 Posted
5/9/2012 9:05:00 AM
As elusive as big foot I have, today, a full price nooner. Comics tell stories to one another of that choice gig that paid full price, had no restrictions on language, didn't require you to wear a suit, and took place during the day on a weekday but few have ever seen it with their own eyes. This morning I got out of bed, jumped in the shower, threw on some clothes and headed to Red Deer for just such a rarity.
These things are never without their catches though. The customer has had 2 other comedians that have bombed in the past and I'm their last hope at ever hiring a comedian in the future. I also have to get back to Edmonton in time to do a radio show. Since the time I usually take to prepare for a show will be spent driving instead I had to do the show prep last night and I still need to be entertaining at 3 after 3 hours of driving and an hour on stage.
It could be a lot worse of course. Last June I took 5 nooners in Calgary for the AMA. I got up every morning, drove to Calgary, did the show, drove back to Edmonton and did the radio thing. On the Thursday and Friday I actually got off the air in Edmonton and drove back down to Calgary to do The Laugh Shop. I think I stayed the night in Calgary on the Thursday but I don't remember... it was all just a blur. The catch on those shows was the size of the audience. 10 tow truck operators at each show, no sound system, and no stage. It was hell but it paid the bills.
The comedy you see on television is rarely what it looks like day to day for a comedian. We all do what we have to make a living and it usually involves some hard drives, bad rooms and pretty dicey situations. I'm fortunate though. Despite the challenges, I have two "jobs" that I love: radio and comedy. The one thing they have in common is that neither is as easy as it looks.
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