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The Conan clip is obviously an interesting gimmick the comedians and show put together, but the defining characteristic of stand-up comedy is that it's just you and the mic onstage, no help, no safety net. Once you bring a second person onstage, it becomes something else entirely. That other thing can be very funny, but it's not stand-up.
Listen to any of Marc Maron's WTF podcasts when he's interviewing a stand-up comic and they get to the part about their early open mic days. They all discuss their experiences and feelings about being onstage alone.
Notice how two of those definitions use the words "typically" and "usually," implying that there may, at times, be exceptions to this rule?
Obviously the vast majority of stand-up is performed solo; it fits the medium much more naturally just like sketch and improv are much more suited to the duo/group dynamic but can also be performed by a single person.
And in case you're still unwilling to shift your rigid definition of "stand-up comedy" (people who are strict about comedy are always so much fun), i'm pretty sure a lot, if not all, of Jenny Slate's stand-up was solo. At least judging by the way she talks about it in her WTF episode.
Lastly, don't tell me what to do.
itrainmonkeys I was late to the Rory Scovel train but watched his last special when it came out last year and LOVED it so went hunting around for his other stuff and came across that excellent clip
Has Slate ever actually performed solo stand-up? Lack of anything on YouTube suggests otherwise. (Yes, she did a one-woman show, but once you present comedic material intertwined with dramatic material in a broader theater piece, it changes the dynamic completely, because not everything in the piece exists to garner a laugh or set up a laugh later on in the set. A one-man/one-woman theater performance has a different dynamic than what's more clearly a performance of stand-up comedy, because neither performer nor audience are expecting laughter to be the sole raison d'être of the performance in a theater piece).
Last Edit: Jan 7, 2018 14:48:47 GMT -5 by tw12 - Back to Top
Notice how two of those definitions use the words "typically" and "usually," implying that there may, at times, be exceptions to this rule?
Obviously the vast majority of stand-up is performed solo; it fits the medium much more naturally just like sketch and improv are much more suited to the duo/group dynamic but can also be performed by a single person.
And in case you're still unwilling to shift your rigid definition of "stand-up comedy" (people who are strict about comedy are always so much fun), i'm pretty sure a lot, if not all, of Jenny Slate's stand-up was solo. At least judging by the way she talks about it in her WTF episode.
Lastly, don't tell me what to do.
itrainmonkeys I was late to the Rory Scovel train but watched his last special when it came out last year and LOVED it so went hunting around for his other stuff and came across that excellent clip
Has Slate ever actually performed solo stand-up? Lack of anything on YouTube suggests otherwise. (Yes, she did a one-woman show, but once you present comedic material intertwined with dramatic material in a broader theater piece, it changes the dynamic completely, because not everything in the piece exists to garner a laugh or set up a laugh later on in the set. A one-man/one-woman theater performance has a different dynamic than what's more clearly a performance of stand-up comedy, because neither performer nor audience are expecting laughter to be the sole raison d'être of the performance in a theater piece).
Go to 48:50
According to this interview she just has no interest in filming her standup.
It's still up in the air whether she'll be doing stand-up or something else at BC
Has Slate ever actually performed solo stand-up? Lack of anything on YouTube suggests otherwise. (Yes, she did a one-woman show, but once you present comedic material intertwined with dramatic material in a broader theater piece, it changes the dynamic completely, because not everything in the piece exists to garner a laugh or set up a laugh later on in the set. A one-man/one-woman theater performance has a different dynamic than what's more clearly a performance of stand-up comedy, because neither performer nor audience are expecting laughter to be the sole raison d'être of the performance in a theater piece).
Go to 48:50
According to this interview she just has no interest in filming her standup.
It's still up in the air whether she'll be doing stand-up or something else at BC
I stand corrected, apparently she has done solo stand-up as part of the mix, over the years. I do question whether she's done that recently, since pretty much anything anyone's done on stage anywhere since 2010 or so is on YouTube. The performer may not record and upload their performances, but people have phones and social media accounts.
I also question whether she's been booked to do stand-up at Boston Calling, since it seems unlikely that she'd get billed before Everett, Esposito, and Hinchcliffe, all of whom are much better known as accomplished stand-up comics.
I may seem to be a bit inflexible on my insistence that stand-up is something markedly different than any other performing art, and is only truly "stand-up comedy" when performed solo, but that all comes from personal experience. I did the Boston open mic circuit (and low paying gigs in the boonies) fairly regularly for three years in the early 90's, and I've done another 15-20 open mics in the last five years. I also was a professional wrestling "manager" for a minor league New England promotion in the early 90's, did a handful of plays in high school and college, was in a sketch troupe for a minute-and-a-half in the 90's, and have performed onstage as a singer/songwriter and in a band half a dozen times over the years. It's the combination of the utilitarian nature of stand-up comedy (i.e., it's only good if they laugh, even if the only people in the room are two other comics, the bartender, and whomever's working the door) and the "solo without a net" nature of stand-up which, for the performer, gives it a vibe that's very different from any other type of performing art/entertainment when you're onstage. Even as a solo musical performer, the right cover will usually pull the crowd into your performance, if you need to win them over with a familiar song. But there's no such thing as a cover version in stand-up comedy (unless you're a joke thief).
