Eureka, I made a guy throw up

I had a great week opening for MIke Marino in Reno, at Catch A Rising Star, inside the Silver Legacy Casino.  Eight shows in 6 days, it was a great way to start 2012.  Last night while on duty, Sheriffing, driving the streets, those doubts crept into my mind.  Do I still have the comedy chops? Is it really something I should be doing ? Wouldn't it be easier just to concentrate on my cop job.  Yes I had probably 4 good shows, and two killer shows in Reno, but there were two, where I really felt the pangs of rejection, my self confidence was shaken a bit.  I met with a deputy for coffee, 7-11, Echo Park, Los Angeles.  We received a call of a wild man threatening a bus driver, refusing to get off the bus.  It was in the San Fernando Valley, it took us about 25 minutes to arrive.  We quickly brought the situation to a peaceful conclusion, or the deputy did, while I stood by.  As we drove away from the call, the deputy made a comment to me on our car to car radio.  A declarative statement, truthful observation on his part.  I retorted with my reaction to what he said ( a punch line to his statement).  It was still pretty warm, and our radio car windows were down.  I heard him screaming with laughter.  He then quickly pulled to the curb, and I pulled in behind him.  He jumped out of his police car, bent over, and threw up !  He was still laughing.  He said thats the first time in my life, I laughed so hard I threw up !!  Did you see me, you made me throw up!!  I still have it.  Thats what it's all about.  That is the key to my writing, To take real situations, observations, and insert my natural sense of humor reaction to them.  My attempt to structure made up jokes is not going to work, doesn't work really.  This epiphany comes on the heel of my study of the work of comedian Steve Roye, who professes to do just what I did just then naturally, to develop killer material.  I have been too funny off stage, using my natural sense of humor in reaction to conversations.  I have been less funny in my act, trying to write, structure, create funny out of made up stuff.  Making a deputy sheriff throw up, never felt so good.  I felt like I was back at the lunchroom in high school, throwing in the punch line someone took a drink of their milk, just to watch them spray it out their nose, as they laughed uncontrollably.  I'm off to observe and report, and insert my personal sense of humor reaction, with my point of view and twist.  I want to make more people throw up.  

Upstate New York Shows

Another great year doing our charity shows in upstate New York.  This year we added a second show on Friday night at the Diplomat Banquet Center on Lyell avenue in Rochester NY.  After seeing last years show in Caledonia NY,  Tony DeBellis and Chuck Zona from the Association of Rochester Police and Area Law Enforcement Retirees approached Mike Marino and I about doing  a show for their organization this year.  It was a sellout crowd.  This is not always easy to do on a Friday night, but they did it. Ofcourse for me  still a working cop, to be able to perform for fellow officers current or retired is a thrill anytime.  As always my routine, and Mikes fit together like a glove for our law enforcement crowd.  The next night we returned to Caledonia, my home town.  What a thrill to have my Dad open the show.  This was special, in that Dad used to be the Chief of Police in town, and the charity, "Totsie Cook, Dan Coyle Scholarship" honors two of my fallen classmates.  Cliff Sr, 79 years young, took the stage like an old pro.  Little did i know, that he had been rehearsing for months. He knocked the socks off the crowd, and then introduced me.  Mike headlined the show, and just went crazy !,  it was one of the longest standing ovations I have seen Mike get.  After the Saturday night show, we had a little after party at mom and dads house.  What a great time.  And one of the few times we were able to get the family on dads side together.  Sometimes it takes a comedy show.  It's great that people and family got together and saw a great show, and we made alot of money for the charities to do great things, in the end its's true, the pleasure is in the giving.  To set up plan, and perform in these shows, bringing family friends, loved ones together for a special night, was truly priceless.  

"A Taste of Texas"

I was happy to donate a performance for my good friend and fellow department brother, Jim Dexter at his campaign kick off this past September 9th. He is running for the Baldwin Park City Council.  The event was held at Nick's "A Taste of Texas" restaurant in Covina.  As usual, the first thing I do, is scope the room for the amount of people, and how the room is set up.  It's a very large room, with a nice stage, and great lighting.  For a restaurant bar, this place a big emphasis on their stage and lighting.  It looked like the place could hold about 500 people.  Their was about 40 or so people, all eating, with young kids.  Uh Oh !,, So with a cavernous room, air hockey in the back, and quite a few young kids, already we are not in good circumstances for a comedy show.  Jeff Keller was the Headliner.  He was a great guy, who played a short stint with the NFL.  He currently hosts a radio show, and has toured with Paul Mooney.   Jeff was great to meet, obviously a class act.  He was friendly, had no ego or attitude.  We both were there to support Jim, and do the best we could for him, regardless of anything else.  AS we were waiting to start the show, everyone was spread out, and eating, and the lights were bright, and the place was very noisy.  When Jim took the mic from the stage, people moved in closer,  the music went off, the house lights went down, the stage lights went on, and hey, all of a sudden, it looked like a pretty nice show room.  I did twenty minutes of clean material, well not squeaky clean, but clean.  I was happy enough with my performance.  I could only stay for a few minutes of Jeff's performance, but as soon as he took the stage, I knew he was a pro.

He came on strong, and i was enjoying his show.  But, as it goes with being cop and comic, I was off to work.  Sometimes it's comic by evening,  cop by late night.  

God of Carnage

Great show yesterday at the Ahmanson Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. "God of Carnage" starring James Gandolfini, and Jeff Danels.  This show is straight from Broadway, as it has the entire broadway cast.  It's a 90 minute show without intermission, it was just right.  Hilarious! This is a must see show, I know it's a limited engagement show, but if you can, get down to the Ahmanson and see it.  

Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer 3/14/2011 - cwyates | Internet Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer 3/14/2011 - cwyates | Internet Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Yesterday I put out my second blogtalkradio show with a guest.  The subject was not comedy, it was "Inside the mind of a Serial Killer".  My guest was Victoria Redstall who has been producing documentaries about serial killers for the past 4 years.  She produced a movie documenting the life of Wayne Adam Ford, a serial killer currently on death row, convicted of four murders.  I talked to Victoria about her involvement in the case. From the time she gained access to the high power section of the jail, meeting Ford where she posed as someone else giving Ford a false identity.  During the trial Ford had Victoria put on the stand, where she was forced to give her true identity.  Check out the blogtalkradio segment.