don't sit in front at comedy shows

me with Lee Camp

I did go to the comedy show mentioned in the previous post. It was a weird venue because you walk up this stairway and into this posh lounge bar area with expensive couches and stuff. A bunch of people were in there drinking. I just walked in the room when someone came in and told everyone that it was time to leave, so people filed out and back onto the street. I was really confused, so I asked a man and woman who weren't leaving where the comedy show was. They said their friend is one of the comedians and he said just wait here. So I sat on the couch and read the program. Then Lee Camp walked in and I introduced myself. He didn't remember me from four years ago, obviously, but surprisingly he did remember playing in La Crosse. That was the night the building almost burned down, he recalled. I had completely forgotten about that! Now I remember standing on the lawn talking to Schoon in front of the Cartwright Center as they put out the fire in the Cellar. We chatted for a bit and then it was time for the show to start.

There was a tiny little theatre off to the side and there were only four people in the audience, so I felt I should sit close to the stage. Eventually the room filled to maybe 15 people. The first couple comedians were pretty good. Then Lee came on and did his political stuff. I thought it would be a lot of material that I've heard before because I've been to his show and have his DVD, but it was pretty much all new stuff--funny stuff. He's always been my favorite comedian that LaX had. He writes for the Onion now.

Then a comedian came out and I remembered why I never sit in the front at comedy shows. Too interactive. The first thing this one guy says is "You here alone?" And somebody "aw"ed which annoyed me more than the comedian's "Somebody to follow after the show." I guess society has this idea that you have to do everything with other people. I noticed that in LaX a lot because most people would not go to the cafeteria by themselves. They'd rather just not eat. I don't really get it. I'm of the mind that don't let other people stop you from having fun or heaven forbid from eating dinner. Everybody here spends the nights studying or getting wasted. I mean, it works both ways because they invite me out drinking and I politely decline same as when I invite them out to concerts and stuff. But anyway, don't stop reading yet. It gets more interactive.

The next comedian (I guess he's the producer?) did a magic trick. He had one girl think of a celebrity in her head. Then he made me hum a song. I wanted it to be a song people knew, but most songs I listen to aren't ones people would know. Josh Joplin's cover of Eye of the Tiger popped into my head, so I started humming that. The comedian made the person at the next table drum to my beat. Then the comedian was like "Wait, are you humming Rocky?" I nodded and he made another guy run around the room with his arms up like Rocky, all just so he could read the first girl's mind. It was hilarious. And my fault.

The headliner was really good too. Lenny something or other. He deserved to be the headline act.

Six comedians in all. Just under 2 hours. It's almost 1 a.m. Big presentation tomor...er, today. Goodnight.

I'll leave you with some Lee Camp footage. This is the same material he did tonight: