Your First Open Mic
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- čas přidán 30. 06. 2024
- In this video, Jerry answers a Tweet asking "When I do open mics should I do the same material or change the material at different venues?"
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"It's not that your friends want you to do new material. They want you to be funny." Burn.
I just did my first open mic and it was so good, they laughed at almost everything and went nuts at one of them. I ended up omitting one of my jokes because I was so nervous but I'm so excited to do it next time and exchange it for one of the ones that didn't get a high level of laughs. The guy who hosted the show said my set was funny and so did one of the other performers. I'm so happy!!!! I think I've finally found a place where I feel like my life has meaning. I've never felt as seen and acknowledged for my existence as I did tonight. I literally have no friends, no social life, and I've been so depressed about my life. Now I'm just so happy and planning for my next performance. Also, should I say thank you to the guy who arranged the show? I just left afterwards, but I don't want to seem ungrateful. I said thank you after my set though. I did say hi and shook his hand when I arrived. I told him my name and that I got an email to come. I'm just really shy so I didn't know what to say. But next time I'm gonna mention him when I go up. Do you think it matters too much? Like, if I didn't say thank you after the show they might not have me back? Gaaahh
So happy to hear your story! There are a ton of comedians I hear from who have a similar meaning of life experience. Keep it up!
As far as thanking the guy, you can get around to it next time. The fact that you gave a terrific performance is enough to be invited back.
great stuff !!! doing my first one soon :)
TLDR you dot got it
how is the stand up going now?
So proud of you! Hoping this will be me in a few months. I've never performed stand-up, just starting to write jokes. What has finally brought me to stand up is how difficult and challenging my life is with a very painful illness and coming from a highly traumatic background where my family has been mistreating me since my mom passed away 29 years ago. So yes, thankfully stand up exists for us to take these difficult life experiences and turn them funny 🤣
That. Was. Awesome! Thank you, Jerry!
How'd you do?
How do you pronounce your last name?!
How was the open mic Tony?
Thanks Jerry, that has really helped, I will attend an open mic as soon as possible.
I think getting that first one under your belt is so important. You can learn so much just from that first experience.
Did my first stand up last night at a talent show in front of 150 people. Based on your videos and help I had a solid routine that tied in the audience and I got laughs at 75% of what I wanted. Not too bad, HOWEVER, I was given 10-15 minutes and I did 25! I finally “got the hook”. I found that practicing at home is different than being on a stage with bright lights etc. I should have left after a big laugh, and had my phone on the stool with a timer. I got lots of Congrats on my first time but feel terrible that I went long. Lesson learned. THANK YOU for all of your virtual help!
this video is just what i needed
Same here
16:28 “The audience is in whatever state the performer is in.”
I agreed with almost everything that you said until you said that sentence. I’ve had nights when I was unbelievably depressed, yet I probably got my best audience responses ever. I’ve also had nights when I felt elated yet bombed harder than ever.
Yeeeeeaaaaahhhh, pal, I think you just proved Jerry right. After all, what is comedy? Other people's misery.
@@yobrowtf6674 "I think you just proved Jerry right." If proving the inverse of a statement is proving someone right, then you are correct.
@@AnnusMirabilus Dude, I will say this without having any idea what your material is about, because THAT doesn't matter, I don;t think.
Fundamentally, all comedy is about our failures, disappointments, disasters, and what we do to overcome them, live with them, keep going.
I will bet you American money, that nights you were feeling "unbelievably depressed" and got those "great responses" were because you brought them with you into that state.
Your internal emotional state connected you more powerfully, more truly to the spirit of your set, and the audience responded to that truth. Would be my guess. But it's a tricky thing and I don't know you, so I could easily have gotten it wrong.
Amen to that!
Great video! This is by far the best comic advice I’ve seen on CZcams. You should try to interact with the comments more it will up your viewership and engagement. I literally just saw my friend tonight at Flappers start off with his new material and it was a struggle. He should have started off with his tried and true. Thx for videos.
