The year was 2014…ish. I was about 2 or 3 years into comedy, and finally comfortable with about 5 to 10 minutes of my material. Someone told me at one point, “Once you have a good 10 minutes, it’s time to hit the road and take it to other places!” I later learned they meant, travel about an hour or two from where you are based out of…but I took it as I, a Nashville comedian, should apply for a comedy contest in Charleston, SC.
So I made it in Charleston and brought my best five minutes of comedy. All my jokes landed and I had a blast. To this day I still think about this performance and consider it the first time I noticed I was having my “Quarter Mile Moment” on stage.
For those 5 minutes, nothing else mattered. Not my retail job, not my family issues, not my (lack of) love life. I was free.
And I wasn’t the only one! One after another, each comedian got up and performed and had the best set of their life. We were loving it, and so was the crowd. Everyone was giving it their all, and it was one amazing show. We were all trying to win, but the crowd was the real winner, because they were witnessing 10ish comics killing it, one after another.
I finished my set and went backstage, and turned to the guy who was on after me and said “Hey, good luck man! They’re such a fun crowd, you’re going to do amazing!” I was still on an adrenaline high from the amazing time I had just have.
I’ll never forget the response this comic gave me. He said,
“Oh, I already know I’m going to win. There is no question about it.”
I was like…OK. Whatever.
He went out, and killed just like everyone else that night did. His personality wasn’t great, but his set was.
So it was the end of the night, and time for the judges to award the winner. I remember giving a bit of a sarcastic prayer to God. (He knows my humor, it’s fine), “Lord, it’s okay if I don’t win…but please don’t let the guy who went after me win this contest.”
And you know what? Neither me nor the jerk won. Some other comedian did.
The judges awarded the winner best set of the night and I believe he won a spot at the Charleston Comedy Festival. It was a wonderful night! The rest of us didn’t even care that we lost, because everyone had an amazing set and we just participated in creating one of the best comedy shows in the world. 10-12 complete strangers, working together to create something hilarious and beautiful. The audience had a blast, and so did we.
None of us “losers” really felt bad about the contest at all…Well, except for one of us.
The jerk was talking so much crap backstage. The contest was rigged, the judges hated him, he was clearly the best, blah blah blah…He was so focused on winning (and losing) that he had completely missed this amazing moment we had all created. The rest of us went home feeling awesome about the comedy show, and he went home miserable.
The moral of the story is this:
If you’re ever considering doing a comedy contest, I think you absolutely should participate! You should do your best, and you should try to win. You should go into it with a winner’s attitude, because frankly you won’t win with anything less.
HOWEVER
There is so much more to comedy contests then the actual results of the contest.
Winning aside, here are other benefits of participating in comedy contests:
Networking with the Comics
Comedy is a business of relationships. If you aren’t comfortable networking and connecting with the other comedians, you should change that about yourself as soon as possible.
All comedians start at the open mic level. I don’t know how to say this sensitively so I’m just going to say this….Anybody and Everybody can be an open mic comic. Sure, the next great comedic legend starts at an open mic…but so does the guy that’s only going to perform for 2 months, and then quit once he gets tired of bombing. And so does the frat bro who lost a bet in Fantasy Football so now he has to perform a couple of times. And the stoners and druggies who just need an organized activity to get together and do their drugs at…Open mic comedy has a lot of participants, and some of them are even comedians.
Don’t misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with the people are content with doing comedy at solely open mics. Standup is a fun and creative way to express yourself, and it doesn’t HAVE to be a career for anyone doing it…BUT, if you DO want it to be a career…you’ll eventually have to get out there more, and move past being an “Open Mic Comic”
And that’s why you spend money to enter a comedy contest. That’s why you maybe even drive 8 hours south to the first contest that will have you. Those contests are where you will meet the other comedians that are as serious about their craft as you are. The ones who also spent money to be there.
The reality is, comedy contests are a great first place to start meeting comedians that are actually “going somewhere” with their comedy. If you’re wanting to progress, you will want to make friends with the people that are also progressing!
Performing at “Better” Venues and meeting Industry people.
When you start off as a comedian, it’s very hard to get stage time at well known clubs in front of their hot crowds. Many comedy contests are held AT those clubs, so when you sign up to participate, it’s kind of like you’re jumping the line. Some of my first club and theater shows were part of contests. Additionally, typically if a person or group is going through all the trouble to hold the contest…they have the means and skills to promote it well and will bring in a crowd.
In short, when you’re first starting, doing a comedy contest will often get you in a better room with a bigger crowd.
This isn’t always the case, but it frequently is!
