Working For A Living

Working For A Living                                            1041

Monday, May 23, 2005-9:27 A.M.

Wow!  I'm not bragging, but what a grueling weekend I just got done with.

I worked Pesto's Comedy Club in Grand Blanc (Flint), Michigan with David Graham (David Graham Comedy) whom I met in St. Louis but didn't work with...it took us a few minutes of speaking before we were able to put two and two together (and we kept getting 5...that's why they shouldn't let comedians do the books).  We finally figured it out as to when and where we met, and then it was buddies for life at that point.

David wanted to meet for breakfast at 9:30, which I yawningly obliged, and then he was late getting up, so that turned into a little after 10:00 A.M.  I know I should never trust comics who claim they're "early risers."  Anyway, he paid for breakfast, so he was right on time, as far as I'm concerned.  You can always tell a classy headliner....they pick up a meal for the feature act.  It's definitely an old-school tradition that I think is nice.  I lament the fact that I don't close enough dates to truly pass the love on.

A quick jaunt to the local Goodwill store (so I could buy tapes) yielded a bonanza, and at half-price no less.  At 25 cents each, I splurged on a copy of the Krush Groove soundtrack, Redhead Kingpin, U2 (copies of The Unforgettable Fire always seem to have a defect...the little fuzzy thing that the tape runs over seems to separate from the metal tab after a certain age...I glue them back on...tape's good as new after you do that), the Cocktail soundtrack, Rio by Duran Duran, and OMD's greatest hits.  David found some shirts, and we invited some of the clerks to come to the show.

First show was jammed!  It almost made up for the two lousy shows on Friday.  And my friends from San Antonio showed up!  Luckily, it was the best show of the week...I don't think David and I could have performed better...it was a damn shame that I didn't tape.  Second show was o.k., almost like a live rehearsal type show...sparsely attended, but attentive, so I tried some new stuff, talked to the audience and just went with the flow.  And our friends from the Goodwill store came out!  A lot of times, comics will give out comps when they're out and about during the day, and a lot of times, you don't see the folks turn out for one reason or the other, like it's too short notice or they don't really believe you're a comedian.  But it's nice when they do; it was three more smiling faces in a room that desperately needed them.

The planned overnight ride home was kiboshed when I got back to the hotel.  I realized that I was so tired, I would never make it, so I slept for about six hours and made the trip home in the morning.  352 miles should take me an average of five hours, plus the time to get through customs in Canada because I cut through Ontario (the fastest way to get from Upstate New York to Central Michigan).  Traffic on the QEW was crazy, and added an unplanned two hours to my excursion.  Once I got home, it was a quick bite to eat, a 14-minute nap, a shower, and then time to tog up and go to the Comix Cafe, the club I operated for four years, and take over closing management duties for the evening.  I got to see Al Katz and Nelson Addison, two old friends, and Matt Bergman, a rookie from Buffalo who I throw mc work at now and again.  Most of the time was spent with new showroom manager Dave Trombino, showing him the ropes and letting him catch me up to speed on the new ropes that have been installed since I last worked in the club (probably about 14-15 months ago).  It felt funny putting on the old denim shirt (the official uniform of the Comix Cafe that no one wears anymore) and walking in to the place.  I was happy to help, though, in a time when the club is going through managerial transition.  Everything ran smooth, the comics did a phenomenal job, with T.L. Johnson stepping in for a guest spot, and I had a good evening.  When I got home, I crashed like a Mexican space shuttle.  I'm surprised I'm up right now.  Truthfully, I'm so tired, I'm going back to bed.  But after a 7 1/2 hour drive on 5 1/2 hours of sleep, and then working the six hour evening shift at the Cafe, I feel I deserve it.

This week, I'm performing all week at the Cafe, so I'll be able to continue to work with Dave and give him all of the club history, management techniques and comedy knowledge I can.  It's a great club, and I'd love to spare them all the pain of having to reinvent the wheel over and over again.

I just got word that gas prices are scheduled to come down this week.  Celebrate the event with a trip to your local comedy outlet and have some laughs.  You deserve it.

Ralph Tetta

Rochester, NY