That's why I said, earlier, that everyone should try it once. It's such a unique experience, in which you have absolute control over the content and its presentation, and absolutely no control over anyone's reaction to it (in a medium in which the quality of the performance is judged entirely by the audience's reaction).
(OK, I didn't have absolute control over the presentation that time a bar manager in Athol, MA ordered the sound guy to cut the power to my mic. Good times.)
Last Edit: Jan 7, 2018 22:42:37 GMT -5 by tw12 - Back to Top
According to this interview she just has no interest in filming her standup.
It's still up in the air whether she'll be doing stand-up or something else at BC
I stand corrected, apparently she has done solo stand-up as part of the mix, over the years. I do question whether she's done that recently, since pretty much anything anyone's done on stage anywhere since 2010 or so is on YouTube. The performer may not record and upload their performances, but people have phones and social media accounts.
I also question whether she's been booked to do stand-up at Boston Calling, since it seems unlikely that she'd get billed before Everett, Esposito, and Hinchcliffe, all of whom are much better known as accomplished stand-up comics.
I may seem to be a bit inflexible on my insistence that stand-up is something markedly different than any other performing art, and is only truly "stand-up comedy" when performed solo, but that all comes from personal experience. I did the Boston open mic circuit (and low paying gigs in the boonies) fairly regularly for three years in the early 90's, and I've done another 15-20 open mics in the last five years. I also was a professional wrestling "manager" for a minor league New England promotion in the early 90's, did a handful of plays in high school and college, was in a sketch troupe for a minute-and-a-half in the 90's, and have performed onstage as a singer/songwriter and in a band half a dozen times over the years. It's the combination of the utilitarian nature of stand-up comedy (i.e., it's only good if they laugh, even if the only people in the room are two other comics, the bartender, and whomever's working the door) and the "solo without a net" nature of stand-up which, for the performer, gives it a vibe that's very different from any other type of performing art/entertainment when you're onstage. Even as a solo musical performer, the right cover will usually pull the crowd into your performance, if you need to win them over with a familiar song. But there's no such thing as a cover version in stand-up comedy (unless you're a joke thief).
That's why I said, earlier, that everyone should try it once. It's such a unique experience, in which you have absolute control over the content and its presentation, and absolutely no control over anyone's reaction to it (in a medium in which the quality of the performance is judged entirely by the audience's reaction).
(OK, I didn't have absolute control over the presentation that time a bar manager in Athol, MA ordered the sound guy to cut the power to my mic. Good times.)
This is odd. The Middle East just announced a March Taylor Bennett show. Between this and The Killers, are we to assume there's some sort of change in the festival industry (at least for Boston Calling) with the traditional exclusivity clauses in contracts?
This is odd. The Middle East just announced a March Taylor Bennett show. Between this and The Killers, are we to assume there's some sort of change in the festival industry (at least for Boston Calling) with the traditional exclusivity clauses in contracts?
Radius clauses are generally set at 60 or 90 days, so I don't think there are any formal changes. It's more just a matter of smart booking that a festival wouldn't book an artist, especially a headliner, that just played the same city 4-5 months before. I guess BC is confident enough in The Killers' draw that they figured it doesn't matter.
I was at The Killers show last night at the garden and they most definitely still have a huge draw. The place was packed. Way more so than Dead and Co
But were they any good?
They were actually really good. I'd never seen them before, so that was probably a big factor. I also got the ticket for free, which always makes a show better haha. They played pretty much all the hits I wanted to hear with a mix of the newer stuff. Lots of energy and the crowd was really into it. Decent lights and whatnot. Definitely glad I went, but it does make me a little less excited for BC because I'm guessing it will be the exact same show.
Post by bearwrestler on Jan 9, 2018 9:25:33 GMT -5
Anyone else think the Boston Calling lineup looks even better knowing we share two headliners with Roo? I think Jack White is a major upgrade from Muse too, but YMMV. Aside from saying "Wow I bet Sheryl Crow would be the surprisingly-really-fun Lionel Richie set," I think the BC undercard is miles better, assuming we couldn't see every act anyway.
Someone should organize group camping close to Boston & book daily buses & stuff...*then* Boston Calling would have everything.
Post by readyforfestseason91 on Jan 10, 2018 14:00:03 GMT -5
So me and a buddy of mine who live in Alabama who normally do Hangout and just did voodoo fest are thinking about skipping Hangout this year and trying Boston Calling our! This lineup looks awesome! How is the fest tho?
