The feature position in a comedy show might be my favorite and the best spot on the lineup.
Don’t get me wrong, everyone wants the pay check and social status that comes with being the Headliner…but can we all agree that featuring is just more fun?
You aren’t the star of the show, so there is less pressure. Ideally you’ve had a host and maybe a opener warm up the crowd, so you aren’t going into a cold audience and having to use half your set to get them used to comedy. You’re only performing between 20 and 30 minutes, which feels like enough time to play with the audience and do good jokes, but not so long where in the back of your head you’re asking yourself, “Am I STILL talking?”
Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to feature for several comedians. Sometimes occasionally, sometimes as a traveling regular. I’ve heard a lot of good advice, and I’ve also heard some bad advice.
So here’s some tips for anyone who is currently featuring for a comedian, or hopes to one day feature! I’ll start with the Do’s and then I’ll end with a few Don’ts. Thanks in advance for reading!
Respect the Headliner’s Wishes
Comedians don’t like to hear this much because we love the fact that we are in a job where we, technically, have no authorities, but when you’re featuring for a headliner…especially if you’re regularly featuring for them…THEY’RE YOUR BOSS!
They have the power to hire or fire you, and to me that’s a big qualification of someone’s authority.
So if you are privileged to be working with this headliner (and yes, every gig we get is a privilege in this industry.) learn to play the game with their rules.
They might have very specific guidelines of you before or after the show. The headliner I last toured with only brought along comedians who didn’t drink or do drugs. This was easy for me because even if I wasn’t working with her, I wouldn’t be doing either of those. Well, sometimes I drink a little…but not on the shows I did with her!
The headliner also asked me to help with merch after the show and not sell my own. She was nice and paid me extra to do so, but even if she didn’t I would have to make a choice…do I accept these shows and not sell my T-Shirts, or is selling my own merch a deal breaker? I definitely didn’t want to give up a year’s worth of work so I could sell my “Hot and Sweaty” T-Shirts at more shows…so this was no problem for me.
She had performance guidelines too. Stay clean and don’t do crowd work. Other headliners have asked me before to not to certain bits because it’s to similar to one of their bits. (Turns out, tons of clean comedians have bits about Chic Fila!)
Would it bother you if a headliner asked you not to do a certain bit because they have a similar one? I don’t think it should. After all, it’s their show and you GET to perform on it. Also, in my opinion, if not doing one bit makes you unable to entertain an audience for 20 to 30 minutes, I think you need to come up with some new bits.
So when I feature, I “color in the lines” to whatever requests the headliners have because I know if they decided they didn’t like my act…it would take them less then 10 minutes to get a new feature.
*Note* I do have one exception to this rule that I’ll mention at the end of the article when I give suggestions of what NOT to do!
Cater Your Act to the Headliner’s Audience
Odds are, if you’re getting regular feature work you are being asked to perform 20-30 minutes per show, and you likely have a decent 45 mins to an hour. Which means, you’re not doing ALL your material up there every night.
So that being said, read the room and recognize which bits you have that are not at all relatable to the audience.
The last headliner I had the opportunity to travel with had an audience that was basically all senior citizen women. I have scarred memories of one of my first shows with her doing my “Killer Fast & Furious Bit” to a room of people that could care less about Fast & Furious, and honestly probably had no idea what I was talking about.
The only laughs I was hearing during that show were that of my comedian friend in the back of the room who was more laughing AT me then with me. Those laughs don’t count when asking the question “Is my material working?”
If you’re only featuring on one show with the headliner it might be hard to gauge the audience they pull, but you can try. I’ll go listen to their material ahead of time and try to guess about the audience. Or at the very least, I have eyes and I use them by looking at who’s come to watch the show before it starts.
If you’re working with the headliner for more then one show, that’s when you can adapt your routine to their audience as the weekend goes on. Or maybe if you’re traveling with them, you’ll notice similarities with the crowds and a good feature will absolutely use this to their advantage to learn how to read the audience.
Don’t Be Afraid to Try New Material
This one is actually really hard for me. Whenever I am in front of a paying audience, or in a “big show” I don’t want to try out new jokes because I feel I should be giving the audience their money’s worth. Also, there is the added fear of “I don’t want to bomb with a joke, and look like I suck as a comedian to the headliner that brought me, the club that booked me (and could book me again), and most importantly, the people watching me.
But, the harsh reality of Feature life is…the audience didn’t come to see you.
Whether you do well, or suck, they’re going to have a blast when the Headliner they paid to see comes out and does their act. Sure, you can add to the show…but you have some wiggle room to try out some new stuff or work on your act, because you’re not the main course. You’re, at best, an appetizer!
(If you’re opening for an influencer, or a famous comedian, consider making a joke or two about how you know that they don’t know you for some easy intro laughs.)
A good system that a lot of comics do is if they’re doing 20 to 30 minutes of material, in the middle about 3 to 5 minutes are newer jokes. I never did BRAND new jokes, but maybe stuff that had been working well at a few open mics and seemed like it was ready for a real audience. Also don’t be afraid to alternate your jokes out combining your A and B list material.
An added benefit of being a working feature is that you are performing at rooms that on your own, you probably couldn’t get booked in. One of my most successful moments last year was when I was working a club in Michigan that never had heard of me (and probably wouldn’t ordinarily book me). At this point, I had become comfortable alternating my material and using the same start and finish, but feeling out what I wanted to do in the middle.
