Comedy in August 2007

August 2007 had to have been my busiest month for comedy!

Titusville - August 4th with Tim the Dairy Farmer. Tim did a fantastic show that night, so I had a tough act to follow, but I managed and got a sweet 45 minute DVD to prove it! Just in time too!

Because on a whim, I decided to enter the Carnival Comedy Cruise Challenge in Tallahassee (Aug 14 &15th). It's a competition, but it's also a tool for Carnival Cruise Ships and other comedy clubs to find new talent, and for talented comics to find new venues to perform at. For me, it wasn’t about winning…my goal for this competition was to get hired by one of the clubs, The Comedy Zone, that has 70+ locations. The competition is 2 days. The first day, they gave 40 comics 3 minutes to do their best material in front of the talent scouts and other comics. Imagine doing your job in front of your competitors AND customers that might use your services someday. It's a horrific experience, especially if you suck. Fortunately - it was not my night to suck! I got some good laughs, and was one of 9 comics asked back the 2nd night.

The 2nd night, each comic got to do 6 minutes of material in front of a live audience. Then they are critiqued by the judges. Did I mention this is in front of the audience too? The audience, after hearing all the comics, votes for the winner. The names were drawn at random...and unlucky me had to go first. Every comic hates going first. The audience isn't warmed up, the expectation of the comic going first is that he/she is the least experience...it's tough being first. Thankfully, I had a great set! The judges had wonderful things to say about me...it was all good.

The rest of the comics did their thing – and 4 of them had fantastic sets. It was going to be very, very close. The judges had to recount the tally 3 times – it was that close. But I came in 5th place. Not shabby…but like I said…I didn’t go there to win. I went to get work. After the competition was over, the owner and founder of The Comedy Zone asked me to send my press kit. He liked what he saw, and is interested in hiring me for his clubs. Mission Accomplished.

Now here’s the best part…one of the talent agents approached me after the competition, and asked if I had my show on tape. I asked if he wanted the highlights, or the whole show. He said “The whole thing. I want to see what you do. I think you’re what we’re looking for.” He handed me his business card, with a big beautiful cruise ship on it that said “Carnival.” Jackpot! I’ve sent my press kit and applied for my passport. This will probably take a few months to put together…but keep your fingers crossed! And I’ll keep you posted.

The following week, I was asked to feature and host at McCurdy's. I had 7 outstanding sets...each one better than the last! I worked with a talented headliner, Pete Gray from LA. It was a great time.

I also began working for a great club, Bonkerz Comedy Clubs out of Orlando this month. They tried me out in Sanford, Ocala, and Tallahassee.

The Sanford room started out quite nice, until a heckler started getting lippy with the headliner. Before I know it, a beer bottle comes sailing from the back of the room and misses the headliner by a few inches. The waiters were on the heckler, the police were called...but somehow the show continued on. You just never know when someone in your audience is having a worse day than you!


A few days later, I headed to Ocala, at Club Zanzibar. I was a little disturbed, that the comedy stage was a hexagon shaped platform with a pole on it. Some dancing cages were behind me on either side of the DJ booth. I got the strange sensation this either "was" or still "is" a strip club. I never did a straight answer out of the club management. But I didn't have to perform comedy naked so I was fine with the set up. I had a great show, and can't wait to go back there.

Tallahassee was a fun room as well, with the nicest emcee and DJ, Yuck Mouth. My Friday show was outstanding, the Saturday shows were not my strongest but decent enough. I worked with comedy veteran, Manny Mann, who lost to Ellen Degeneres on America's Funniest People in 1983 (I think). He had lots of good stories, and keeps in touch with comedy through his comedy traffic school.


Overall...it was a great month! September, Mike and I are taking a vacation (gasp, really!), so I've not scheduled any comedy for this month. This month I'll focus on writing my 30 minutes of clean, so I can sail the ocean blue with Carnival next year!

Traci's Cleveland Comedy Tour

In my own opinion, I'd say my first Cleveland Comedy Tour was a success! Although it was a short tour (3 clubs, 3 nights), it was an awesome experience!

