You’d think that I had a high school reunion coming up in the next few weeks with the amount that I’ve been flashing back to those days.  Not the entire experience (reliving it would be as awkward as the first time through), just one particular part of those three years.  I have long considered the drama courses that I took to be my most beneficial education.  While I can no longer do calculus or intelligently debate the historical theory that “World Wars I and II were the same conflict”, I can easily recall which parts of the stage hold the most “power” and how to properly project my voice.  Recently one quote from those classes has been stuck in my mind: “Entertainment is never enough.”

Hearing that said at the time I can’t recall fully grasping the meaning.  Making people laugh or providing them a bit of amazement was something that I did every week (even in high school), and hearing that those reactions were “never enough” was unpalatable.  Add to this fact that I was being thanked on occasion for providing that sense of escapism and it was hard to understand my teacher’s intention.  It took two conversations with two of my favourite comedians late last year for me to start to realize that “entertainment” is really just a starting point.

Providing a laugh to someone who needs it is an admirable goal, but that result does not eliminate the ability to also share with an audience member a new and unique point of view.  It’s that potential shift in perspective that can hold the most value during a performance of any kind.  Most theatrical shows, while entertaining, also comment on larger issues.  Plays have been used to provide commentary on countless topics, from political to societal to economic.  Including such commentary means that you are no longer just entertaining.  What I’ve come to realize is that stand-up comedy (and, yes, even magic) can have the same depth. (Some stand-ups already have such an impact.)

This is why, if you’ve seen some of my new material over the past five months, you’ve heard me talk almost exclusively about ego and narcissism.  It’s my new “theme”.  It was not arbitrarily selected.  I had been writing about my own ego for some time before this conscious change in my perspective occurred.  Thankfully this topic is very current.  Egotism has become a cornerstone of our culture so much so that its effects can be felt almost every day.  Furthermore, one of the inside jokes amongst my group of friends is about my (potentially) inflated ego, so to borrow from an age-old adage; I’m writing what I know.

The goal will be to give my stand-up sets even more of a framework, structure, and objective.  The next time you hear me trying to make fun of my own ego or pointing out ego in others during my stand-up comedy sets, it’s not because I’m out of premises… it’s because entertainment is no longer enough.

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The “two of my favourite comedians” mentioned above are Bengt Washburn and David Crowe.  I’ve been honoured to work and converse with both of these performers and am grateful to them both for their time and advice.

Here’s another bit of self-promotion masking itself as a meaningful blog…

Wednesday night of next week (March 3) is the fourth instalment of Red Carpet Comedy.  I’ll be kicking off the show again ahead of (at current count) another 8 comedians trying their hand at their newest material.  As has been my main objective lately, I’ll be talking more about the epidemic of ego that seems to be spreading around society, and pointing out my love/hate relationship with my own narcissism.  (I’ll be writing more on this blog in a couple of weeks about why I’ve been writing/talking so much about ego in my stand-up act.) These evenings have always been a blast for both the performers and audience. I hope that if you haven’t already been able to make it out you can spare some time on March 3.

This next announcement is going to be a little cryptic (that’s intentional)… in April I’ll be opening for one of Canada’s biggest names in comedy.  He’ll be coming through Calgary on April 9 and 10, and will be in Edmonton the following weekend (April 16 and 17).  I’ll have more information closer to the shows but it will be my next big appearance in both of these cities and I didn’t want you to be able to say, “I didn’t know you were performing so I made other plans.”  Now, the only excuse you’ll have is: “I didn’t want to see your show.”  (Perhaps leaving you with no other excuse wasn’t the best choice for my self-esteem… but it’s too late to go back now.)

As always, I look forward to seeing your smiling face in an audience soon.

My previous YouTube “sketch” video was relatively successful (mostly because of my friends that shared it with their networks).  Sure, I’m no Susan Boyle, but I was happy with the response that the video received.  So, I did it again.  Not the same video (that would be strange and pointless), but a brand new video with a new concept, new location, and new facial hair.  (That last part is a bit of a personal experiment, and other than having it called “a growth” two weeks ago, it has been successful.)

After watching it (it will only take a minute) you may ask yourself if this video was about someone in particular and, yes, yes it was.  However, in the interest of sparing this person the embarrassment I’ll keep the name to myself.  Sorry.  I know you wanted more gossip than that.  Go read TMZ or something.

