Editor's Notes
written by Ken Carlson
Here in New York, cozy downtown rooms with a clubhouse feel for performers have been disappearing. More and more comics that used to get stage time with a small, likable crowd and no strings attached are hollering –Where are the shows? Rififi on East 11th Street, Mo Pitkin’s on Avenue A; hip joints with comedy every night at little or no cover charge and cheap drinks are shutting down. Similar rooms in Long Island City and Brooklyn are soon to follow. That’s not to say comedy clubs are going away. Standard rooms are opening in the city and in the suburbs like Federation outposts.
It could be the competitive nature of business. Could be something Chris Rock said in an interview with CNN.
CNN: Stand-up comics I’ve talked to in the past say they like their shows to appear spontaneous. But your new DVD stitches together three shows, illustrating to the audience how scripted comedy can be. Why did you decide on that format?
Rock: You know, I don’t believe in that “come up with stuff on the spot.” I mean, honestly, that’s why I think comedy, stand-up comedy, always plays such a back seat to music. Like, would you go see a singer if you thought he just came up with the songs? They wouldn’t give out Grammys for songs that they just came up with. You’re going to go see someone at Radio City or Madison Square Garden, I think you’d like to know that they have an act before you spend $75. So yeah, when you say “came up with it right there,” that’s really cute when you paid $8 to get in and two-drink minimum. When the ticket’s $75, that’s a whole other mindset.
The comparison of music to comedy is not a new one. Plenty of hot shows feature both and have for years. Of course, most musicians have trained for years prior to performing and comics usually start out with a couple of file cards and a joke about Viagara. Of course Rock got SNL after just a few years on stage and there are plenty of experienced musicians rotting away playing The Electric Slide at wedding receptions. And that was a time before bringer shows demanded you bring a high school reunion to the club for five minutes at a 4:30 show. But, Rock is the most popular comedian of this generation, considered by many to be among our leading satirists, and respected by comics for the amount of work he puts into a set. So when he uses the term “cute” to describe a less expensive show, is that a swipe at an improvisational style, or perhaps lowered expectations for lesser known performers? I’m not sure. But at a time when corporate gigs are disappearing and money is short, maybe the smaller, experimental rooms will continue to bring the younger folks, the coffeehouse crowd, with less cash and the mainstream rooms will continue to suit the older folks who prefer standard fair. And if I have a chance to catch Mr. Rock for 75 bucks, I will.
Ken Carlson is the editor of the Comedians Magazine.
editor@thecomedians.org