KNOW YOUR ROLE!
Every comedian that hits the stage has dreams of being the big headliner of the show, but if you’re an aspiring comedian don’t sleep on the importance of every other role on the show.
It’s rare that any of us start off as the big headliner (but in the age of influencers and overnight fame, it’s not impossible) so unless you become a TikTok star who can sell out an auditorium by just existing and being you, it’s important to know about all the positions you could have on a comedy show, and how to kill in each of them!
In general, most comedy shows have the host, maybe a guest spot, a feature, and a headliner. Each of these spots fulfills a different purpose on the comedy show and the momentum of the show should always be building. A good producer starts off strong, and has a lineup that just keeps getting stronger!
As a comedian, in all the roles you want to be the funniest you that you can be, but I’ve learned that each spot has a different vibe and understanding the vibe of each role will help you have a better set when you have the opportunity to perform. A host going in with headliner energy won’t be as funny as a host being a host, and vice versa.
So here’s a breakdown of each role in the comedy show, and a little bit about what they’re like and what you should expect.
THE HOST
In my opinion the host is literally the glue that holds the whole show together. A really good host can make an average show seem amazing, and a bad host can kill the mood for the whole night
As a host, it’s your job to create a “safe space” for the audience to feel comfortable laughing. Probably the hardest part of hosting is the fact that when you get up and start your routine, the audience isn’t comfortable laughing yet. You have to set that up for them, and after you, it will be easier for every other comic following you to make the audience laugh. (Unless you don’t do your job well as the host!)
But as a host, your job isn’t JUST to be funny and tell jokes, you’re introducing and setting the stage for the other performers. If you were a final fantasy character, you’d be the red mage who uses effects magic to boost the stats and abilities for the rest of the team. (That’s the geekiest reference you have ever read in a comedy blog) A host’s intro can set the audience up to be ready to really laugh at the next performer. It can be the first step for them to have the crowd on their side. Additionally, some performers have to work extra hard after a bad host’s intro.
Hosts set the vibe of the room, and there is definitely a skill to it. How do you discourage heckling and not listening to the performers, without sounding like a high school principal? How do you tell them about drink specials, how the show will work, upcoming events, and NOT sound like you are leading an HR work meeting? Oh. And after that, don’t forget to be funny when you tell your jokes!
Hosting is the least glamorous job of the comedy show, and honestly I would say it’s the second hardest. It’s rare for anyone to leave a comedy show and say “Man, my favorite comic was the host!” And comedians know that, which is why they rarely like to host. But, it’s an important skill to have and good hosts and can find their way into great shows which creates opportunities for them to expand their careers.
I’m intentionally not going into more detail about “how to host well” because as I write this I am realizing that i want to make a separate blog post specifically on how to host, because I have a lot of thoughts about it!
For now, I’ll equate host energy to that of a youth pastor running the beginning of a Wednesday night church service. I don’t know if you ever went to one of those Wednesday night youth group worship services, but I have spent a huge chunk of my life preparing those and participating in them. At the very beginning of running a youth service, it’s the youth pastor’s job to make sure that everyone present feels welcome, comfortable being there, and excited for whatever is to come. That’s why they bring in the huge (and sometimes fake) bubbly, excited and welcoming energy. “We’re so glad you’re here! Are you ready for the best night of your life?” Youth Group games at the start of the service are always more about making the students feel comfortable about being in the service then them actually having fun…because honestly, if fun was the top priority, the teenagers wouldn’t be hanging at Wednesday night youth church.
Comedy show hosts could learn a thing or two from Youth pastors running their youth services….you are the welcoming energy, you’re creating safe space for everyone to have a good time, and are the constant that keeps the show going. Also, and unfortunately for us comedians , you aren’t the center of the show or most memorable part. (This is knowledge that youth pastors could benefit from too!)
THE GUEST SPOT
Not every show has a guest spot, but many do, and they’re great opportunities for the comedians that are lucky enough to perform on it. Guest spots are unplanned, and it’s usually given to a comic that the producer thinks is funny , shows potential, or will add to the show. Guest spots are fun, and have very little pressure. It’s usually a short 10ish minute spot, and close to the beginning of the show.
Most of the guest spots I perform are when I am traveling and a friend or comedy acquaintance gives me a spot on their show because I am just blowing through town and looking for stage time. Whenever I do a guest spot my mission objective is simple:
To be so funny that the producer invites me to be on their show again, but this time, on purpose.
Sometimes if you’re doing a guest spot on a local show you’re familiar with or with a producer you know well, you might want to try out newer stuff that seems ready for a “real audience.” And that’s fine. Or, maybe you’re on a guest spot on a show that you really want to be booked on, and so you will be pulling out all the spots and do your best material with the hopes of getting rebooked for a paid or “intentional” spot.
The guest spot can really boost the show. Sometimes I have really funny friends that will message me when they’re in town asking to be a guest on one of my shows and I’ll book them right after me the host because I know they’ll do amazing and get the crowd revved up for the rest of my show. Because I usually put my guests at the start of the show, I also am a bit picky with who I will let do a short set because I don’t want them to dig us in a valley before the planned performers even get up there.
The Feature
Okay, I’m just going to claim it here in front of all 3 of you that are reading this blog post….The feature spot is the most fun position to be on. If it wasn’t for the fact that Headliners get paid more then features and get more “street cred” among audiences and comics, everyone would want to just do feature sets for the rest of their lives!