Enjoy…

Last week myself and fellow comedian, Cory Mack, launched a brand new project with the objective of assembling all Canadian Comedians in one online location to celebrate the rich comedy landscape in this country.  It’s called Comediapedia and in addition to having a complete directory of comedy in Canada (we hope), it will also include a comprehensive timeline of Canadian Comedy, a newsletter for the comedians involved, and anecdotes from the various performers.

Nothing like this has ever been attempted before.  Too often we can get bogged down in the politics of the industry and easily forget that the goals of all comedians are the same: to entertain (and perhaps enlighten) audiences.  It was with that notion and intention that Comediapedia was established.  Neither Cory nor myself have any other objectives than to create a sense of community amongst all Canadian comedic performers.

If you are a comedian: I urge you to visit the site and establish your profile.  You can share as much or as little as you like… even just your name and headshot would help us to create a more complete list of performers.  Once you have done that – share the site with your Comedian friends to help us make the directory as complete as possible.

If you are a fan of comedy: If you see a Canadian Comedian on stage or TV but didn’t see or hear their name you may be able to find them within the Comediapedia database.  The comics have the option to share their popular/memorable punchlines (which can be searched).  Or maybe you know where they are from and can do a search based on that.  I can’t imagine a Canadian Comedian that wouldn’t love to have you as a fan.

While the database may appear meager now, with time it will grow to encompass all Canadian Comedians that wish to take part.  When that occurs we will have a central location to acknowledge the massive achievements and unbelievable talent that this country produces.

In August/September of last year I took a brief contract working with WorldSkills TV.  The reason I found out about the position was because of my good friend, Geoff Schoenberg.  He was working in the volunteer department, noticed the job posting, and sent it over my way.  Since that time he’s embarked on a new adventure to get his Masters Degree in Australia and to document his progress he’s started up a blog.

The website is in its infancy and I’ve enjoyed reading his variety of posts.  As someone who has no ambition to go after a post-secondary education (sorry Mom), it’s fascinating to learn more about that world and his experiences.  I recommend you take a look and, if you like what you see, subscribe to it.

One post in particular that was published last week was a list of things that he learned working under his supervisor at WorldSkills Calgary.  (Granted: it’s probably not an exhaustive list, just the highlights.)  I think that these lessons are important for everyone, regardless of your career or specific goals.

You can read “Things I learned from Mo at WorldSkills Calgary 2009″ on his site by clicking here.  I know that I took away a couple of thoughts from it and hope that you do as well.

Keep up the great work Geoff!  I can’t wait to read more about your experiences down under.

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Tickets for both Wednesday and Thursday’s Haitian Relief Fund Raisers are still available.  For Wednesday night’s Red Carpet Comedy you can order your tickets here, and for Thursday’s night benefit you can click here.

I don’t watch the TV news, I don’t read newspapers, and I don’t follow current events in any way.  I have several friends that think this is to my detriment.  My comedian friends may think that it’s impossible for me to write anything living in isolation.  Neither of these arguments will change my opinion.  There are two primary reasons for my “media fast”:

1. In this lovely technology-driven world the really important news “finds” me.  Be it through Twitter, Facebook, or old-fashioned real-world conversations: I find out (without trying) about the most important events.
2. With 99.9% of reported news, I am incapable of taking any action to help the situation that they are reporting on.  Knowing some of the terrible things that happen only serves to depress me and leave me with a powerless feeling.

While the earthquake in Haiti last week proved point #1 (I found out about it almost immediately through various sources), it has also shown the exception to point #2; next week I will endeavour to help as much as I can.  I’m going to do this the only way that I know how: entertain others in exchange for money and donate that cash to The Red Cross.  This will happen over two nights for two different events.

Red Carpet Comedy is scheduled for January 27.  While the show time (8PM), ticket price ($10), and location will all remain the same, the money made on the door will now be donated (100%) to the Haitian Relief Effort.  There has been a lot of talk about the ability to donate $10 with a text message – that same $10 can make its way to The Red Cross and in addition to helping those in need, you’ll receive a unique evening of entertainment.  You can order your tickets online now by clicking here. Also, you can check out the Facebook event page.

