area south of Cincinnati for days at a time.

   Last year, cruise ships really bailed out my summer. I made some decent money and got a hell of an education doing it. This year, I have enough club work to tide me over for the summer and into fall, and if I’m smart I’ll use my down time to prepare products for sale.

   The DVD with James Wesley Jackson is really coming along well. I’m also planning to organize a tour with Don Reese, Dwight York and Dan Still that will be marketed in new ways to new customers. I’m also reworking my comedy classes. This is no summer off.

Posted via email from Dobie Maxwell's "Dented Can" Diary