COMEDY BY THE NUMBERS
Last Sunday I competed in a semi-final round of the second annual Great Canadian Laff-Off, a cross-Canada contest that culminates in a taped event in Toronto where the winner walks away with $25000.00. I sort of stumbled into it by accident. It was pre-empting a show I was already doing in Mississauga, and they basically asked me the Wednesday before, "since you're in the neighbourhood, do you want in?" So I didn't fret over it too much initially. But as the day approached, it seemed like it would be silly to enter and not try to advance, so I got myself pretty psyched.
One thing that helped was when I saw what number the show was going to be. I have kept a list of pretty much every show I've done since the beginning. After every show I add it to the list. I don't think it's a hundred percent accurate, because over the years I've counted some events, like improv, or going on stage for a duo-act, only to discount them later. So the precise number of stand-up shows is up for debate. But this laff-off was going to land at number 1713. That caught my notice because I remembered the number of my Just for Laughs contest in 1999 was number 213. So I thought, "Wow, 1500 shows later. Wouldn't it be cool if I won again?" I get really obsessed over symbolic, orderly developments, so the idea seemed really neat to me. Don't get me wrong, I don't have every show number memorized, I just know "213" and "666" (my first Just for Laughs gala, how cool is that?). So anyway, 1713 got me excited for the show.
The audience for the contest was very small, and very quiet. It was the sort of thing that throws these events into question, because it's ridiculous to judge people in a tiny show setting by the same criteria as people, in, say, Ottawa, who might be in front of a packed, fired-up crowd. Luckily, for me, when we drew numbers to see what the order was, I drew sixth, which was late enough in the show to benefit from the show's momentum. I want to say that I drew the same number at my Just for Laughs contest, just to add to the alignment-of-the-stars tension, but I honestly don't remember (but it could have been sixth!).
Despite some very good acts off the top, the crowd didn't start to come alive until mid-way, when John Steinberg did his set. Two acts later, I was up. I had a really good set, and it built in momentum such that I closed very strong (much as I had done 1500 shows earlier). I came offstage feeling good about the show, and even started to speculate about the magic 1500-shows-later factor. Maybe my time was coming around again?
I stifled those thoughts as I watched the act after me, Kevin Herod, tearing it up. It was increasingly clear that nothing should be taken for granted. And yet, the telltale cosmic numerology wouldn't let me down, would it?
Long story short, yeah, it did. Two names were advancing, and they announced them both at the end: "John Steinberg and Kevin Herod".
It was disappointing for both the regular reasons (such as 'winning is nice') and, of course, because my perfect full-circle 1500 nostalgia-blast didn't happen.
Sometimes, in a random universe, we cling to anything that gives the faintest semblance of order. These small patterns help us feel that there is something looking out for us, and that everything does indeed happen for a reason. When the pattern fails, we feel a bit more alone in the world.
Unless it didn't really fail. I walked off the stage feeling very happy with myself, as I did 1500 shows earlier. I got praise and congratulations and the sense that I did some good with the time I was given, as I did 1500 shows earlier. Now, the Just for Laughs experience was way more exciting for numerous reasons, but still, at its core the satisfaction was very similar to, you guessed it, 1500 shows earlier.
But in the end the contest went to a couple of younger comics, who have had relatively little exposure and are just beginning on the road to new opportunities in this crazy business.
Which is what happened 1500 shows earlier.
Okay, is this blatant shoe-horning of profound meaning into outright ambiguous circumstances? Well, yeah. Every other religion does it, so what the heck?
Anyway, I've got to go. I'm doing a set at the Toronto Yukyuks. Exactly two months ago (on the 19th) I was there and the set went really well. Tonight's the 19th, so who knows?
Maybe my number's up again.
THIS EDIT JUST IN: I'm back, and the set went really well. Co-incidence? "Oooh, spooky..."
Okay, it's not exactly a burning bush, but belief can be very flexible so, "Oooh, spooky..."