The day after Red Carpet Comedy (January 28) will see a second evening of entertainment for the same cause.  The management at Club Paradiso (the same venue for Red Carpet Comedy) has decided to hold their own fund raiser featuring a variety of the performers regularly seen on their stage.  There will be music, comedy, magic, and some special surprises.  (I’ll be on the show as well.)  Tickets for this evening are $50 and include the show, a drink, some snacks, and a $10 Village Cantina coupon.  As in the previous night’s show, all of the revenue from ticket sales (plus silent auction items) will be going toward helping those affected by this disaster.  You can order your tickets for this event by calling (403) 265-5739.

I’ve decided to take action to help in my own small way, and I hope that you’ll choose to help in your own small way by joining us next Wednesday or Thursday night.

Twelve days into 2010 and it’s off to a great start for both myself and one of my best friends.  Granted; my first few days of the decade haven’t been quite as news-filled as his… but it’s my blog so I’m going to share my news first.  (I hope that this is a slow work week for you… because there are a bunch of things to listen to and watch.)

On Saturday morning the host of CBC’s Daybreak, Russell Bowers, called both myself and fellow comedian Lori Gibbs into the studio to share our views on the new airport security measures that are being implemented for flights to and from The United States. Sure, neither of us are experts on the topic, but the experts aren’t as much fun to interview.  You can listen to our portion of the show here:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

(I also highly recommend subscribing to his full podcast -- which comes out every Monday.  He gets a lot of great interviews and talks with more than a few really cool people.)

In the audio clip (I’m assuming, of course, that you listened to it) you heard that I spent my weekend performing at the Yuk Yuk’s Club in Edmonton, Alberta.  I started a couple of the shows with a joke that I wrote on January 1 of this year, making it my first joke of 2010.  Given that this particular bit has a very small amount of time to be “topical”, I’ve put it up on YouTube to hopefully get as much use out of it as possible.  It’s less than 30 seconds long:

And now for the BIG news: It’s a well-known fact that I use this blog to fuel my own egomania, but every so often someone that I know achieves something that I simply can’t ignore.  Shawn Farquhar, who I have written about before, has done just that.  This coming Thursday, January 14, Shawn will be making an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show! So, check your local listings… set your PVRs, DVD recorders, and VCRs (if you still have a VCR)… and don’t miss out on watching it.  I know that I am looking forward to both seeing what he has come up with for the show, and seeing him dance.  Well done, Shawn!

That is a lot of excitement to start the year.  I may have established a dangerous precedent -- living the whole year with this much going on could get a bit crazy.  (Mind you, I don’t think that I will complain… at least I’ll have something to blog about.)

Last year at about this time I posted a complete summary of what my 2008 looked like.  This was kind of an open Christmas letter to my readership.  I wanted to do that again, however, to mix it up this year I’ve decided to summarize 2009 with some significant numbers.  You might say that it will be slightly less personal, but I think when combined these numbers paint an accurate picture of these past twelve months:

• 101 paid shows
• 16% magic-based shows
• 77% comedy-based shows
• 7% acting-based shows
• 69% of performing revenue from magic-based shows
• 31% of performing revenue from comedy-based shows
  
• 5 donated shows for fund raising events
• 12 unpaid comedy spots (at open mics, etc.)
• 68 travelling days
• 10,566 out-of-town kilometres driven by myself in my car
• 44 posts on this blog (including this one)
• 1 vacation (for the 2009 PCAM Convention – and it was awesome!)
• 364 publicly-removed wedgies

What I could never hope to quantify are the moments with friends and family that I will remember long past these figures.  (And if I did quantify them; that would be creepy.) 2009 gave plenty of opportunity to strengthen long-term friendships, rekindle a few that had fallen by the wayside, and create new ones.  I am happy to say that I think I seized each of those opportunities helping to make 2009 memorable and rewarding.

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to each and every one of you!

I’ve spent the last six weeks performing for various corporations’ holiday parties all across Alberta and Saskatchewan (and I’ve got just one more show to go Friday night).  In that time I have met a number of great people and had numerous conversations with those that were curious about what I do for a living.  One of the frequent topics of conversation is how a corporate show differs from working in comedy clubs or one-nighters in bar/pub venues.  There is an easy way to summarize the difference: you are paid based on how much you are censored.  The higher the pay, the more censorship occurs (or at least, “should occur”).

