Road Trip!

I'm back. I realize the blogs have been real sporadic lately but in my defense I have been traveling quite a bit. I've had some pretty cool adventures recently; lets back track to mid-June.

I flew to Wisconsin for a one-nighter in Stevens Point. I took a cab from the airport and got to see some of the damage that has taken place there. It was incredibly sad and humbling to see the devastation that has taken place in the Midwest. Wisconsin really is a beautiful state but it was hard to appreciate it when all you can see is mud.

I only had a few hours of down time before the show started. Once I got to the showroom I was pleasantly surprised to find out they had 10 cent wings because I love wings and I love paying 10 cents to eat them. The crowd was full of blue collar types, young and old. Overall, I expected a pretty uneventful evening...I was wrong. About 5 minutes before the show was about to start I heard some noise from the hallway. It sounded like a dozen drunk college kids walking closer and closer to the showroom. Sure enough, they walked right to entrance and made their presence known by dropping unnecessary F-bombs at inappropriate times like "hey bartender! we want some F__in' shots....a lot of F__in' shots!" The headliner shot a glance at me and we subconsciously agreed this show was going to be awful. The group ordered approximately 40 shots of jagermeister and I am not exaggerating that number at all. The bartender eagerly served the drinks as the manager walked towards me. He informed me it was a two-man show and that I should do "30 minutes or whatever I was comfortable with." I clung to the last part of that sentence as I walked towards the mic....

The first 5 minutes of my set were a struggle but I eventually rallied the troops and things were running fairly smoothly. Around minute 15, the shots were kicking in and the crowd started getting chatty. The problem was I couldn't hear what anyone was saying and I didn't feel like stopping the show to address the chatter because I would then have to address the entire left side of the room. I pressed on by growing louder and louder hoping I could trick the audience into thinking this was a good show. At minute 20 I thought back to the manager's words "...or whatever you're comfortable with." I tried to convince myself I was comfortable with 20 minutes but something inside me said no...and that something was Michael McDonald. Yes, Michael McDonald. For some reason I had Michael McDonald's "Sweet Freedom" in my head. I think the cab driver may have been playing it or maybe Michael McDonald's voice is always in my head and I just realized it at this point. Whatever the case may be, I decided I didn't come all this way for 20 minutes, this crowd was getting a full 30 minutes of average entertainment. I went for the classics and by classics I mean over the top act outs. It seemed to work...thanks to Michael McDonald!

I introduced the headliner, Steve Brewer, a seasoned comic who has seen it all and also a heckuva nice guy. I settled in with a plate of wings and prepared myself for some comedy. The drunks had other plans. At approximately 45 seconds into Steve's set, the drunks decided they would take over. One particularly obnoxious kid began shouting out at Steve with the typical unoriginal heckles. It was awkward to say the least. But, Steve handled it like a true professional...in fact I loved the way he handled it. Knowing that there was no bouncer or security in the room, he refused to banter with the heckler. Realizing there was absolutely no way to "win" the argument with this moron, he simply let this d-bag talk himself into a corner until the entire crowd hated this kid. The drunk was eventually asked to leave and things never escalated. Steve went on to have a solid set and the night was saved.

However, towards the end of the show I had an irritating encounter in the men's restroom. I was using the facilities when several of the drunks walked in and immediately began announcing what a horrible comedy show they were at. The one kid turned to me and asked, "you didn't have to pay for this sh_t did you?" I informed him that the comics get in for free. He looked startled as his drunk eyes ran over my face. "Oh yeah, you were the first dude right?" From here things just got more and more annoying. He immediately told me how much he respected me and what I do but was upset that the headliner had his friend kick out because after all, that's what you do at a comedy show? I took a cue from Steve and looked for the exit rather than try to reason with him.

After the show, the drunks invited me out for drinks which I politely turned down. I'll never understand that mentality? You respect what [comics] do yet you attempted to ruin the show. And, do you really think that this is what stand up comedy is? Finally, if the show was so bad, why did you stick around? You paid $5 to see the show...just leave.

In typical fashion I had made no plans on how to get to my next show which was in Rochester, MN. Lucky for me, Steve offered me a ride. We planned on meeting directly in front of the hotel the next morning. But, when I got there all I saw was an unmarked police car. I walked around for a bit until I curiously glanced inside the Grand Marquis...there was Steve. I liked Steve before I found out he drove a Grand Marquis but after discovering his wheels I became a full blown fan. You haven't lived until you do a road trip in one of these vehicles...total comfort.

We drove to Rochester, MN to Goonies Comedy Club. No crazy stories here...this is a great little club with great management and staff. The crowds were really fun and I had a super time performing on all the shows...yeah...super.

On Saturday, my brother Matt (see pic above) flew in to St Paul to meet me. We rented a car and on Sunday morning we drove all the way north to the boundary waters for a canoe/camping/fishing trip. The drive is about 6 1/2 hours and takes you through Duluth and follows Lake Superior all the way to the Canadian border. This is absolutely one of the most beautiful drives I have ever taken. I was also amazed that we even made it considering we rented a PT Cruiser. I had never driven one of these before and was baffled that the engineers of this vehicle actually designed its car engine to basically red line at all times...even while idling.

Nevertheless, we made it to the outfitter and set off for our adventure. I wish I could post all the pictures we took because they are incredible. We saw a moose, an eagle, caught some big northern pike and camped under some gorgeous skies. It was a pretty humbling experience...after seeing the devastation that Wisconsin has experienced this year and then dealing with some unfortunate people at the first comedy show, I really felt recharged after having the privilege to see this beautiful party of our country.

For a person who continually feeds his ego by squeezing laughter from strangers, I really find true comfort in the solitude of nature. The laughs you get at a comedy club are great and I appreciate and respect all those who enjoying giving and sharing laughter with me but they don't last. As soon as they are over, I seek the next laughs and like a true junkie I need bigger and better laughs to keep me going. That's no fault of the audience or anyone else besides me. I often wonder if it's just me or if it's that way with every comic? But, what I feel being in the wilderness with just my bro, my gear, and some hydrated snacks is REAL. If I go back there tomorrow it will be the same. The landscape may change throughout the year but the beauty never leaves. This is where I find perspective in my life. Some people would never understand this because they find perspective in much different things....things that I probably wouldn't understand. Whatever it is for you, I hope you experience it again soon.

It's a wonderful feeling for me to be onstage and hear the laughter and feel the audience's energy but its even better to be grounded by something much greater and more powerful than myself.