How to Get Gigs

At the time of writing this blog post, I am currently out on an 11 day tour. Some are big shows, and some are not. I am excited and grateful about all these opportunities to tell jokes!

A question I frequently get is “How did you get that gig?” or “How do I get booked on actual shows?”

In today’s post, I want to share about how I “landed” the specific gigs I am doing over these 11 days. Some are theater shows with a nationally touring headliner, some are part of a comedy festival, many are “gigs between gigs” and local productions, and one is a headlining spot.

If you gain no other insight from this blog post, I hope you take this away:

COMEDY IS A BUSINESS OF RELATIONSHIPS

The longer you do it, the bigger your network will become, and the “easier” it will be for you to be booked. It IS about who you know, but you need to be in the right places and good enough to meet and connect with those people to get the gigs. And yes, to some degree it will be a matter of luck…and that’s just part of how all of this works.


Before I break down the gigs and how I booked them, here is some context:

When I started organizing this tour I had 2 specific events that I needed to plan for. I knew I’d be featuring in Ohio and Indiana with Etta May, a nationally touring headliner, and I also knew I would be performing at the North Carolina Comedy Festival. These shows were close enough that once I had those dates, i set out to find shows “on the way there, and back” and then I also landed a headlining gig after the NC Comedy Festival in South Carolina. So my tour has 3 legs.

To the Theater Gigs (4 days)
To the North Carolina Comedy Festival (4 days)
To the South Carolina Gig (3 days)
(And then home to my bed)

I want to make sure it’s clear that as I go into details about the gigs that I am not bragging but simply informing how I booked these shows. Yes, I am funny and deserve to be on these shows BUT a big part of a comedy career is the actual work you put into it, and that’s something that anyone can learn.

Unless you plan on becoming a overnight viral sensation on tiktok and building career off mostly luck and circumstance, I think reading this article can help you get more gigs. That’s the hope anyway.

So here we go!

“Get ready with me as I do an 11 day comedy tour”

The Road to the Theater Shows- Cincinnati and Miamisburg

The first places I performed were at Cafe Alma in Cincinnati, OH, and Bricky’s Comedy Club in Miamisburg, OH. The first thing I did was google the distance between Nashville and Lorain, OH (which is where my first theater gig would be) and took note of all the places with comedy scenes (that I know of) between the two.

Bricky’s in Miamisburg was the first “gig between gigs” I booked. I know the booker and have done a few smaller shows there before, so I checked to see on their website what was going on for that evening, noticed there was a show, and messaged him directly. I mentioned “I am literally driving through” and asked if I could have a guest spot…take note of the fact that he already knows me, knows I’m funny, and (I think) likes me as a person. So he responded back, “We have a guest spot for you!” and thus I was booked.

Did it pay? No, but I was already driving through the area and it’s stage time, networking, and fun.

It should be noted that this is my third random spot at Bricky’s but I am “building up street credit” with the comics there, and the club owner. I keep showing up and doing well in front of that audience. And every now and again I’ll reach out and ask for a headliner spot at this club…which is a goal of mine.

My hope is that eventually he’ll recall all the times I have done well at the smaller shows and guest spots and think, “Let’s have him headline!” If I never show my face, I might not have that opportunity. Additionally I connected with the other comedians from the Dayton, OH area and they saw me do well…Next time I am in the Dayton area and try to ask for gigs, perhaps any of these people will be able to vouch for me and say “You should book Drew, I have seen him before and he’s funny!” Or maybe they have shows they’ll want me on.

Speaking of vouching, that is how I got the gig on the night before in Cincinnati. After I booked Miamisburg, I reached out to a few different cities with comedy scenes in Ohio and Kentucky on facebook groups.

I shared a video of me performing, the date I was looking for, and a brief bio. In the Cincinnati group, other comics commented on my posts with comments like “He’s funny!” or “Book Drew!”

At the same time, for this one gig, a headliner had just backed out, and the booker saw my post…Had heard of me a little, her friends who were saying nice things about me, she saw my video and liked my material…and it didn’t hurt that she liked my Italian superman T-shirt in my headshot. And then she reached out me and added me to their awesome show.

