As the lights and sound go down, once again, it is Steve Lesser introducing our host for the show, Jennie Stencel.As an added bonus the interplay between Jennie and Steve carries over to this week. They have the audience cracking up through the instructions and housekeeping announcements. The energy is high in the room and it is easy to tell that the audience is here to laugh.
Starting the show off tonight is Shari Diaz. I am not sure how long she has been doing comedy, but there is a level of polish to her delivery that is remarkable. With a killer smile and a sultry voice, she grabs the audiences attention in an instant. She starts out kind of laid back, but that doesn't last long. Without really increasing her pacing or any change in her delivery, she is able to ramp up the energy in her performance. Add the quality of her writing on top of all that, and you have one hell of an experience. It is almost a disappointment as she closes her set. What a set to the night!
Coming up next is Kory Kling. He starts out with a lot of energy and an instant likability. With the material being so personal, it is like hanging out with a friend you haven't seen in a long time. His writing is outstanding. The way he was able to increase the effect of his material with facial expressions was impressive, whether it was an 'aw, shucks' grin or a 'cat who ate the canary' smile. The way that he seems to effortlessly maintain the intensity and energy from throughout his set is also impressive.
At this point, I am wondering how the next comic will be able to handle the level that has been set. The lucky contestant going next is... Rocky Wilson! As has been the pattern so far, Rocky starts out a little laid back. There is an undeniable charisma about him that only increases as he gets fully into his material. If anything, his energy was higher than the previous two comics. He definitely comes across as one of the most self confident comics I have ever seen performs. He knows what effect he is after with each bit and he knows he will get it. He also had two of the highest points of the show by doing a bit about Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell while doing spot on impressions of the two and when he literally took the audience to church (sing-song delivery and waving handkerchief included). The energy in the room is almost dizzying as he finishes his set.
The comic who has the unenviable challenge of following Rocky is David Goolsby. His delivery was not as seemingly high energy as the comics so far, but that is a bit misleading. It is almost like a boxer that picks his shots, throwing jabs and when the time is right, unloads a haymaker. The ebb and flow of his delivery is a nice counterpoint to the constant energy of the previous comics. It is an incredibly smart way to not only stand out to the audience, but to also ensure the maximum impact of his material.
Coming up next is Matthew Carpenter! It was amazing to see his create such energy with his material while seeming like his he was not exerting much physical energy. That may sound weird, but I am not sure I can explain it any better. The way he played off of the audience's expectations and reactions was amazing. His material was very sharp and his timing and pacing was dead on. Even with pace slowing down, there was no chance that he would lose the audience or his momentum. And the level of energy as his set finished was still high, but not as intense so he set the stage nicely for the comic following him.
As Jennie takes the mic to announce the next comic, she made a comment about how after each set the mic stand was in different places and by the end of the night she won't know where it is.
And the comic coming up next? Billy Coley. Not being one to pass up a cheap pop, I take the microphone stand and move it behind one of the poles slightly behind the front row (and yes, I did get the pop). The nerves kick in as I start my set, so my delivery is a bit shaky and there seems to be a bit of pulling away, but as I get to the my first punchline, the response was what I was hoping for and I was off and running. Even at the point where I stumbled over saying 'structural damage', I got some laughter out if it. Rushing to finish before time was up, I had to shorten one bit to jump to a more concise joke. While the fumble was very obvious, both the audience and I bounced back with the final bit. I get a nice save by not killing the energy of the room and I left some good energy for the next comic.
(As I handed the mic back to Jennie and start walking to the back, she announces that she knows where the mic stand is and I get a smaller pop from the audience. I'm happy)
Next up is one of the two comics I know and someone I always enjoy seeing perform, Virginia Wallace! Her material is full of snark and attitude and she delivers it so well that you can't help but laugh. Her use of facial expressions and body language bumps up the impact her material has on the audience. She comes comes across so harried and exasperated in her setups and then she hits with a punchline that is either so outrageous or so twisted from what you expect that you can't help but laugh (even if sometimes the laughter is tinged with a bit of guilt for laughing).
The next comic up is Dispatch Dave! Low energy is not something you would say to describe Dave or his set. He seems pretty cool at the start of his set, kind of laid back. Before long though the energy is turned up to 11 and he becomes a force of nature. At one point in his set, I kind of had a minor Chris Farley flashback. Watching the faces of the audience members he focused his attention on at points in his routine causes as much laughter from the rest of the audience as his material does.
Next up is the other comic I know and another of the few comics I know that makes it look so easy, Nik Cartwright! One of the best things about him is that he always seems kind of shocked and happy when the audience laughs. He kind of has that All American guy next door vibe going on; the guy who everyone thinks is upright and reserved, but is actually the class clown (a real-life Ferris Bueller type). The combination of charm, writing skill and performance skill is is pretty darn close to an unbeatable combination in Nik's case.
Now we come to our last comic of the night, and the night ends with a bang... Now on the mic, Phillip Dameron! He starts off kind of low key, very personable. It seems the audience isn't quite sure how to take him at first though they are responding well to his material. After a few seconds though, something kind of amazing happens. Phillip's energy and attention ramps up in a second. The audience is now reacting as much to the transformation as to his material. And as he goes through the rest of his set, there are subtle adjustments to his delivery, his body language, his intensity and energy. They are all subtle, but effective. At times, it seems the audience is laughing out of self defense. Where it could be easy to push it over edge or alienate the audience, Phillip shows off a masterful control and focus, keeping the audience well in hand right up to the end of his set.
The comics are all called back up so that faces can be put to names on the ballots. As the ballot counting goes on, Jennie takes the mic for her set. There is a lot of introspection, explaining and embarrassing various members of the audience involved.
The lights come back up and it is time to announce the winners.
MOVING ON TO THE WILD CARD ROUND BY COMIC VOTE:
ROCKY WILSON
MOVING ON TO THE 2ND ROUND BY AUDIENCE VOTE:
PHILLIP DAMERON
NIK CARTWRIGHT
SHARI DIAZ
DAVID GOOLSBY
CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND A HUGE, WHOLEHEARTED THANK YOU TO ALL THE COMICS WHO HELPED MAKE THIS SUCH A GREAT SHOW:
KORI KLING
MATTHEW CARPENTER
BILLY COLEY
VIRGINIA WALLACE
DISPATCH DAVE
ANYTIME YOU GET A CHANCE TO SEE ANY OF THESE COMICS, OR ANY OF THE COMICS PERFORMING IN THE COMPETITION, PLEASE DO! SUPPORTING THE LOCAL COMEDY SCENE, LOCAL COMICS AND FINE LOCAL COMEDY VENUES SUCH AS THE IDIOT BOX IS A WIN-WIN SITUATION!
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT THUS FAR!
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