Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of A New Day

Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of A New Day             7693  (913)

Friday, May 11, 2007-2:30 P.M.

Well, it's Summer here in Rochester, and I'm suffering...mostly from allergies, the pollen is kicking my ass, but also because the Buffalo Sabres are in the NHL playoffs.

I'm scheduled to perform at the Comix Cafe in Buffalo, NY tonight and tomorrow with long-time comedy buddy Steve Burr, and tonight will be normal, but tomorrow will be all messed up because of Game 2 between Buffalo and the Ottawa Senators.

Instead of conventional wisdom, running shows as normal or perhaps condensing to one show when the game is over, the Cafe has chosen to work a different format.  The middle act for the evening (Me) will take the stage during the first intermission, and the closer (Steve) will perform during the second intermission.  That's it, one show on Saturday, actually interrupting the playoff game.

Now, I'm no fortune-teller, but I'm gambling on this being a rough show or at the very least, a difficult time for Steve and myself.  It's a special $5 admission to the club to see the game and the comedy show, and I have to figure that it's just going to be annoying for anyone who wanted to see comedy to have it interrupted by the second period of hockey, and anyone who is focused on the hockey probably won't be too concerned about the comedy.  And the intermission periods are only, what, 10 minutes each?  I'm not a big hockey fan so I don't even know.  I almost feel like why bother having comedy if you're going to concede to the game?  It's being played in Buffalo, so that's going to take 17,000 people off the streets, which would kill attendance at the best of times, so what do I know?  Maybe this is the perfect strategy.  Regardless, it's a bit of a morale buster for me as I love the Buffalo Comix Cafe and their above-average audiences very much and the missed opportunity to perform for them to my full potential has me down.

Last night the show was changed from comedy to dueling pianos, so I stayed home, yet another bummer.  I enjoy time with my family, but I am also a man, and that means I have a desire to be fulfilled by my work, and this week isn't living up to my expectations.  Not that cutting the lawn and doing other domestic chores didn't give me some sense of accomplishment, but the applause just wasn't the same when I was finished.  Ah, well.

I'll check in again after the dust settles.  This should be interesting, to say the least.

Ralph Tetta

Rochester, NY