Thanks for the feedback. I do try to engage with the comments. I just have to try harder.
Did you send this video to your comedian friend?
_Great_ topic! This has been on my mind a lot lately. A new open mike night just started right in my neighbourhood. I’ve been doing different jokes every time so that the MC gets to see the breadth of my material and so that the regular audience members and comics don’t get tired of hearing the same things from me. Your advice should help enormously.
I write an average of five new jokes a week, some strong, some weak. But sooner or later I’m going to have used up all my best material and have to start scraping the bottom of the barrel, unless I take your advice and bring back the jokes that worked. Maybe I could cycle through them in blocks so it’ll be a few weeks between each repetition.
Very helpful video. What strikes me looking at it now though is that this video was actually uploaded the day before I did my first ever open mic. (Thankfully it went great.)
What a coincidence. Timing is everything. Glad your first mic when great!
Wow, very unique and enlightening perspectives - thank you!
Thanks for the video, great outline and advice!
Thanks for the tips! Never done any mic, but I’m writing jokes and bits. Really appreciate the just have fun message. “Flirt with the audience,” is also memorable and helpful.
Man this is so what I needed. Thanks Jerry!
Very helpful, informative I’m going to watch a few more of your videos, I’m trying not to allow fear stop me how to work Thur fear is a challenge for me even though I have done stand up 2x in my life I’m very funny story teller I have something to say.
Fear has stopped my progress and keeping me broke. I’m ready to conquer fear your video has helped me 98%
Thank you so much! Great material
Hi Jerry, I started watching your videos again. I'm finally going back to open mics. This video is so nice, I watched it twice...
Absolutely brilliant! Really loved! From Ireland
Easily the best / most valuable video I’ve seen on comedy (and I’ve been watching CZcams for a few hours LOL)
😂😂😂
What a coincidence doing my second show month end...the first wasn’t great, hit a blank hard but know I got some material on me. Love these videos thanks @jerry
Yeah, dude. I hit a blank as well on my first set. Going back in less than a week to try my words again. Good luck! Keep your chin up!
Stuffs all gold. Thank you Jerry.
Thank you so much perfect advice!!
Thanks, man. I have questions but I want to let this cultivate.
Great presentation.. Thanks man..
Thanks jerry, I'm from Brazil, and this video help me a lot in my first show on this week. Don't die i really like meet you. Its a little dificult to me understend because of language but was really helpfull, thanks a lot, and sucess man :)
(Sorry about the errors, i speak portuguese..)
You did a great job in English. So exciting to know these videos are helping people who speak other languages.
I wish everyone who did Open Mics would watch this and take his advice. Open Mics are EXCRUCIATING!
Its so true. I hate listening to horrible jokes or too much talking between jokes. I don't mind good jokes told poorly while the person is learning.
@@jdog7982 "or too much talking between jokes"
or too much talking between *sets*
I've done it off and on for more than ten years. When I'm at a mic in which the host is doing 3-5 minutes between the comics now I'll just openly say, "hey, buddy, can we move this along?" I've seen it far too often. During one of the worst mics I was ever at (which is REALLY saying something if you're familiar with L.A. mics) the host was like 45 minutes late, he did 10 minutes to start the mic, then he was doing 3 minutes in between comics. I'm not saying his name is Jackson McQueen-- that's something that I'm disowning right now.
This is perfect 👌
Hi Jerry, thanks for answering that question I needed to hear that "Just have fun in the beginning". I'm going to just that have fun!
Great advice, thanks!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Thank you from Kazakhstan!
Hello Jerry, I'm a big fan of yours. This was a great video. In 2003 I took a 6-week comedy course in NYC and it was lots of fun. I graduated and had to do a 5-minute schtick at the 'Gotham' comedy club on 21 st. It also happened to be my 5th wedding anniversary that night on (better get this right) June 21st. Frank Santopadre was the teacher and we had around 30 students. Only 7 students showed up for graduation and I was the 3rd comic. Mick DiFlo happened to follow me that night. Mick is a very funny working comic today.
