Been in a lull all week. Sleep’s been shit – four hours if I’m lucky. Energy falling off, not hitting the gym like I should. That feeling where you wonder if you’ve forgotten how to do the thing you love.
Tonight broke me out of it.
The Unexpected Call at Helium
Went to Helium not expecting to get on. I was there two weeks ago, crushed it on my first time – best set I’d ever done. Newer comic, lots of competition, figured I’d watch and support.
But I got called up.
And here’s the mindfuck: standing there knowing I’m about to go on for the second time at Helium, all I could think was “I can only bomb tonight.” Only direction to go from crushing is down, right?
Protecting My Energy
The comic before me brought heavy negative energy – suicide comedy, pointing out all the darkness in the world. That’s his art, his style. I’m not here to down it, but it’s different from mine. I point out the absurdities, he points out the negativities.
Going on after that energy? Challenging as fuck. Started draining me just listening to it.
But here’s what I learned: protecting my energy is everything. I can’t let someone else’s style affect my delivery. I had to consciously reset, find my positive energy, and bring what I bring.
The Solid Four
Did my solid four-minute set – Waymo blow, cocks and dogs, rooster fights, boxing, Joe bit, haiku. Hit right on time. Recognized the light, gave the light guy the nod, something I’ve been working on. Being more conscious of the surroundings, connecting with the room.
It worked. Good set. Not as crushing as two weeks ago, but solid. Professional. That’s what a solid four minutes gets you – reliability when you need it.
The Reward: Experimentation
Because I have that solid set locked down, because I know I can deliver four minutes that work anywhere, I earned myself some play time.
Headed to Steve’s, showed up late, threw my name on the list at spot 30-something. Aaron Spring showed up after me, so I wasn’t even last up.
Crowd was basically nobody – two dudes and a girl who knew one of the comics. Perfect laboratory conditions.
Playing With New Material
Opened different tonight. Usually start with “I know I look like…” but instead went with “fuck your boss.” The kid before me at Helium was bitching about his boss, so when I got to Steve’s, I opened with that.
Got a weird reaction. So I said “I don’t know why I do that, but people seem to like it when I do it.” That might be the actual joke – the fact that I just say something and don’t know why it gets the reaction.
Tried my “lawyer is racist” premise again. No punchline yet, but the concept is humorous – the fact that I can’t get rid of my lawyer. Might work as part of a longer set.
Did the hooker fight story – high heel sticking right in the center of his head, blood coming down. Very Kill Bill visual. I can paint it well, but no punchline to wrap it. Maybe it’s a callback opportunity: “the fucking Kill Bill hooker stiletto in the forehead.”
Talked about weird combinations of words I never thought I’d say: “My wife’s coming to my apartment for the first time this weekend.” Strange sentences that come from living in situations you never expected.
The Bigger Picture
Here’s what tonight taught me: having that solid four minutes isn’t just about reliability. It’s about freedom. When you know you can deliver, you earn the right to experiment. You can play with new shit because you’ve proven you won’t waste the room’s time.
The lull broke because I got fuel from a good set. Been feeling disconnected from the gym, from the rhythm, but comedy gave me the energy I needed.
And something else – I think I’m making friends. Sounds stupid at 50, but that’s what’s happening. People with common goals, similar struggles. I sit hours for these people, bring positive energy to their sets no matter what. They work hard, and I love that.
Protection of energy, solid foundation, room to experiment. That’s the formula.
What do you think – how do you protect your energy when you have to follow a completely different vibe? And does having reliable material give you more freedom to take risks?
