…try riding a donkey.  Feel free to use that line with your friends, so I can be a trendsetter. The thought is appropriate with stand up, because a little different wording, a different voice tone, a different character, and a joke goes from awkward to “Hey, I’m amused.”  Last night I performed at King’s Back Bay bar/restaurant/bowling alley.  Described by some as having “the best food I’ve ever gotten at a bowling alley,” it was a decent venue.  The lanes were in a separate room from the open mic, thank God, so I didn’t have to worry about someone celebrating a spare in the middle of a punchline.

There were both musicians and comedians, and I got to go towards the beginning this time!  The first performer was a classical guitarist who was amazing.  If he didn’t look like he only played guitar and World of Warcraft at MIT while not showering, I probably would have slept with him.  The next two guys were horrible emo guitarists.  One of them played two songs.  One about the girl he loved dumping him, and another about his friend dying in a car crash.  The latter he prefaced with, “My friend died drinking and driving, so to remember him I wrote this song.”  Now, I’m secrectly an asshole who’s going to hell, so my first thought was to go up to stage and say, “I also had a friend that died recently, so to remember him I wrote this joke.”  Finally, a comedian went up, and then it was my turn.

Looking back on it, I bombed the first time.  This time, I told a completely new set of jokes, was a little more charactery, and got consistent chuckles and even a couple decent laughs.  I also forgot half my material and made a couple “ummmm…” noises when that happenned, which was not ideal.  I felt more in control, too.  On Monday, I was practically frozen, staring in one spot but not really looking at anything (especially the audience).  This time, I moved around a little, and even looked around, but still not at, the audience.  I’m up again tonight at the Squawkhouse Cafe in Cambridge, sometime between 11 and 12am.