The Bounce

Since my comedy waterloo last week at the comedy contest, I have had two shows.

Friday night, I did a show in a bar that looked suspiciously like the setting for the movie "The Accused." Assuming that, as usual, I've made a pop culture reference that is both irrelevant and obscure, how shall I describe it?

A serious drinker's bar. Fake wood paneling on the wall, adorned with posters that have been there for at least a decade. Adorned with customers who have been there longer.

I saw a few of the comedians before me. One comedian caused the needle on my hack meter to jump almost instantly. I can't remember exactly what tripped it-- it might have been a 2004 election joke, or the number of peanuts they give you on the airplane. Strike one. Later, he dropped a Ross Perot impression on us. Strike two. Finally, he dropped the hammer: an impression of three Looney Tunes characters having a menage-a-trois. Strike three, you're OUTTAHERE!

If only, gentle reader, if only. His real closer (by request from his audience, I should note) was an impression of Donald Duck having an orgasm.

Again, only my opinion, but I think impressions are very hard to pull off, and so many of them are hack. Second, if the references are out of date... it just might be hack. But let me say it again: the guy did "Donald Duck coming" by request. He was definitely a regular, and he had his share of fans in the audience. So we go back to: if the audience likes it, who am I to judge?

More to the point, if they liked that, what were they going to think of me? My material tends to be a little bit more, um...cerebral. I'm not saying I'm Stephen Hawking, but I'm a way's off from being mistaken for Larry the Cable Guy.

I did my set and I didn't really change anything for the audience and, to my great relief, they came along, and I got good solid laughs. Nevermind me thinking my material was too high-brow for these simple suburban folk.

It was good to get back up there and get one show further away from the contest debacle. A comedy palate cleanser.

Saturday night was even better, believe it or not. I had a bunch of people there to see me. I was performing at a place where I'm very comfortable, so I was very relaxed. I had a great set. I owned the stage. I got two applause breaks. It was the kind of show that reminds me why I ever wanted to do this in the first place.

So I am beginning to think maybe I don't suck after all...