I do shows on the road
What I do have are a very particular set of standup skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long comedy career.
If you want me to perform for 60ish people, in the back of a restaurant in a room that calls itself a comedy club, for an audience that doesn't really know who I am, and there's one group in front that's celebrating a birthday or retirement party so they're bizarrely drunk considering it's only 8pm, and you've got some local comedians who aren't very good who open up and say filthy stuff that creates trust issues in the room before I hit the stage, and need me to dig out of that hole, while internally questioning a lot of my life choices, until I manage to get most of the crowd onboard, even the one guy with the beard wearing a baseball cap who kept his arms folded throughout the set, and then have me stand outside the showroom afterwards, shake hands, and awkwardly avoid eye contact with attendees – unless they wanna buy some merch, offer me a joint, or tell me about a "joke" which is actually just a racist statement – until the room totally empties and the producer tells me how the show is usually packed, but tonight is a big game for the [insert local sports team], or the Galactic Citrus Festival is happening in the next town over, or The Garlic Clowns are playing downstairs and people love that band so that's why things were slow, I just want you to know: I AM AVAILABLE, EXTREMELY EXPERIENCED AT HANDLING THIS DYNAMIC, AND BAD AT NEGOTIATING.
Contact: mattruby@hey.com
Misguided Meditation with Matt Ruby comes to Brooklyn on 6/9 at Gaia Nomaya (discount code: tunein). It’s an amazing space and the show will feature live visuals and ambient music too.
dear matt,
this is a funny post about how you're funny. you're like a great rapper rapping about how they're great. but comedy. also most great rappers are pretty funny too.
love,
myq
I feel you. They tell me that these shows are an important part of the show business experience