My wife convinced me to not pursue my dream of being a comic, but after 22 years of marriage, I believe she is ready for me to be on the road now. She's packed my bags already.
I just wanted to say hi and I'm planning on doing some open mics now. Thanks again for the video. cheers
Jesus, thank God I've avoided dream crushing women
Thanks, Jerry, as always!
God, this is great advice! Thanks.
I never thought I would be doing stand up but, I love it. I have done well at every open mic so far. I am waiting to bomb so I can get it over with.
your videos are so awesome
This is gold Jerry, Gold!! (True, and hope you get the reference!)
this was massive for me ty
Great information 👍
Sound & wonderful advice @thejokedoctor A.K.A.Jerry Corley! Thanks for sharing your expertise! #thestandupcomedyclinic
Great video
such a great amt. of tips and useful info
Thank you Joke Doctor
Great info for everyone!! THE Nutty Ventriloquist!!✌👍
In doing my second open mic ever next Thursday and the first one since I got sober so I'm alittle nervous bc the first time I did I it went well but I was confident and drunk. Thank u for your videos bc even tho I wanna be in the momment I wanna be prepared. I'm calling it planned improve so thanks for ur videos
This is an exciting step. I know a lot of guys that use drugs or get a little lit before shows to feel confident. To me it stole the fun of living through those emotions while on stage and building the
confidence that comes from it. Go get it! I’m sure you’ll kill it!
@@JerryCorley omg u actually have no idea how much u replying to my comment means to me. Like holy shit. I wasn't expecting that. Thank u.
Jerry, which 2-3 comedy structures should a standup comedian focus on when preparing for his/her first open mic? I know that there are 13 structures, but trying to use all of them may be intimidating for a beginning comedian.
This is a great question. I'm going to write a blog post about this and do a video on this very question really soon. If you have my book "Breaking Comedy's DNA," then you know the 13 comedy structures
I think the best way to start is with Reverse, Incongruity and Double-Entendre. (www.standupcomedyclinic.com/breakthrough-comedy-writing-system/)
Your 1st open mic is to just do it.
Your jokes were brilliant, the bank and gift card one!
I’m doing my first open mic on Thursday (09/26/2019) I have no idea the etiquette about it or anything. Thanks for this. I’m 13 btw
Wow!! How did it go?
Harmony Leigh it went great! I’ve got more coming up this week and next. Pretty excited abt it
That is great! Follow your dreams!! All the best to you!!!
Harmony Leigh thank u so much
@@SuperSunshineStar Im looking for feedback on my first open mic.Please click the link below and tell me what you think.Thanks!!photos.app.goo.gl/zvyXiYM5VLUJRsyY6
I am very new to the whole idea of being a stand-up comedian, all my friends say that I should become one. I get a little nervous around people but I have lots of Life Experiences such as working in a dungeon, Carnival work , hell I've even been homeless, you would not believe the amount of Comedy that you see when you're homeless. My question is how would I start a skit about my life experiences and keep people interested And how do you get over stage fright?
I plan on doing my first open Mic Night after the Lockdown. I have bad social anxiety, but I love making people laugh. I'm that one guy who doesn't look like he is funny(Bulky Bad Boy types who look like dumb brutes), but as soon as I open my mouth I can have you rolling.
I think for my first Open Mic Night, I am just going to use material around my anxiety.
this is me. interested in knowing how it went after 6 months, lol
@@Paythebill00 6 month check in....did he ever respond to you?
Tomorrow tonight is my first open mics. From the bottom of my heart thank you! See you out there!
So excited for you! I hope it went well.
This is the exact same method for building an artist portfolio.
Jerry please tell us how to market ourselves as a comedian ! Love from india .
That dinner for one joke was great. I could imagine Rodney Dangerfield having it in his routine in reverse with himself as the target.