Monday night, July 16th - Bella Dubby in Lakewood. I kicked off the evening with dinner with Cleveland Comic Joe Hannum. Joe and I went to Berea High School together, and both of us graduated in the class of 1987. Life kept him in Cleveland, life took me to Florida. But somehow, we both ended up doing stand up comedy. My girlfriend sent me a copy of an article on Joe about him doing stand up in Cleveland, and I found him on myspace. We wrote a few months, and then realized our 20th class reunion was coming up. He offered to show me the Cleveland comedy scene...and the first stop was the Bella Dubby in Lakewood. This is a great place for open mic, run by talented comedian Jim Tews. http://www.jimtews.com/ The Bella Dubby is a coffee house that serves alcohol...perfect for comedians. I met several Cleveland Comedians, who are very talented. My keyboard arrived from Florida in good condition, so I was able to do some stand up and 5 or 6 song parodies. The Cleveland comedy scene seems to be a little tighter knit community than southwest Florida, but great people. But of course...they're from Cleveland!

Tuesday, July 17th Cleveland Improv for The Irregulars Show

When I lived in Cleveland in the early 90's, the Cleveland Improv was the place to go for comedy. I remember thinking as I watched Jeff Dunham there, I wonder what it would be like to be on that stage. At the time, it never occured to me that comedy could be a "career choice". (And if I had my head screwed on straight, it still wouldn't be. But oh well.) The memory resurged itself as I walked in the front door. There was the same neon glowing bar and entrance...just as I remembered it.

Much of the Cleveland comedy community stays connected through a website called http://www.clevelandyucks.com/ Comics can post open mic notices, ask for advice, read interviews with other comics, etc. One of the common problems comics have, is "moving up the comedy food chain." They get stereo-typed as an "emcee" or "open mic-er" or "feature" and can't move to the next level. Enter Jeff Blanchard, a comedian known as "The Cleveland Guy." He worked a deal with the Cleveland Improv, and took a Tuesday night and turned it into a showcase for local comics. $5 admission, you can see the local talent, and there is a LOT of it. As I understood it, the show lineup was tight, and no chance I'd be able to perform. But Joe told me to introduce myself to Jeff. When Jeff found out I was a comic, he offered me 7 minutes of stage time. Not enough time to do song parodies - but any mic time is a gift. But to do 7 minutes at the Cleveland Improv, the club I used to visit for fun, was a real thrill! I went 3rd in the line up, and had a blast. I enjoyed watching these guys in action: Mike Baker hosted, Schizo Bill, JJ Johnson, Marv, Jim Tews, and Jeff Blanchard closing the show.

Afterwards, quite a few of the comics went to the Rock Bottom Brewery, which was a trip. Everyone was cool, except for Cerebral Sam...who was cerebral only in the sense that he had his head up his ass. He's the new guy in the Cleveland comedy scene, who just doesn't get the basic rules of comedy, like

1) be funny 2) don't heckle other comics and most importantly...

3) shut the ____ up, you might learn something

Mike Baker, God bless him, tried to set him straight, but something tells me Cerebral Sam is learning disabled. He has chemically disabled his ability to learn.

Wednesday, July 18th - Hilarities at PickWick and Frolic.

My cousin told me about Pick Wick and Frolic a few years ago, but I wasn't quite ready to start throwing myself at larger clubs when I wasn't exactly killing at the open mics yet. Good things come to those who wait - I'm glad I waited!

I was advised by several folks to keep it clean. "Clean: has 2 meanings in comedy. Clean can mean, no inuendo or bad words, OR no bad words. It's hard to tell who means clean, and who means CLEAN.

I decided to play it moderately safe - and go with "no bad words." I called about dress - the club said "We are an upscale club, but dress according to your act." So I went out and bought a nice top and dress pants, since I usually wear jeans as a knee jerk response to my mother making me wear dresses in elementary school on Friday flip up day. So I look very nice. I got there early to set up, because whenever I take that keyboard to a new club, fireworks go off. "You have a keyboard? I thought you played harmonica or something smaller. Did (insert name of contact) know you have a keyboard?" So then they call the 20 something sound guru, who comes by and says "No problem. I'll take care of it. And he did."

I went up on stage, and did very, very well. My parodies were a hit! Then the feature went up in jeans. Then the headliner went up...in jeans. Evidently, I was overdressed. Then the headliner, who I expected to be cruise ship clean, dropped the "f" bomb at least 30 times. Oh boy. So much for the "upscale, cruise ship clean" standards!

