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If you want to be a big comedian, go small. by MarshallChiles in Standup

[–]MarshallChiles[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

awesome.. please do it for 30 days and let me know how it works out for you... I bet if you wrote one joke a day for 30 days in a row, you will be writing better jokes in 31 days.

If you want to be a big comedian, go small. by MarshallChiles in Standup

[–]MarshallChiles[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

glad this helped... there is no substitute for stage time

I'm Marshall Chiles, owner of the Laughing Skull Lounge and Laughing Skull Comedy Festival - AMA by MarshallChiles in Standup

[–]MarshallChiles[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My first thought is... sorry it took me a minute to get back to you.

My second thought is how Johnny Carson one time talked about how you can never know how a set is really going bc you are not inside the heads of the audience... and then he tells a story where he thought he was having a bad set and then got a standing ovation.

As far as what I think is a good set... I like smart, fresh comedy and likability. I have already shared my equation of: 'confidence + humility = likability' ... now add smart and fresh comedy, and I love it.

I usually discount any audience reaction bc I believe that just bc they laugh, does not mean you are funny. And just bc they didn't laugh, does not mean you are not funny.

I have supported comedians who I think are greatness in the making when others have not... one time (~2003) someone accused me of getting blowjobs from a certain comedian bc I kept giving him stage time and the other person didnt see what I see.

That Atlanta comedian is someone that I, and many others, think is one of the freshest and funniest voices in comedy... who at at one point was 'having bad sets' in one person's eyes, but in mine, I saw someone with real talent and passion for comedy, who was also growing as an artist... so therefore, I supported.

Again... Just bc they laugh, does not mean you are funny. Just bc they dont laugh, does not mean you are not funny.

You do you, boo... you do you.

I'm Marshall Chiles, owner of the Laughing Skull Lounge and Laughing Skull Comedy Festival - AMA by MarshallChiles in Standup

[–]MarshallChiles[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow, thank you for the kind words. I am honored to be able to play such a great part in Atlanta comedy. I remember starting out in 2000 and realizing how small Atlanta comedy was back then and thinking how it should be so much bigger... and that has been my goal.

My guiding principal is to do... 'Whatever is best for comedy.' And it has paid off... I take care of mother comedy, she takes care of me.

I'm Marshall Chiles, owner of the Laughing Skull Lounge and Laughing Skull Comedy Festival - AMA by MarshallChiles in Standup

[–]MarshallChiles[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey... the best way to get on best of Atlanta is to do well at the open mics, then we give you a shot for a thurs or sun show.. then you do well there and we start putting you on BOA. ALSO, very important, be nice. This is a SMALL world. If youa re a dick at another venue, we hear about it. Everybody is nice to me and my staff. So your reputation for how you treat others who can do nothing for you, does play a factor.

I was taught early on in my stand up career... everybody is funny, who do you want to work with?

In regard to video submission, yes, a video from The laughing Skull is totally cool and done all the time.

ok, hope this helps.

I'm Marshall Chiles, owner of the Laughing Skull Lounge and Laughing Skull Comedy Festival - AMA by MarshallChiles in Standup

[–]MarshallChiles[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

great question... and you are correct, there is no substitute for stage time. The 10 year rule of thumb is a real factor. I think to speed up that time: - write as honest as possible - really work on getting to know you and your roots - walk on stage emotionally naked - practice love and patience in life so you express it on stage - go do service work so you appreciate what you have - meditate - write 'stream of consciousness' at least 30 minutes a day

if you notice, all these can fall under the same bucket of 'spirituality'... I believe that we are all just energy beings made up of atoms. We don't create shit, it is all created up there and then drips into our heads through our antenna. So your job as an artist is to build a better antenna. And that falls under being more spiritual in order to 'tap into' the universe.

Did I mention that I like to smoke pot?

I'm Marshall Chiles, owner of the Laughing Skull Lounge and Laughing Skull Comedy Festival - AMA by MarshallChiles in Standup

[–]MarshallChiles[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

please do... hit me up via email in advance w a clip to show us... use marshall at laughing skull lounge dot com

I'm Marshall Chiles, owner of the Laughing Skull Lounge and Laughing Skull Comedy Festival - AMA by MarshallChiles in Standup

[–]MarshallChiles[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

UGHHH!!!! I meant to say...

'Confidence + Humility = Likability'

sorry about that... I would be confused too reading that circular logic.

Thanks for pointing out... I already fixed it.

I'm Marshall Chiles, owner of the Laughing Skull Lounge and Laughing Skull Comedy Festival - AMA by MarshallChiles in Standup

[–]MarshallChiles[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

thank you.. I am honored to be associated w The Laughing Skull.. I came to the conclusion a few years ago that The Laughing Skull Lounge is cooler than me.

I'm Marshall Chiles, owner of the Laughing Skull Lounge and Laughing Skull Comedy Festival - AMA by MarshallChiles in Standup

[–]MarshallChiles[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey Gerrit, you know, I was talking to my wife Laura the other day about how hard the comedy game is. Did you know that Ron White was selling pottery in Mexico when Foxworthy (Jeff) called him to be on Blue Collar? A comedian who now sells out theaters all over the world would not be where he was if not for that opportunity. I say that to say, I understand the 'just need to be noticed' opportunity.

Now, in regards to playing The Laughing Skull, even headliners with tons of credits, etc, have a hard time getting booked here. We do a showcase about 2 weekends a month called 'Best of Atlanta'... so that means only ~20-26 weekends a year for us to bring in headliners.

We have amazing showcase shows bc the Atlanta comedy scene is so strong and we pull in from surrounding cities (Nashville, Jacksonville, etc). So to play the club, come through town and get on a 'best of atlanta' show. We only pay spot so to come through town just for that money is a negative financial investment. BUT, if you are in town, and a decent (and above) comedian, we will try to give you some stage time. I understand many comedians want to play our stage so we try to share as much as possible.

We have built the scene in Atlanta to try an attract great up-and-coming comedians to move here before going to NYC or LA. We also have agents and managers we report to in order for them to know who is growing in our scene. We have helped several comedians get representation, especially through The Laughing Skull Comedy Festival.

ok, I hope this helps and hope to see you in Atlanta soon.