""My wife gave me massage gift card for two. I said that's great but isn't this more for you than me? She took it back and gave me a new gift... dinner for one... Waiter asked me what I'll have, I said surprise me... he tells me I'm not the father of my kid, HE is... "surprise!" I come home, said how about something more romantic? ...so she gave a romantic night on the couch with myself... it was more for her than for me". I get no respect, I tell you... not even Elmo will tickle me.
i could literally hear Rodney's delivery saying this joke
Open strong and close strong. Totally. We musicians do the same when we perform on stage.
Can you make a video breaking down another lesson video I found one from a great well known comedian that’s pasted away but his lesson video was great but I feel you’d be able to dissect it and break it down into further detail with the way you teach if you can I’ll tell you which video it is
I'm moving in on my first open mic. Thanks, Jerry.
Have you done it yet?
@@boodro2122 i have done mine .......bombed so hard i made Hiroshima look like Child play
@@methembethomastshuma9587 lol that's rough. It gets easier. If you love it, don't quit.
Now all I need is Rolls Of Fat...
I always send new comics to Jerry's videos before they come to my Mic. Also, his book "Breaking Comedy's DNA" is well worth it. I even killed bugs with it. Cracked my iPad screen though. *Note, if you're gonna crush insects with a book...Don't use a digital download.
I've been writing comedy for 10 years. I have never been up on stage. I have recently (past year or so) been trying to get someone to give me a chance to try as a first timer. Do you have any advice or tricks to getting club owners, to give you the time of night?
Settle down, buddy. The tips & tricks to getting club owners to give you time is to earn it. go cut your teeth at open mics. Do as many as you can, just keep doing them. If you are meant for bigger stages, the material will see that you find your way. So far as club owners, you damn sure don't want any club owners, booker, producer, or anybody you know to see you go up for the first time. After my first time up, I recall wishing someone would just hold me
@@brandon_bruffett_comedy Thank you for the advice. Since I posted tgis6, I've actually did my first set, in Indy. It went way better then I had planned. No one could believe it was my first time. I blew the roof off. It was the BEST feeling I'd ever had, besides my sons birth. I'm still writing and working on some clubs.
#askthejokedoctor Hi Jerry! I have a question. And please do tell me if you already have a video addressing this: I have never done stand up, never really written a single joke to date. What are the very first steps of sitting down and saying, okay, I am now going to work on writing those first five minutes. How do I decide who am I going to be up there? And what is the best direction in terms of subject matter to take my very first five minutes of stand-up?
I got a question if you're if you were told that you only have a certain amount of time how how do you know that your jokes can fill that time second question how old do you have to be to go to an open mic I'm only 14 I need to know
Hey jerry please make a video on how to generate unlimited jokes because when we sit to write we feel the jokes are very limited
I thought this was Stone Cold Steve Austin
So, I have a question....if you're stranded in the woods, during Covid, and there are no places to perform material at all...
Could you do a podcast & do sit down comedy?
I'd honestly look for water and then build a shelter
Great video!!You really do know comedy
Did my first Open Mic a week ago.Any feedback is appreciated.
One tip is watch what the pro comedians are doing and see if they use the same material or not. M
I think if you have a funny sense about you, you can say hi and have the crowd rolling in the floor.
Oh and I typed my above message before watching this video. So thanks for the great tips and advise!
Also all these years of wanting to be a comedian, I never thought to seek out advice from CZcams about how to start with being a comedian. Wow this is eye opening.
That is a good start. Watch the pros. After all, success leaves a paper trail.
How can you keep something to five minutes? I am a writer, so I tend to be long winded. I’ve timed myself, and it’s almost at 7 minutes. I can’t seem to make it shorter, unless I cut the main story out of it. I wonder if the club owner would be forgiving?
My biggest issue is that where I live I think There is no way to have an open mic, way down in south of Mexico, so I cant really practice and that is sad enough to discourage me from writing jokes
Don't let that stop you. Dude, I've seen the types of raves y'all throw in mexico, I'm sure something as simple as an open mic could be achieved. Don't stop writing jokes though!
