What advice would I give to a comedian thinking of moving to NYC?
"An embarrassing success is worse than a proud failure" and more.
“What advice would I give to a comedian thinking of moving to NYC?”
That’s what
(of Piffany) asked me in an interview back in 2017. My answer (applicable to comics and/or civilians):An embarrassing success is worse than a proud failure.
The mistakes are the interesting parts.
If you’re going to be a whore, be an expensive whore.
The truth is a lonely place.
Stop reading the comments.
Something else I’d add in now: Don’t rush it. There’s a lot of advantages to being a big fish in a small pond (#1: easy access to stage time). Make sure you’ve squeezed all you can out of your local scene before you make the move.
Also, get ready for no one to give a f$%& about who you are or what you’ve done when you get to NYC. You may have to start out at the bottom – at mics and shitty shows – and work your way up.
He also asked, “How is the comedy scene in NYC better/worse/different from the scene where you were before?” I replied with this:
In other cities, the crowds are enthusiastic. They are happy to be there and want you to do well. In NYC, the crowds are more standoffish. There’s an arms-crossed vibe of “There are 10 other cool things I could be doing right now so you better be good.” But that makes you better.
Analogy alert! I remember hearing a story about the first Olympics. The American team had never thrown a discus before. So they found a picture of one and had a replica made. It weighed 10 kilograms. But when they got to Athens they found out the real discus weighed only 2 kilograms. The American thrower, who had trained with the heavier discus, found the lighter one easy to toss and won the event.
I think that’s what doing comedy in NYC is like. You train with rougher crowds, but then it’s easier to do well when you’re on the road in front of [normal] people.
P.S. Here’s a bit I taped right around the time of that interview from my Hot Flashes album:
What are the best places to live in New York for a comic ?
dear matt,
i appreciate this!
and i think that "Don’t rush it" is great advice to add six years later!
you're walking the walk!
love,
myq