Finding Your Place as a Comedian

How cool is it that there are so many different kinds of shows that we comedians can perform at? Clubs, theaters, dive bars, coffee shops, corporate gigs, churches…I even performed at an airport terminal once!

But how do you know what kind of shows are the best FOR YOU? How should you brand yourself? Should you try to do all the types of shows? Should you focus on just a few venue types? When is it time to move on to different kinds of shows? Are you ever *too big* for a type of venue?

These are all questions that we will consider in today’s blog post! As always, thanks for reading!

Which Shows Are The Best for You?

Are you a club comedian or a church comedian? Or are you both? Or neither? Should you take corporate gigs, or stick to the indie scene with the bars and breweries? Let me share a few factors I think you should consider when answering this question.

1. What is the most fun kind of gig for you?

When I teach comedy the very first thing I will tell students is that Rule #1 in comedy is to HAVE FUN. If you’re not having fun being a standup comedian, then there is really no point to it. When it comes to comedy, it’s a long and brutal road if fun isn’t included in what you’re doing. You have to always make sure you’re enjoying yourself because then you will find the stamina to keep going when things get tough, and to be frank, you will also be funnier if you are having fun.

So what kind of gigs do YOU want to do? When you first start, the answer might be “all of them.” As you do it more, you might realize maybe you don’t like the dive bar shows where everyone is talking over you. Or maybe you don’t like the church shows when you have to be squeaky clean. If comedy is a hobby or side hustle for you, when it starts feeling like work, maybe it’s okay to admit “This isn’t the room for me.”

And honestly, if comedy IS your job…one of the benefits of being a comedian is that we kind of don’t have to do anything we really don’t want to do…so if you truly hate performing in certain rooms, here’s an easy solution…..Don’t!

Also consider the opposite. If you love certain venues, then keep posting your avails to the bookers…keep doing those shows…don’t stress over if the show is “beneath you” or “out of your league.” If you’re enjoying it, and you are bringing enjoyment to the folks in the audience….Mission accomplished!

2. Which doors are opening for you?

When considering what kind of gigs you should do, another question you should be asking yourself is “What venues are letting me perform with them?”

The more developed you become as a comedian, the more your act will resonate with some people (and bookers) and the more it will not resonate with others. For newer comedians the advice “Just be funny” isn’t inherently terrible, but if you keep at it at some point everyone on your level will be funny…just certain comedians will work better in certain rooms.

As you are developing your career and comedy character, it’s important to be objective about which rooms and folks are booking you, and which keep ignoring your emails and messages.

Most of us got into standup comedy with the dream to headline the big comedy clubs, I think. I know that’s why I got into comedy! Clubs and theaters! What I have learned as my act has developed, I am not the best fit for a lot of the big comedy clubs. The meal they are looking for is not what I’m cooking….who’s wrong in this? The correct answer, neither of us.

Currently I keep shooting my shot with the clubs, but I am also finding work in other places because they’re the ones that are inviting me to come tell jokes. (Churches, breweries, theaters, coffee shops, etc.)

It’s just like dating. Stop pining after the person you really want who isn’t giving you the time of day, and maybe look at the person who is open to giving you a shot!

3. Who’s willing to pay you?

Listen if you’re wanting to do this comedy thing professionally, remember the old saying….beggars can’t be choosers. And when we start as comedians, income-wise, we aren’t that far from being beggars! Paid gigs aren’t super easy to come by, so if someone is willing to give you money to entertain their group…I highly suggest you take it, even if it isn’t your favorite demographic.

Think about it, what are you actually doing? You’re entertaining people. Your making a group of strangers laugh. Even if you wouldn’t invite them to your birthday party, you can “humble yourself” to bring joy to their hearts, right?

I’ll be 100% transparent. Church Comedy Shows are not my favorite. I don’t like having to hold my tongue as much as you usually need to in squeaky clean settings. But…I have 15 years of professional ministry experience, and I grew up in that culture. I can speak their language, and I know how to entertain those crowds. So yes, when churches offer to pay me to do comedy, I will gladly accept and color in the lines. I need work, and they are wanting to laugh….what harm is really being done here?

Now, this probably goes without saying but the “go where you get paid” rule might need to be broken if terrorists, hate groups, or something like that offers to book you. In addition to the ethics of headlining a KKK show, for example, it also might make you less bookable in the sight of many other places! So you know…use your discernment with this point.

Should you try to do “All” the shows?

When you first start, I would say yes!

When I first started I heard a quote in an interview from Aubrey Plaza (one of my big celebrity crushes, btw) where she said “Don’t say no to any opportunity when you are getting started in show business.” I am fairly certain she didn’t invent this concept, but I took it to heart once I heard her say it. Then again, I’d probably take anything she says to heart.

Say yes to all the gigs, even the weird ones. Another comedy crush, Iliza Shlesinger said once “Every show, even the bad ones, makes you *that* much better as a comedian.” And she’s right, you gain experience with every performance and just like a character in a Final Fantasy game, as you gain experience, you will level up.

As you develop though, so does your act, and your stage character. You start seeing what lane your comedy career is going, and then you have to make the choice of when to double down on certain directions, or when you want to branch out to potentially create more opportunities.