Also, IF your contest is held at a club, typically that means the club booker will be present to see some of the contest. They might even see your material. You might even get to meet them. Again, comedy is the business of relationships, and when bookers see performers trying their best at a comedy contest…it’s a good look for you! Even if you lose the contest, the booker may really like your act and think you would go great with a different show they are booking…That’s still a win!
Many contest have celebrity judges. People who are far from your orbit as a new comedian, and because of this contest, you are now in the same room rubbing elbows with them. Maybe you don’t win the contest, but one of the judge likes you the best. Maybe they notice that you are based near where they perform, and after the contest is over they reach out to the organizer and ask for your contact info…because they’d like you to open for them.
It’s true what they say about the entertainment business. It’s all about who you know. But, you have to go out and be in the same rooms with those people to meet them!
Contests challenge you to bring your best
As a comedian we’re always working to tighten our material. You always have that next milestone to achieve. First you go for a tight 5, and then a tight 10…and so forth.
And the more you do it, the better jokes you write. And as you develop a stronger arsenal to “kill” with your jokes, your tight 5 changes. It gets better as you get better.
Contests challenge us to look at our material and really pick out the best of the best of what we do. As a working comic, you never know when you find yourself with a really big opportunity where you need to do your best 5 for an audition. Comedy Contests forces you to figure out what’s your best, and gives you an opportunity to see how your best compares to other performers.
Yes, comedy is subjective and different people find different things funny. That being said, one of my favorite things is when I venture out to a new space for comedy and realize everyone else in the room is better then me as a performer.
That may sound strange, but here’s why. When I realize everyone around me is a way better comedian I also realize two other things. First, I realize that there is a higher level of performance that I have not yet achieved, which is a fun challenge. Second, I realize that I have developed to a point where I am able to be on the same show with all these people that I realize are stronger comics then me…so it’s at least encouraging to me that I even made it on to the show!
I’ve done comedy contests before where I quickly realized I was the least experienced and most underdeveloped comic in the room and I probably was not going to win…but, meeting all those strong performers encouraged me to be better.
You won’t be motivated to get better if you become the King of your favorite Open Mic. Don’t settle, keep developing your craft! Go to new places and watch performers that are way better then you!
Credits are Credits
When I was in high school, I met all kind of kids that were in a variety of activities or had jobs around town that they really could care less about. When I asked them why they were in that club, or working that job, many times they would give me the same answer.
“This looks good on my resume, and will help me get into college.”
Comedians, like every other professional, have a resume. So many people who have lost in America’s Got Talent are able to put down on their resume that they were on America’s Got Talent. Sure, saying you won Last Comic Standing (which is an old show, I know) is a wonderful accomplishment…but it also looks cool to say you were a finalist in Last Comic Standing, or even a semi-finalist.
On a local level, saying you recently performed in the contest that you drove six hours to and lost still looks better then saying “I’m a regular at the open mic at Dave’s Dive Bar”
It’s wonderful to be able to say “I won the “Whatever” Comedy Contest.” But it’s also an accomplishment to say “I participated in the “Whatever” Comedy Contest.”
Comedy Contests are Fun
Lastly, and probably the most important reason you should consider doing a comedy contest…They’re a lot of fun!
It’s fun to travel, it’s fun to compete, it’s fun to meet new people and perform in new rooms. I love it when I travel across the country and see how my jokes are still funny to people in Vermont or LA. It’s also fun to see what jokes don’t work as well, and what I need to do to change them so they’re funny in different regions.
Listen, if you’re not having fun with standup comedy please do yourself a favor and quit now. There is a lot of crap that comes with comedy (which may be another blog post!) so if you’re not having fun, there really is no point to it…It is after all an artform that generates fun and laughter for other people, so why bother if it’s not creating fun and laughter for you too?
The best advice I can give to any comic wanting to participate in a comedy contest is this:
Do your best to win but also recognize there is more then one way to win at a comedy contest.
Did you make a friend and comedy contact? That’s a win.
Did you connect with a booker or new venue? That’s a win.
Did you learn something new about your jokes or routine? That’s a win.
Did you absolutely kill and have a blast? That’s a win.
So much of the entertainment industry is designed to make us feel like losers so that other people who don’t really care about or know you can make more money. Don’t let that BS rule your creativity and comedy experience. Look for the wins in what you do as a performer with every show you are part of.
Speaking of winning, you have made it to the end of this blog entry!
What’s your opinion of comedy contests? Do you have any stories you’d like to share about a comedy contests? Do you have any questions about contests or comedy in general?
Feel free to comment below if you want. Also, and most importantly, thanks for reading! I hope this article helped you in some kind of way.