Last Sunday I competed in a semi-final round of the second annual Great Canadian Laff-Off, a cross-Canada contest that culminates in a taped event in Toronto where the winner walks away with $25000.00. I sort of stumbled into it by accident. It was pre-empting a show I was already doing in Mississauga, and they basically asked me the Wednesday before, "since you're in the neighbourhood, do you want in?" So I didn't fret over it too much initially. But as the day approached, it seemed like it would be silly to enter and not try to advance, so I got myself pretty psyched.
One thing that helped was when I saw what number the show was going to be. I have kept a list of pretty much every show I've done since the beginning. After every show I add it to the list. I don't think it's a hundred percent accurate, because over the years I've counted some events, like improv, or going on stage for a duo-act, only to discount them later. So the precise number of stand-up shows is up for debate. But this laff-off was going to land at number 1713. That caught my notice because I remembered the number of my Just for Laughs contest in 1999 was number 213. So I thought, "Wow, 1500 shows later. Wouldn't it be cool if I won again?" I get really obsessed over symbolic, orderly developments, so the idea seemed really neat to me. Don't get me wrong, I don't have every show number memorized, I just know "213" and "666" (my first Just for Laughs gala, how cool is that?). So anyway, 1713 got me excited for the show.
The audience for the contest was very small, and very quiet. It was the sort of thing that throws these events into question, because it's ridiculous to judge people in a tiny show setting by the same criteria as people, in, say, Ottawa, who might be in front of a packed, fired-up crowd. Luckily, for me, when we drew numbers to see what the order was, I drew sixth, which was late enough in the show to benefit from the show's momentum. I want to say that I drew the same number at my Just for Laughs contest, just to add to the alignment-of-the-stars tension, but I honestly don't remember (but it could have been sixth!).
Despite some very good acts off the top, the crowd didn't start to come alive until mid-way, when John Steinberg did his set. Two acts later, I was up. I had a really good set, and it built in momentum such that I closed very strong (much as I had done 1500 shows earlier). I came offstage feeling good about the show, and even started to speculate about the magic 1500-shows-later factor. Maybe my time was coming around again?
I stifled those thoughts as I watched the act after me, Kevin Herod, tearing it up. It was increasingly clear that nothing should be taken for granted. And yet, the telltale cosmic numerology wouldn't let me down, would it?
Long story short, yeah, it did. Two names were advancing, and they announced them both at the end: "John Steinberg and Kevin Herod".
It was disappointing for both the regular reasons (such as 'winning is nice') and, of course, because my perfect full-circle 1500 nostalgia-blast didn't happen.
Sometimes, in a random universe, we cling to anything that gives the faintest semblance of order. These small patterns help us feel that there is something looking out for us, and that everything does indeed happen for a reason. When the pattern fails, we feel a bit more alone in the world.
Unless it didn't really fail. I walked off the stage feeling very happy with myself, as I did 1500 shows earlier. I got praise and congratulations and the sense that I did some good with the time I was given, as I did 1500 shows earlier. Now, the Just for Laughs experience was way more exciting for numerous reasons, but still, at its core the satisfaction was very similar to, you guessed it, 1500 shows earlier.
But in the end the contest went to a couple of younger comics, who have had relatively little exposure and are just beginning on the road to new opportunities in this crazy business.
Which is what happened 1500 shows earlier.
Okay, is this blatant shoe-horning of profound meaning into outright ambiguous circumstances? Well, yeah. Every other religion does it, so what the heck?
Anyway, I've got to go. I'm doing a set at the Toronto Yukyuks. Exactly two months ago (on the 19th) I was there and the set went really well. Tonight's the 19th, so who knows?
Maybe my number's up again.
THIS EDIT JUST IN: I'm back, and the set went really well. Co-incidence? "Oooh, spooky..."
Okay, it's not exactly a burning bush, but belief can be very flexible so, "Oooh, spooky..."
posted by David Pryde at 5:34 PM
<< Home