Many performers would call censoring yourself for money the definition of “selling out”, but I disagree.  This is the nature of the industry.  While we can lament that “it shouldn’t be that way” we also lack the power to make any significant change (at least in the short term).  So, instead of wasting energy with complaints, performers would be far better off to learn to play within the rules.  In general, this is how performing in live venues looks:

That may require a bit more explanation:

• Comedy Clubs – Most comedy clubs do not censor their acts (at least, they shouldn’t).  The whole nature of a club is that an audience is coming to see stand-up comedy performed in what equates to the performer’s “house” (therefore – it’s the performer’s rules).  However, comics are still bound by certain restraints to ensure that the entire audience doesn’t walk out (but one or two audience members usually isn’t a problem).
• One-Nighters – These are the gigs that happen in bar/pub/hotel venues on a semi-regular basis.  It’s not exactly a comedy club so requires more censorship to win over more of the audience (most of which may not know what to expect).
• Colleges – Performing for college students does pay more than average, but usually requires a higher level censorship simply because the people hiring you are either the school council, which is accountable to the faculty, or the faculty members themselves.  Even though the audience may enjoy a less-censored show, the people that are booking the entertainment do not view it that way.
• Corporates – This is essentially the opposite of comedy clubs.  As a performer at a corporate event you are entering the audience’s “house” – which means that their rules apply.  You likely can’t talk about what you want to talk about, but they are paying you to make sure that no one is offended.

Within those four categories the law of supply and demand also applies.  Being funny while under stricter requirements is more difficult that being funny when you can say anything that you want.  Simply because it is more difficult fewer people are capable of producing a superior show – and, as such, they can command a higher fee.

The remaining two points on the graph, “Theatres” and “Galas” are much the same.  Galas are simply smaller theatre-style shows with performers that are slightly less known.  Galas require more censorship as the audience is still learning to trust you, but once you have achieved a certain level of notoriety you have an almost unlimited latitude.  (I say “almost unlimited” because there are still things even when you are a celebrity that can turn an audience against you… I’m sure that you can think of one clear example from the recent past.)

That is the difference between all the types of shows that I do: the amount of censorship. I’ve never considered it “selling out” – simply adapting to different markets and playing within the rules.  I’m quite happy that I have this skill… it can be the difference between “art” and “eating”.

On Thursday I presented to a group of local magicians on 10 ways that they could make sure their shows go well. With the holiday performing season just beginning I had some thoughts that my corporate clients (and other event organizers that will be using entertainment in the near future) may find helpful in getting the most for their investment:

1. Promote The Show – In the days and weeks leading up to your event advertise to your employees/guests that there will be entertainment.  If everyone expects that something will be happening the show will start much more smoothly and receive a better reaction from the audience.  To help with this I can provide promotional write-ups or even full posters that you can put up around the office.  Simply contact me if you would like any such items.
2. After-Dinner Entertainment Means “After Everyone Is Done Eating There Will Be Entertainment” – It’s tough to chew and laugh at the same time.  The best place to have the show portion of the evening is as soon as the meal is over and just as dessert is wrapping up.  This means that everyone is in the room and looking for something to do.  Also, if at all possible, any extended awards and speeches should be made after the show.  Let the performer get the audience’s attention, and then you can simply “roll with it”.
3. Mind The Gap – If you’re not a performer your tendency is to think that the stage where the entertainer is about to perform can go anywhere in the room, but – while that is technically true – the best place for the stage is along one of the long walls so that the audience is more wide than deep from the performer’s point of view.  Also, don’t put any great distance between the stage and the audience.  Items like a dance floor or buffet can make it difficult for the performer to establish a connection with the crowd.  You can always forward the floor plan and make sure that it is OK, or ask for the performer’s advice.
4. First Impressions - Be sure that there is someone there to introduce the performer right before the show.  (The performer should be able to tell you what he or she wants to have said.) This can be the MC of the evening or, if your event doesn’t require an MC, a highly visible and recognizable person from within your company.  With the proper introduction the show gets off to a great start.
5. Always Enough Time for a Sound Check – Leave enough time between your sound system being set up and the audience arriving to allow your performer the opportunity to make sure it sounds great.  There is almost nothing worse that hearing feedback (or not being able to hear the performer) when such a situation can be easily avoided.

Those are just a few of the ways to help make sure that your entertainer has a great show; making you look good as well for having booked it.  There are a lot of other steps that can be taken to maximize the audience’s reaction to the performer, but those five are the most common (and simplest) methods that I could come up with.