How a good comedy host is like a point guard
James Mattern's unbreakable commandments of hosting a comedy show.
Five Unbreakable Commandments of Hosting a Comedy Show by James Mattern, one of the best MCs in the NYC scene. The commandments:
1. Be Selfless.
2a. The time you do is only to service the show and the other acts.
2b. Do Not Do Bits After the Last Act.
3. The last act is not the headliner.
4. Give the performer the intro they want…unless it’s absolute lies or promoting another venue.
I like this point guard comparison:
2a. The time you do is only to service the show and the other acts. To make a sports metaphor: The emcee is like a point guard in basketball. The steerer of the ship. It’s your job to help maximize the skills of all your acts. The emcee is the tone setter. After the time up front, the job becomes passing the ball. Making the situation as positive and comfortable as the next act wants.
If you can crush upfront great. If not. It’s okay. As long as the crowd trusts, likes and listens to you, business can be done. Yes, I want to kill up front. It’s the easiest way to feel like you did your job. In all honesty, it also reminds me that I’m good. But sometimes it doesn’t happen. And unlike the other acts, the host has to keep coming back onstage. Which means pride needs to be swallowed. I have seen too many hosts try and get themselves over throughout the night. Wanting to win the crowd over for themselves. To prove they are funny. Look, just like a point guard, your job is to feed the ball and help the others score. You only score when it’s needed. If other comics are struggling, but you can deliver laughs, please DO IT!! But if everyone is delivering, only do time when needed – Audience member gets up or yells something between acts, a comic kills real hard or dies real hard, a comic’s energy or style does not blend well with the act before which might lead to a rough transition if that act is brought right up – please do time. But try to get in and out. High energy kill in front of a quiet storyteller? Just reset the room with relaxed statements. Stoic joke teller in front of a high energy act? Maybe prod the audience real quick with energy and crowd work. WHATEVER needs to be done to set the next act up as best as possible. Back to the point guard analogy: Feed the wings and post players the ball in the spot that best leads them to score.
Please do not suck up the good laughs of a great club between every act. By the time the CLOSER (we’ll get to this in awhile) gets to the stage, the crowd might be too tired to share the love they have been giving to everyone else. Only do time when it helps the show. The other comics will appreciate it.
Basically what I’m saying is DON’T BE A BALL HOG!!!!