If you are developing a reputation as being a Church Clean Christian Comedian, maybe performing at the dive bar on that show with the “raunchy comedians” isn’t the best business move for you. Or maybe hitting those open mics will not help you develop the act. Good for you for learning what lane you’re driving towards, do what’s best for you!

As you book more, by saying yes to a gig and holding that date, you are essentially saying no to everything that is happening on that date and on or around that time. So you might need to start being more picky with which shows you take, so that you don’t sacrifice one future one for a present one that isn’t helping your career or brand.

Are you ever “too big” for a gig?

My short answer to this is no, but then there are a lot of considerations I want to invite you to consider.

If comedy becomes your profession at some point you are going to have to agree to stop paying money to do your job. What I mean by that is if someone asks you to drive 10 hours to be on a dive bar gig for 15 minutes and isn’t covering your hotel stage, but is willing to generously pay you $50…you will likely be losing money on that gig, and it’s probably not going to advance your career. That maybe is the best the booker can offer, and no shade to them, but you need to know your worth now and the fact that this is your job…and saying no may be what’s best for you. Don’t worry, they can find someone else!

I struggle with this point, but it’s worth considering. If you are headlining comedy clubs and selling out theaters, it may look less good for your reputation if you are also closing out shows in someone’s shed. It *may* make you look less bookable.

But what if you’re “too big” for a gig but you really want to do it? Well then, obviously, DO IT! If it’s for a good cause, or a friend invited you, or just a show that you personally really want to be part of…you’re an adult, make your own decisions! At the end of the day you have to wake up to your life every day, and nobody else does….As far as gigs go, take the ones you want!

One final thought on turning down gigs…As you develop in career and reputation, it’s okay to give bookers commitments that sound something like this, “I’d be happy to do that show…but I need you to know, that if I get a gig that offers (X amount of money) or more, I’m going to need to take that because this is my job.” As you grow as a comedian, more opportunities will come…and just like it’s okay to take gigs that may seem “beneath you” (I hate that phrase), it’s also just as okay to respectfully back out of a gig because something bigger and better comes along….good bookers will understand, as long as you aren’t a jerk about it.

Mind your Marketing!

Here’s a helpful tip that’s semi related to the topic of which gigs you should take. As your comedy character and career develops, keep in mind how you are marketing yourself.

As you get better and do more, you’ll start identifying your audience. The people that are most drawn to your material. You can do your best to try to pick them, but I honestly don’t think this is something we have a lot of control over. There are people that love what we do, and others that won’t.

This is true for bookers too. Some will want to book you after seeing your videos, and others won’t. Their reasoning might be personal, but often it’s just they know the kinds of folks that buy tickets to their show and can identify if you match with their demographic.

So when you are promoting yourself on your site, social media, or whatever, make sure you are showing the parts of you that will appeal well to “your people.” I’m not saying don’t be you, I’m saying that as you start figuring out who is picking up what you’re putting down, steer your content more to those people. That’s how you develop a following, that’s how you’ll get more butts in seats, and that’s how you’ll get booked more in whatever type of show or demographic you are aiming for.

For me, I recognize a lot of my audience is people that like clean comedy. A lot of conservative Christians follow me. Former students and people from churches I have worked at keep up with me. Because of this, when I post reels and videos of my material I will post the mostly clean ones. I do have some not clean material, and you may hear it at a show sometime, but you will likely not see it online, because I don’t want to turn off the majority of the people that keep up with me and support my career.

(By the way, you can find my dirtier content on my YouTube channel if you look!)

My Closing Thoughts On This Topic

I struggle with questions like “What kind of comedian am I?” or “What kind of gigs should I do?” because honestly, I want to do all the shows. I enjoy making everyone laugh and performing wherever and whenever. I am at the stage of my career where I am still trying to build credibility with all the venues.

This weekend I did a corporate gig at a Navy Base that was an early show. After that I drove to do an open mic at one of my friends rooms because it was fun, and I am always trying to get better. After that I went and did a guest spot at a bar show, and had an absolute blast.

The next day, I hosted for my friend’s brewery show. I’ll be honest, I typically only host shows now if it’s one I am producing, or if by hosting the show I am putting myself in a room with someone that could book me for something that is bigger or better. Yes, I’m a good host…but I am a good headliner too, and that’s my goal is to headline more.

However, here are the factors that led me to agree to host at this random brewery show. 1) My friend was putting it on and she asked me to. 2) It paid well. 3) I was working with friends. 4) I had the date available. 5) It was fun.

So while maybe it’s a good idea to pick and choose what kind of comedian you are, just know it’s probably possible to a lot of different gigs. It takes some planning and organizing, but you can do it! And if at some point you can’t, it’s probably because you are getting so much work in one direction that you have to stop going the other ways…that’s great, and good job!

Hope this article helped, and see you next time!

What are your thoughts on this topic? I confess, I felt a little less equipped to respond to this post suggestion so any extra feedback you have would be appreciated! Additionally, if you have any ideas for comedy blog topics feel free to share them in the comments section and I’ll add them to my list of things to write a post about!

Lastly, just for fun, what’s the weirdest gig you ever did? Feel free to drop a comment telling us about it!