Start one. Empieza un open mic y vendes sodas. Just need a mic and speaker.
@@Curitive and get a permission for doing stuff like that on public, also a vaccine. Idk mate, igual y si es tan fácil como dices
Luis Ángel I did it in Nogales. You can do it. If you really want it to happen. You can do it.
Try it on a street where there are buskers! Try it in a bohemian cafe! Try it to your mates
Bill burr.
I agree.
when are you ready for your first open mic?
When you feel you have 5 minutes of decent/good stuff, start hitting the mics.
@@JerryCorley should you tape open mics or not?
I need advice for the British scene cos uk \ us idea of funny is totally different !
They’re not that far off from each other. I mean you guys have Jimmy Carr (Wordplay, Irony, Reverses) Stewart Francis (Double Entendre, Reverses, one-liners) Stewart Lee (Repetition, callbacks, Deep Sarcasm ((irony), deadpan) Which comedian would you like me to do a breakdown on and see if I can do it justice. 😃 UK audiences can be more astute, because the education is better.
Have you thought about discussing the decline of the British Empire? I’m not sure if that’s topical enough.
I’m an American so maybe I don’t understand the British sense of humor.
I am from india want. to became standup comedians .
My brand is self effacing ala Richard Lewis, so I got that down.
08:52 it’s “people”, and not “chicks”. Sorry for pointing that out, it’s just that as a heterosexual woman, I’ve always found that Carlin’s joke hilarious!
I was with George when he first did that joke in Vegas. He said “Chicks.” But he changed for the special. Sorry, I should’ve remembered that and changed it myself.
@@JerryCorley
hey Jerry, thanks for sharing this! For a comedy fan like me, hearing your insights on the comedy scene of those years is such a blast! Thanks so much!
That is my favorite opening ever in a comedy special, because it's so bold, and so George...
Have you seen Louis CK 2017? He opens with what I believe is an homage to George's Back in Town opening. I went crazy when I saw that! And, by the way, isn’t Louis CK 2017 one of the best specials (if not the best one) of the last 10 years in your opinion? I could see George throughout it, to me that's the classic example where the pupil has surpassed the master. Would you agree?
George was such a talented mf. He was a beast. I wrote my BA thesis (linguistics and translation) on him and his work, which included a translation I made of a few chapters from "When will Jesus bring the pork chops". That was a challenge… but I fukin did it! (cit..). It was also a lot of fun, and the email exchange with my thesis supervisor was hilarious!
Thanks for uploading such helpful content on YT. Comedy means everything to me, and I have been watching your videos like a maniac for the last few weeks! I love every single one of them!
So, again, thank you so much Jerry!
- An Italian lady.
I used to be funny, but then I went through some heavy stuff and now have PTSD. I don't have much of a sense of humor left. How do I make humor that isn't super serious and cynical?
Point Blank Eloquence tragedy + time = comedy -Mark Twain
Write jokes about your PTSD. It’ll also help you heal.
I mean seriously anybody that's funny has became funny because they were either diverting the some feelings or as a defense mechanism. I myself became funny because I realized when I was young that if I can get people laughing then I can possibly avoid a violent situation with my father. Any person that is really funny I guarantee you has some sort of trauma in their past. I think that humor is absolutely the most healthy way to process pain and it allows us to actually examine the trauma in depth and humor is the anesthesia that makes that exploratory painful surgery possible. Believe me you are not alone with the PTSD share your perspective and I'm sure that other people will identify
It hasn't been so long ago that I was existing in a super dark place. I couldn't find happy. I because worried that I may no longer be capable of experiencing joy. The thought of this had me pretty fucked up for a while. No more joy? I mean, what's the point then, you know. That's a hopeless perspective. It is necrotic to the soul & in no way sustainable. As someone who has experienced their fair share of trauma, depression & anxiety, I know how important to have the tools needed to overcome the misery. For me, ketamine, along with meditation, has been a key factor in my paradigm shift. Crazy thing is, I've struggled w/ substance abuse for years, & where I've often used substances as a tool to cope w/ life's problems, I was really only covering the problem. What etamine has done is shown me how to adjust negative thoughts into a positive perspective. But unlike other drugs, it's taught me ways to deal with those issues without needing it in order to revisit that place, or process. Basically, it was the teacher that taught me how, then stepped back when it was time for me to do it on my own. It took me a bit to realize what was happening, but the moment it all clicked was one of the most joyous experiences I've had in the past 25 years.