The club booker saw me kill with a variety of bits, and so she realized I had more then a solid 30 minutes and asked me at the end of the weekend “Do you have enough material to headline?” I said, “I absolutely do!” and then I was booked for a headlining gig for that club for the next year. That’s definitely a “best case scenario” when being a working feature.
So just remember, being a feature is a safe space to try new material!
Now here are some tips on what NOT to do as a Feature
Don’t “Dilute Your Act” So the Headliner Can Feel Funnier
I have been asked after shows before by the headliners to not do certain jokes because they were getting to big of laughs, and the headliner didn’t want to follow it. I have even been told by other comics to intentionally give “mid” performances because then I’d get the reputation of being a “safe” feature and I’d be able to get more work.
I may be giving mid performances, but it’s definitely not on purpose! When I hit the stage, it’s my goal to be the funniest I can be and entertain the audience as much as I can.
When a headliner asks me not to do a certain joke because it gets to many laughs, I absolutely make it a point to do that joke for the rest of the weekend or however long I am working with them. To me, that’s a HUGE red flag that points out someone I don’t want to continue working with, so I don’t mind if it costs me future gigs with this comedian.
In my opinion, if I’m getting bigger laughs then you because of my jokes, we should be switching positions on the show and paychecks.
I want to be careful here to make sure we note the difference between this tip and one I shared earlier in the post about “respecting the headliner.” There is a difference in choosing not to cover a certain topic you made jokes about because the Headliner has a similar bit, and not doing jokes because they are “too funny.”
In my mind, it’s okay to be asked to stay away from certain topics by the headliner because they have to be up there usually twice as long as you and for all you know THEIR Chic Fila bit may be what the crowd came to see, instead of YOUR Chic Fila bit.
That being said, whenever I headline, I never ask features not to do certain topics….Because in my brain, my bit will be funnier then my features.
But if someone is asking you to not do a joke because they can’t follow it? Yeah, that’s not your fault. Do your bit, be funny, and maybe it’ll challenge them to get funnier.
Don’t *try* to “Bury the Headliner”
Some comics have told me before that when you feature you should do your best to “put the headliner to shame” because you’re act is so hilarious and you want everyone to know you’re better then the main act. I’ve even heard comics say after the show when someone asked “How’d it go?” something like, “Oh I buried the headliner!”
What a toxic and mean way to look at performing on a show. Features that go into performances looking to one up the other act are like Christians that go to church looking to feel better about themselves by noting the sins of other…Gross!
Who peed in your cheerios? Don’t be that guy, life is to short to constantly be in competition with other people. In a good comedy show, all the acts work together to put on the funniest performance possible, and the audience can tell when it’s a fun comedy show who’s sole purpose is to entertain…or when it’s a bunch of dramatic divas that are conflicting with each other behind the scenes.
Also the quickest way to not get booked again by the venue or headliner is to let it be known that your goal is to “Bury the Headliner”. I don’t want to work with that person, would you?
Now, it’s a different story when you are doing your best, and your best is better then the headliner’s best. I won’t lie, there is no greater compliment then after a show where I featured and the booker comes up to me and says “Man, I should of had you headlined!”
Ideally all features are future headliners, so there hopefully will be a time where you are doing so good that the headliners don’t want to book you to perform before them. But please don’t make that your sole purpose of being on the show because it’s so negative, rude, and ungrateful. And gross.
And on that note, here’s my last tip of what NOT to do as a feature.
Don’t Expect Feature Work To Last Forever
It is absolutely a lucky break and blessing if you get picked up to travel with a comic and be their regular feature. Congrats! That’s a win and you should absolutely be proud of it.
But, don’t let being “So & So’s Feature” become your whole identity as a comedian.
You should still be working to get more gigs, you should still be looking to headline (if that’s what you want out of your comedy career) and you should appreciate this blessing for as long as it lasts…but be honest with yourself and from day one know that it won’t last forever.
The headliner I worked with told me from day one that she brings in a different feature every year, because she doesn’t want her audiences to hear the same jokes. That’s fair.
Headlining comics may keep their feature until they find someone they like better…and that’s fair too!
Best case scenario, maybe you become such a strong act that the headliner doesn’t want to follow you any more. Don’t take this as an insult, but as an ultimate compliment! You’re funny enough to be headlining rooms now, and your former boss, in a way, is putting you up for a promotion!
The worst thing a feature can do is stop growing their career because they get comfortable following in someone else’s career. Not just because it won’t last forever, but because your stunting your own comedic and creative growth.
So enjoy the cushy feature jobs, have fun not having all the pressure of a headliner, but please don’t get used to it…because I honestly believe if you made it to the end of this article, you have in you the makings of a hilarious headliner!
And that’s a wrap! Thanks for reading. Do you have any thoughts, comments, or questions that are “Feature comic” related? Do you disagree with anything I wrote? Please feel free to drop a comment and let your thoughts be used for the collective good of everyone reading this blogpost.
Have a great day and Happy Holidays (If you’re reading this when I originally posted it…actually, no matter when you are reading this, I hope your NEXT Holidays are Happy!)