Typically feature spots are about 20-25 minutes and the main object of the feature is to get the audience to a point that they are super comfortable laughing and having a wonderful time, before the headliner hits the stage. The mission of the feature is to have the audience as “warmed up” as possible for the headliner to hit a homerun with their set.
Whenever I am featuring, I have a mental image of me being a gym trainer who is stretching the audience out before they start their real workout. That’s probably a little weird, but that’s how I see it!
20-25 minutes is a perfect set time. You can do all your funniest stuff, really play with the audience, and then leave before it starts feeling like “Man, am I still up here talking to these people?” 20-25 minutes also is fairly simple once you’re experienced enough to keep people laughing and attentive. Once you hit more then 30 minutes of performing, your strategy for “keeping them” changes a bit. All that to say, feature sets are the most fun!
Most comedians don’t want to forever be a feature though. (It’s totally fine if you do, by the way, but most don’t) If that’s you, then the secondary mission of your feature set is to be so funny and awesome that the bookers want to bring you back for a longer headlining set. I think it’s a healthy outlook for every comedian to have to want to be a “tough feature act to follow.” Be so funny that the next comedian really has to pull out all the stops to top you.
A word of warning, a lot of older “getting to the end of their career” headliners don’t want an awesome feature, they want a mid one. They want someone who actually loses the audience a bit, or keeps them at a dull roar of laughter, so that they can get up there and seem like an absolutely hilarious comic. I’ve even had headliners ask me before to drop certain jokes because they were getting too big of a laugh.
My personal opinion…those comics can suck it. If you can’t follow my act and you’re the headliner, it’s time for us to switch spots. In my experience, the headliners that are funny and good comedians have no problem with you being as hilarious as you can be and even look at is as an advantage because thanks to your set, they are coming up to a “hot crowd” who’s ready to laugh even more.
That being said, if I’m ever working a weekend with the same headliner as a feature I do try to mold my act to compliment their routine better. Again, the ultimate goal of the feature is to keep the momentum of the show growing so that the headliner can be as funny as possible for the audience. So if there are ways you can do that by how you format your set, go for it!
The Headliner
This is it…The headlining spot is the where all comics want to be. The headliner gets paid the most, gets to do the most stage time, and is the one who gets most the attention. If your the headliner, your the star of the show. In most cases, you’re the comedian that everyone came to see. Your the main event, the season finale of the show!
Which means, you have the farthest to fall so you better be ready for the spotlight. Usually because of a good host introduction, every headliner has the least amount of resistance to be funny at the beginning of their set. You are coming to a stage where everyone thinks you’re awesome and qualified, so your first few jokes are a little easier then usual to land because we all are assuming your funny and awesome. You have about 10 minutes to keep or lose that momentum.
It takes a lot to be a headliner, and honestly when you find yourself in this position of a show you should be proud. It usually means that the producer thought you were the best of the lineup, and wanted to save you as the cherry on top. I also usually means that you are respected as a comic who has enough time to close out a show. A typical headlining set is a minimum of 30 minutes, and sometimes closer to 45 mins to an hour. That’s a hard amount of time to get to, but with enough practice and experience, you’ll get there!
Being a headliner isn’t just about having enough funny jokes to go a long time. It’s about learning how to have the endurance to stay funny that long, and knowing your act well enough where you include all the best parts every time. (Consider how long it took you to remember your 10 minute set, and now consider what it’d be like to remember an hour’s worth of jokes) Also, good headliners know how to read the rooms and adapt to whatever the room may need from the comedian.
I learned about a year ago that there is a big difference between a comic who closes out a show, and a headliner. A comic who closes out the show has enough material to do the time asked for them, but the audience simply leaves thinking “That was funny…I am glad i came.” But a HEADLINER is someone who is freaking hilarious for the entire time, and creates the kind of comedic experience where when the audience leaves the audience is saying, “That was freaking amazing and I love *Insert headliner’s name here*” If you ever want to know if you’re a proper headliner yet, notice how well (or not) your merch sales go after the show and how many people follow your social media.
I should also say, every headliner started out a closer…it takes time and experience to perfect doing your act for that length of time before you’re really killing it…and for many of us, the first few headlining gigs you’re fortunate to have, in a few years you’ll look back and think “Sheesh, it’s a miracle I got booked for that one!”
Lastly, of all the performers, it’s on the headliner the most to bring the crowd. You are the main event and the comic that everyone came to see, whether they meant to or not. In an ideal world, as a comedian, your following will grow to the point where people come ON PURPOSE to see you…and if enough people do that, then you’ll start being seen as qualified to headline shows. Remember that this is an entertainment BUSINESS, and for show producers their job is to sell tickets and get butts in seats so that everyone (including you) can get paid.
There are a lot of qualifications to what it takes to become a headlining comedian, and probably the least fun and most important one is that your name becomes one that people will pay to see. When you start bringing in a following, you’ll notice more people will ask you to be on, and eventually headline, their show.
I hope that eventually happens for all of us! But if it could happen to me before it happens to the rest of you all, that’d work best for me.
What are your thoughts on all of this? Did I leave anything out? Feel free to drop a comment to interact with this material, or asking any questions you have! I’ll for sure answer any questions, and for the really good ones, I may make a new weekly blog post about it! Thanks as always for reading this, and have a great week!
