How It Started
That seems to be the first question asked by interested people. How did you get started? It always feels like there’s a part of them that’s entertaining the idea of trying it out for themselves. If stand-up comedy is something you’ve ever wondered about doing, I strongly recommend giving it a shot! It’s one of the most accessible dreams you could possibly have, so why not give it a try. Worst case scenario is public humiliation, which we’re all likely to experience someday anyway.
I got my start in stand-up comedy right out of college. I graduated UMass Lowell as a Creative Writing major, and I was hard at work writing REALLY PROFOUND nonfiction filled with all of the wisdom a 23-year-old boy could possibly bestow upon readers. Overwhelmed by the long-form writing process and embarrassed by how little life experience I had to offer, I was looking for a way to use my writing with more immediate feedback. Bill Burr was playing in the background while I stared at my cluttered Word document, so I started searching up open mics in Boston.
The first time I went to an open mic I did not perform. I sat in the crowd and watched over 3 hours of open mic comedy at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA. If you’re looking for a fun date night, I do NOT recommend 3 hours of open mic comedy. BUT if you’re interested in trying stand-up comedy, then I HIGHLY recommend it. I left that night confidently reminding myself, I would NOT have been the worst one! I was right, but that doesn’t mean I’d be good…
I spent the next week writing awful bits about God knows what, feeling super prepared and overly confident for my 5 minutes of glory. I went up on stage for the very first at the MidEastCorn Open Mic and I… completely forgot everything I’d written. I felt so confident right up until the moment I turned to face the audience. Their eyes hit me like the flashy thingy from Men In Black. I could not tell you a single thing I actually said, but I kept talking until they flashed the one minute warning light. I recall a few pockets of laughter, which was just enough encouragement to try again.
I was so surprised how much adrenaline I felt. My heart was racing as I walked off stage like I was exiting a boxing ring, but instead of the knockout I was hoping for it was a split decision win that I didn’t deserve. For the first year I would write everyday and get on stage at least a few nights a week. I focused on feeling more comfortable, remembering what I wrote and why it’s funny, and putting together two separate 5 minute acts.
There’s no right or wrong way to do this and what works for me might not work for you. However you decide to do it, just go do it! I’ve lived many places over the last 10 years, and there’s an open mic comedy scene damn near anywhere! I used to go to a karaoke night and ask for 5 minutes of jokes instead of signing! There’s opportunity to try this shit for free, and if you get good enough then you can worry about making money at it later. Good luck!