I had a wonderful cheering section - and I can't thank the following people enough for coming out to see the show: Joe and friends; Todd and friends; Stephanie, Bob, and Michelle; Bunny & Pat; Aunt Kathy & Uncle Brian; Jim and Dottie; and of course my mom, who went to every show that week. She's hard to read, but I think she's proud of me.

Berea High School 20th Class Reunion

I had a great time at my 20th High School Class Reunion. It was great seeing friends I hadn't seen since graduation, and making new ones that I never had the chance to get to know in high school. (There were 430+ kids in my graduating class.) Enjoy the slide show!

Cleveland Botanical Gardens

Also got a chance to hang out with my 2 favorite people, my mom and my husband at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens. Here's some photos from that trip!

Comedy Competitions, Cleveland Comics

Capt. Brien's Off the Hook - The Finals June 27th


Well, I didn't win. But my friend and comedy buddy Bryan Hamilton did win. And I'm happy for him. We've both been in several contests over the last 3-4 years, and we always make the finals but never to the top. He made it this time. I think it's been a long time coming for me at 5 years. But Bryan's been in the business 12+ years. He's opened for Pantera, and hangs out with the bass guitarist for Marilyn Manson. That's something I could never do. But I've performed for The Red Hats in Apollo Beach. That's something Bryan would never do. Sometimes you're flavor of the day...sometimes you aren't. It was not my day to be "the flava."


Comedy in Cleveland next week


I love myspace.com. Myspace has brought me so much. It got me in touch with my friend Sara from elementary school, who is now a Baptist Preacher in Dustball, Texas. It got me in touch with my friend "Laurie" from Roehm Junior High. She now "entertains men in a private setting." But myspace.com also helped me find Joe, a guy I had several classes with in high school. Oddly enough, Joe works for an advertising agency in Cleveland. Isn't that strange, as I work for an advertising agency! Joe now attends the same church in Westlake, Ohio, that I attended when I lived in Cleveland. The kicker...Joe is also a stand up comedian.


Joe has been so gracious to help me secure some mic time in Cleveland...all for the low, low price of a few beers. Wish me luck as I take my comedy to a new state...literally. Doing comedy in Ohio means no hurricane jokes, or song parodies about city managers in Largo. But on the upside...

I'll be attending my 20th high school reunion. I have a funny feeling that I won't be without material for very long! Remember when Ozzy Osbourne was coherent? Remember when we weren't sure if that dude in Culture Club was gay? Remember when Michael Jackson was black?

The month of June

Well, it's been an eventful month, and it's only the 16th!

I decided that this summer, I'd perform at least once a week. So when I saw a myspace bulletin for a comedy competition at Capt. Brien's Off the Hook Comedy Club on Marco Island, I called up and entered. The competition was Wednesday, June 13th, not the most convenient day for a business owner/aspiring comic to do a show. But I figured what the heck - go and have fun. So I went. And I won the round for that leg of the competition! Not easy! My keyboard had been moved just before the show...and the cables got tangled up around the dolly my keyboard sits on. When I went to move the keyboard, the keyboard fell off the dolly! Fortunately, I've been working out and was able to pick up the keyboard and set it where it needed to be, and did 2 songs. And then my time was up! I never got to my closer, the Paris Hilton parody. A few rounds later I watched Harley, a guitar act do a fantastic job for his first time on a comedy stage! Right after him, my friend and fellow Sarasota comic Dan Mahoney showed off with a very good set as well. The three of us made the finals...and the audience voted for the winner by applause. It was close but they voted for me! So now the finals are June 27th, which put me in a predicament, because I'd already promised friend and fellow Punta Gorda comic Max Doyle that I'd be at the Celtic Ray that night. Fortunately, Max was there and said "Go for the money!" and the Celtic Ray show will be rescheduled for a later date, so I may compete for the title of "Funniest Man on Marco Island".

To read the article published in the Marco Island Sun Times, click here.

