To say that a show as silly as Conan O’Brien changed my life may seem absurd but it’s a true statement. After seeing Zach Galifianakis on TV I started keeping up with his doings. I’ll never forget him coming to play at a dive bar in Little Rock, AR that I was too young to attend. Seeing such incredible talent in an intimate setting would have been a dream, but location, location. I found it odd that he wasn’t performing on a proper stage at some sort of theatre but I was new to observing niche artforms. If you’re brave enough to try that in a small town you’ll have to contend with cheap beer and shot combos with wacky names being shouted over the thing you have devoted your existence to.
In 2005 a short documentary “The Comedians of Comedy” came out. This happened during a time where our household once again did not have cable but luckily I was able to view it at a friend’s house. The film covered alternative comedians Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis, Brian Posehn and Maria Bamford on a tour playing small indie rock clubs. I wasn’t aware of the others but knowing Zach was involved was enough for me to have to watch.
My friend and I became obsessed with this movie! All of these people are actually super funny and just having a blast on the road. I loved the creativeness of their jokes and how each person had a unique style. Sure, they are doing shows at small venues but people are showing up every night. Who knew this kind of thing was happening behind the scenes? I began feverishly following each of these comedians and a small desire started to grow within me. I think I want to try to do comedy someday? That’s insane. They don’t just allow anyone to do that, right?
It’s hard to remember exactly when our household was granted the brief gift of cable TV, but I do know that in 2003 around St. Patrick’s Day we finally got our first PC. I vividly recall the date because I was beyond excited! Between school and visits at friends’ houses I had known the absolute joy that computers could bring since around 1996. My friend next door had teacher parents that strictly regulated what media he could consume. These kids were not allowed to watch The Simpsons but they could play Doom on the computer. I still can’t wrap my head around this riddle to this day, but who cares, I got to shoot demons with a shotgun in a digital hellscape. I was only 6 years old and this was another pivotal moment for me that I’ll definitely have to write about soon.
Having our own computer was a huge deal for me. Along with poorly playing Yahoo Pool into the night, I could now explore this new world of standup comedy I was so engrossed by. I began reading and learning all that I could. Eventually I discovered that if you wanted to try standup comedy you’d have to find an open mic event. This is where ANYONE is allowed to sign up and try out jokes on stage in front of people. In fact, this is how all the professionals started. I could not comprehend this and it would take years to eventually seek out an open mic to try comedy myself for the first time.
The thought of attempting standup chilled me to my core but I knew that I had to give it a shot. I could not stop thinking about it. I love joking around with my friends and my jokes usually land. How hard could it be? Oh, to be young and incredibly naive again.