Did you catch all the factors that led to me getting booked there? Some are related to the work I have put into being a comedian, and some were completely situational. But my previous work has led me to be a good fit for when the situations happen.

Ten years ago if I sent the same message in that Facebook group, I would have been less qualified and less known to be considered a good replacement.

Comics, do not underestimate the value of time and experience in standup comedy.

Sometimes when people ask me, “How did YOU land THAT gig?” My answer is, “Because I’ve been doing this for almost 15 years and know a thing or two.”

The Etta May Theater Gigs

Over the past year I have been a regular feature for Etta May and have been fortunate to travel all over with her as her host/feature act. 20-30 minutes spots, that pay well, and I’ve been to all kinds of venues that wouldn’t even read the booking request email I’d send them…because I don’t have that kind of credit yet.

It’s been wonderful. Additionally, one of the clubs were impressed with my act so much they already booked me next year to headline for them…mind you, this is a venue that would likely not even notice my email if I sent it to them before these shows.

Here’s how I connected with Etta:

I frequently try to get hosting gigs at comedy clubs. And you should too. For newer and mid level comics, this is maybe the best way to get a foot into the clubs. It’s kind of like our “entry level” jobs. In addition to building your relationship with the comedy club, a perk of being a regular host is that you’ll meet a headliner every time you get work with the club.

Many times, you’ll work with them one weekend and never see them again. If the stars, schedules, and your personalities, align…those headliners might reach out to you and ask you to do some shows with them. And this is paid work, and a credit as you are now “regularly” working with them.

The first time I hosted for Etta May in Chattanooga, TN this….did not happen. In fact, after our weekend of working together, she completely forgot I existed. BUT her regular feature at the time also knew me, and there was a gig in Huntsville, AL, a year later, that he couldn’t make, and so he called me one weekend to ask if I could cover.

So I showed up, realized very quickly that Etta May had no idea who I was, and figured this would be a one and done gig with yet another random headliner. And I wasn’t exactly wrong… That year she took another one of my comic friends on the road as a regular feature. But eventually that feature’s schedule changed and Etta May needed a new person to pop in for a few gigs last minute…and that’s when I got a phone call.

I’m totally okay being a third pick, because at least I was picked.

And by the third and forth time I worked with her, Etta May remembered who I was…and decided she liked working with me. (In last week’s article I referenced a few things about me that maybe make me unbookable for a lot of comics…,but are some of the exact reasons that I am a good feature for her, so here’s your reminder to first and foremost…be You!)

And that’s how I became Etta May’s feature…and yes, a lot of it involves, luck, good fortune, and circumstance. But if you keep at Comedy long enough, good things will (probably) work out for you eventually.

It will definitely take longer then you want.

I’ll say one more thing about being a touring comedian’s regular feature, if this ever happens to you. It’s a great experience and good profitable work, while it lasts. You should know that it is likely not a “forever job” and that’s okay. They may decide to bring on a new feature, for a variety of reasons, and that’s totally their call. So AS you are reaping the benefits of working with that headliner, make sure you are also still looking for other ways to expand what you do as a comedian. Look at it like an open relationship, unless you are told otherwise.

Featuring for Brian Bates

One fun and sometimes weird thing about doing comedy is that if you do it for a while, you will get to see people get bigger and famous in real time. Such is the case for me with Brian Bates. I knew him before Nateland. He’s a Nashville comic who’s been in the scene for a while. When I first met him, I think he was helping at a comedy class I took. So to me he’s always been a more experienced comedian, but I knew him before he was selling out club weekends.

As I was looking at what to do after the Etta gigs, but on my way to North Carolina, I noticed that Brian was performing the very next day in Indianapolis. Where is where my last Etta May show was at (and where I am currently as I write this post)

Another big lesson I have learned in comedy is that you never know until you ask.

So when I saw Brian was headlining Helium I shot him a facebook message and simply asked if he had a feature for the night, or if there might be a guest spot open.

The worst he could say is no.

As it turns out, the feature spot was open…and that’s how I landed my first feature role at Helium Comedy Club (which is tonight, and hopefully it goes well!)