So I had my one performance for that week down. But then, Les McCurdy called and asked me to do a few more shows that same week with veteran headliner Scott Novotny. Scott works clean, which presents a challenge for most comics (including me). Because, the last thing you want to be is the filthy potty mouth opener for the squeaky clean headliner. And I'm proud to say, I did 5 shows without dropping the "F Bomb" once! But you've got to catch Scott's act. He is an amazing guy to watch, and also does a family night comedy show which you can bring the kids too. Please check out his website and catch him next year when he's back at McCurdy's.

Photos: courtesy of Phyllis Bator of the Marco Island Sun Times

1: Traci performing at Off the Hook Comedy Club 2: Traci, Harley & Dan Mahoney, the semi-finalists 3: Brien Spina, owner of Off the Hook Comedy Club, Traci, and a really awesome DJ/emcee whose name escapes me right now

Photos: courtesy of Dan Schaerf

4: Traci, Scott Novotny, and Linda, McCurdy's Club Manager 5: one of the funny characters Scott Novotny does

This Month in Comedy

I'm still experiencing euphoria from the 7 shows I hosted last week at McCurdy's Comedy Theater. I got to work with headliner and Boston Comedy Festival organizer Jim McCue. His improvisational style with the audience is really unique in that he's very friendly. He has a lot of fun with the audience without being insulting. As luck would have it - he was auditioning comics for a spot in the Boston Comedy Festival as well, so I was also hosting 7 shows with 2-3 guest comics per show. Hosting a show with 3 guest spots and a headliner, as well as trying to squeeze in your own material is a lot of work. But it was great reconnecting with comics I hadn't seen in awhile, got to meet some comics I'd heard about but haven't worked with yet, and learned a lot from Jim about how to move up the comedy food chain.

For those of you who were able to make the show...THANK YOU so much! It means a lot to me to see you there. For those of you who couldn't make it...here's what you missed:

Weight Watchers Tribute

"Jenny Got a Set"




Lisa Nowak, Don Imus & Paris Hilton

(contains a very bad word - you've been warned!)




"LARGO"

Thank you for watching...and I hope to see you at a show in the near future!

She flies through the air with the greatest ill-ease

All I can say about the shows in April was...WOW! What an incredible bunch of shows. As you know, I became a headliner this month. My opening act that week was a sweet guy named Lew Sall, who just so happened to be a former Las Vegas headliner from the 80's. No pressure! He was very funny, and a great guy to work with. The first show - Gilley's Pub 44 in New Smyrna Beach - one of my favorite clubs. Then it was off to New Port Richey - a great little club there. Fridays show was cancelled due to a burlesque show (hey, I was actually willing to try burlesque comedy but the booker wouldn't let me), so I had a wonderful evening with my husband at the Indian restaurant in St. Pete. Saturday - it was back to the east coast to the Black Cloud Saloon and Grill in Bunnell - another favorite club and an awesome show. I amassed a good collection of biker gear this trip, and had a great response to my newest song parody, LARGO (about a mayor that wants a sex change). Special thanks to Giggles Comedy Clubs for the opportunity to headline!

The following week - put me at the Club Med Resort in Port St. Lucie, courtesy of Groucho's Comedy Clubs. 3 buffets a day and entertainment all day long is something I can handle. I worked with a great headliner, David Nickerson. Our first show was at a bowling alley in Okeechobee. What a dream come true that was. The people were friendly, other than the audience needing a smoke break after 45 minutes. Everyone in the audience, that is, except for the poor woman with the tracheotomy. And if you don't believe me - check with Ruth Lawler - who came to visit me for a few days at Club Med! She's my witness. The next 4 shows were at Club Med, Friday night wasn't memorable, but Saturday was out of control. The 10pm show - to my left were 10 Canadians (1 Korean/Canadian) that had been drinking since 1pm. To my right - some "indigenous" Southern folks that had been drinking since they were 12. I hope to publish some of the video on the blog here pretty soon - because the shows were "off the chain, and into someone else's backyard!"
Saturday afternoon after a long nap, I decided it was time to try the trapeze. I've performed in front of 650 people - and I found getting ready to jump from a platform holding a stick far more terrifying! I'm glad I did it - though I'm still having some problems with my shoulders. One of my friends said it best. "So, you did the trapeze huh. What the hell were you thinking?" Enjoy the photos. Look Ma! No brains!