Saturday Night --- NYC -- The Improv Cafe --- 10pm --- Liam McEneaney et al -- Stand Up Comedy -- Just like you see at the Improv in New York, except it IS in New York at the Improve Cafe (that's the upstairs room) -- 318 W. 53rd St., right off the corner of Eighth Avenue. I'll be there, you should, too. You'll thank me in the morning. (That's Liam, bring your cameras, he LOVES having his picture taken.)
Friday, June 09, 2006
Laff Yer Ass Off
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1 comment:
Updating.
It was indeed a funny show. Liam was hilarious, as usual.
Funny way they treat them commedians, though.
Liam is one of the "preferred" stand-ups, so he doesn't have to earn their way on stage.
But, after each of the preferred stand-ups do their routines, there are a series of somewhat less talented (but no less earnest) performers.
One of them I wanted to go hug and reassure her that she really was funny. Many of her jokes were hilarious, but she bombed. I'm no expert, but I think it was more in the delivery than the material (and they took a little thought and this was a less than cerebral crowd). I don't recall her name, but she was very young (to me), wonderful red hair, and told a series of mostly self-depreciating jokes. She seemed a bit awkward and nervous. Maybe it was just the residual discomfort of having to drum up all that business for the owners and not getting paid on top of it.
She was a "bringer" -- she had to bring ten people into the show. I learned that aspirants like her "earn" their way onto the stage by "barking" ten innocent by-standers onto the room.
Sweet deal for the proprietor. At $20/head ($10w/coupon) + 2-drink minimum, 30-50 people in the room, and not having to pay the "talent" . . . you do the math.
The explanation is supply and demand -- with the glut of stand ups looking for work they can afford to treat them like shit.
I see that there supply being so great that that could send the price downward. But, that assumes that stand-ups are like bannanas -- one tastes pretty much the same as the next. But lemme tell you, there were some bannanas in the line-up, but there were also fruit flies -- hanging around the bannanas but a whole lot more annoying than pleasing.
I guess the owners of the venues don't give a crap about quality or the customers -- they pay in advance after all and the assumption is that they are tourists so it is a one-time sale anyway.
Myabe it's me, but I would say that reputation counts for something and that a venue manager would do much better economically by taking a longer range view of things.
Capitlaists often forget the "rightly understood" poart of "self interest rightly understood". To their evetnual detriment.
Oh well, if you are in NYC, find out where Liam is performing and go see him now, while it's still inexpensive and you don't have to fight off the crowds. Once he gets on Letterman it'll be much harder and more expensive to see him perform.
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