anyone doing comedy in 2020?
Hey mister , you hate put down jokes and mention George Carlin the most put down comedian since Don Rickles . Wasssupp!!!
Hey Jerry would you rather tell some corny thatsWhatSheSaid type of joke that always gets a laugh or something that you believe in that you think is funny but never works?
Just saying Bill burr. The best in the world
i love him im fucking sad icant go to see in amsterdam in a few days...... i seen his shows hundreds of times.. its just stays funny
I think I'm finally gonna grab my sack and go for it, man.... To all of us aspiring comics, WE GOT THIS SHIT! Break an arm! 🍀
Should you worry about other comedians stealing your jokes and how does a comedian protect himself
This is all nice information, but it mostly isn't for "your first open night". You even said a lot of this advice isn't for the first open night. Questions like "who do I talk to to even start?" "Why 5 minutes of material, am I allowed to do more?" "What is the difference between a club, a bar, etc?" are whats going through my head
1. Who to talk to to even start? I usually just search fb for open mics in the area. But, if you must talk to someone, I suppose you could chat with siri, or alexa (both equally passive aggressive broads who act like they've just got all the answers) could offer some assistance. Show info should include the host name. Get to mic a little early, get aquatinted w/ the room. Introduce yourself to the host, if opportunity rises, but don't be a creep about it.
2. Go with 5min, write way more than that. Not everything you write is gonna be gold; most of it will be more like.. eh, rust. Yeah, most of it will be rust, especially in the beginning. You'll be surprised at how much material you write down before you've written a solid 5 that gets proper laughs front to back. Here, Jerry is recommending you have 5 in the bag because the average open mics gives you 3-5 minutes. A comic should have enough material to fill the time, or give the time back to the room, if the comic can't fill. these are common courtesies observed as respect for the time of other comics waiting to perform. We shan't waste another's time.
3. What's the difference between a bar, a club, etc..?
Bars are the starting gate, the testing groumds, it's where you find that dive open mic. The mic that, though you don't even have a clue yet, is responsible for you contracting Hep C. It's also the womb that sheltered you. Protects you from the rest of the world witnessing the horrors that is your ugly comedy baby. Nobody laughs at an ugly baby. The bar shelters you, allowing your baby to get only slightly less ugly while you figure out how to deal with that reality. The club is different than the bar mainly in that the club is totally geared toward comedy; the crowds are there specifically to see comedy, whereas the crowds at many bar mics(of there are crowds at all) could not give lilly fuck about you, or your jokes. They often see you as a disturbance to an otherwise perfectly shitty evening. Most clubs will have at least one open mic during the week, usually Wednesdays, or Sundays. The booker may, or may not be in the building & may not give a damn about your set. But... maybe. So, a good showing at a club mic could very well earn a comic some sort of spot on a future club event. All of that being said, idk how "etc.." differs from either of them, so I'm just gonna say etc.. is just a mix of the two. It's kind alright & kinda awful. It's like a punchline purgatory.
Hope that helps some
@@brandon_bruffett_comedy he is the Messiah
I didn’t think that opening joke was funny at all..I didn’t even know what it meant
You mentioned almost 20 comedians - all men. Also, that abortion joke was horrible.
Lol cry about it
Non of this is funny !
Interesting. You don’t think it’s funny and you don’t understand it. Sorry!
Great info
Nice Carlin impression