Now let’s take note of some important things here…I’m not a complete stranger. I have messaged people who don’t know me before to ask if they needed a feature for their comedy club show…I think it’s only resulted in a gig once in my life. I have worked with Brian before and he knows who I am…those are important factors that led to this “lucky spot”. And, the club didn’t have someone already…that’s not something I could have controlled, it was just good fortune for me….but again, you never know until you ask!

The North Carolina Comedy Festival

I am going to jump ahead a few days here but I’ll come back to the gig in between Helium and this festival in my last section.

I absolutely love comedy festivals. Some people hate them. A lot of people don’t like comedy festivals because you have to pay to send in your submission to the festival, and there is no guarantee that you will be allowed to come and perform. In fact, for many comedy festivals, most people that submit will not be selected. The submission fees typically range between $20 and $50 dollars. It sucks paying money and then not being accepted.

When accepted, I am a big fan of the comedy festival experience. You meet a lot of comedians from all over the country, usually you get to perform on nice stages with full crowds, and it’s basically like “church camp” for comedians as far as the community of it all. (I say that as someone who had positive church camp experiences.)

I want to be transparent and say I have been rejected by far more comedy festivals then I have been accepted. I literally was rejected from a festival yesterday. That’s okay, life will go on. (Sidenote, I keep a record of the festivals I apply for and if I get in or not…and at some point, I will stop applying for some)

This is my 4th time at the NC Comedy Festival, so apparently whatever I am is what they are looking for. There are several festivals I don’t apply to (anymore) because I know I am not what they are looking for…if you, or your festival, is known for not loving Christians or Straight White Males…even though I respect where you are coming from, I am not going to spend $20-$50 to try to get in your festival…that’s just good budgeting.

But when you do get accepted, it’s totally worth the cost! Through the NC Comedy Festivals I have met several comedians that have booked me on many other shows that have paid more then $20-$50. So in addition to fun, doing a festival can help elevate your career if you meet the right people who “pick up what you are putting down” as a comedian.

If you are never in the same room as those people though, you’ll never meet them.

And that’s also, by the way, how I got my headlining gig in South Carolina. Once I knew I was in the area, I reached out to a comedy friend I met years ago at the NC Comedy Festival and asked if she had any openings and she booked me to headline her show on that same week.

More “Gigs Between Gigs”

For the sake of brevity, I am tying together all the other gigs in this tour in one section even though they didn’t happen chronologically together.

Between Indy and NC, I booked a “featured spot” at my comic friend’s open mic in East TN. I knew she runs a Monday room, and when I saw I was driving through I reached out and booked with her. When you have friends that run mics out of town and you are driving through, often time they’ll put you up for a special “more time then usual” spot and use it as a special promotion for their show…and they may even pay you or give you the option to sell merch (remember gas money is a thing!)

Between the festival and my gig in SC, I had a couple days to kill in that area so I booked a show in Athens, GA and another one in Charlotte, NC. For the Charlotte NC show, I did exactly the same thing I did to book the Cincinnati show…so just “rinse and repeat” the information I provided in the above section!

For the Athens, GA show, when I was looking for places in the area between Greensboro and Charleston, I saw that Athens isn’t *too* far away, so I reached out to my friend that books shows there to see if he had anything available. He did not, but he gave me the name of another booker who I reached out to. And boom! Another show and chance to build my network, meet new people, and have fun performing at a new place I have never been to before.

The moral of this section is this: I knew the right people to ask, and I have the reputation and act where if something is available, they will want to book me. As you build your comedy career, you are going to want to meet new people and expand your network.

Yes, all of these “gigs between gigs” are smaller shows then the ones that are paying me well, but I am out…and have the time…and love to perform…so I might as well go out, work on my act, have fun, and build more relationships. There is a good chance that I will meet someone in one of these shows that will book me for something else down the line that pays well. And as a working comic, that is an important goal.

And that’s how I booked my comedy tour for this week and last. Have any questions? How about helpful information or advice that would be good for anyone else reading this article? Feel free to drop a comment!

Also, as always, please let me know if you have any standup comedy related topic that you’d like to see a blog post about! Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week.