School Of Laughs

Once in a generation, someone comes along with the power and eloquence to inspire us all. Former School Of Laughs student Jonnie W. will entertain us while we wait for that person.

We talk to Jonnie W. about:

• How he made the transition to comedy from his day job
• Adding shows between gigs
• How he approaches stand-up
• Staying sharp

and a lot more.

Entering the comedy scene with nothing more than a guitar and his razor-sharp wit, he has gone on to entertain multi-generational audiences nationwide. When not performing at solo events, Jonnie joins fellow funny man Tim Hawkins on his "Rockshow Comedy Tour", delivering the funny at sold out shows coast to coast.

Jonnie blends musical chops, mad vocals, and off-beat standup for a hilariously unique comedy experience. His first DVD, "Angry Sandwich" was released in September 2013.

If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe in iTunes , or STITCHER and leave a comment and ranking.

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NEVER MISS A PODCAST OR A POST

Once in a generation, someone comes along with the power and eloquence to inspire us all. Former School Of Laughs student Jonnie W. will entertain us while we wait for that person.

We talk to Jonnie W. about:

and a lot more.

Entering the comedy scene with nothing more than a guitar and his razor-sharp wit, he has gone on to entertain multi-generational audiences nationwide. When not performing at solo events, Jonnie joins fellow funny man Tim Hawkins on his "Rockshow Comedy Tour", delivering the funny at sold out shows coast to coast.

Jonnie blends musical chops, mad vocals, and off-beat standup for a hilariously unique comedy experience. His first DVD, "Angry Sandwich" was released in September 2013.

If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe in iTunes , or  STITCHER and leave a comment and ranking.

===

NEVER MISS A PODCAST OR A POST

It takes a lot of stand-up comedy shows - both good and bad - to help you become a true professional. How you handle odd circumstances will separate you from the amateurs. You will have to experience these firsthand in order to learn from them. So enjoy them and be ready to learn on the fly as the wheels fall off!

If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe in iTunes , or STITCHER and leave a comment and ranking.

These shows are just a few of the situations you should experience before you consider yourself unstoppable. We talk in this episode about how to handle the comedy show where:

• only two people show up
• you walk in as they are announcing your name
• someone has a medical emergency while you are on stage
• you are outside, in the rain with no speakers
• you were asked to extend your set
• you thought you were the headliner and you are asked to e the emcee
• you thought you were the emcee and you ended up being the headliner
• everyone was funnier than you
• you were the funniest
• the power goes out while you are on stage
• you get an encore – after you’ve done your best material
• you only do crowd work
• you do all brand new material
• you went to watch but ended up performing because someone couldn’t make it

And more!

ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF LAUGHS:

It takes a lot of stand-up comedy shows - both good and bad - to help you become a true professional. How you handle odd circumstances will separate you from the amateurs. You will have to experience these firsthand in order to learn from them. So enjoy them and be ready to learn on the fly as the wheels fall off!

If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe in iTunes , or  STITCHER and leave a comment and ranking.

These shows are just a few of the situations you should experience before you consider yourself unstoppable. We talk in this episode about how to handle the comedy show where:

And more!

ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF LAUGHS:

Why do I love stand-up comedy? Let me count the ways!

In this episode we talk about nine attractive characteristics of stand-up. Not that the other art forms aren’t pretty in their own way. But if I only have one valentine to send - I’m sending it to comedy. Specifically, we talk about lovely Stand-Up characteristics such as:

1) Low (to no) barrier to entry

If you can talk, you can try it. You don’t have to buy a lot of tools. Easels, brushes, and paint bind artists. Musicians need instruments. Dancers need music. Comics need only their voice and a thought. Maybe only singers have a similar low barrier to entry.

2) There is an audience for EVERYONE

Your experiences should resonate with somebody. Hopefully, it resonates with a lot of somebodies. The more you work on digging deep into yourself and why you tick, the bigger your audience should become.

3) No discrimination

All walks of life, all races, rich or poor, or middle class – everyone is welcome.

4) Handicap accessible

Guys like Josh Blue, Chris Fronseca, or Will Marfori, who both have cerebral palsy are excellent comedians. Richard Pryor had multiple sclerosis at the end of his career but it couldn’t rob him of his gift of humor.

And comedy can transcend many obstacles.

I’ve done shows where my act was “signed to the deaf.” I’ve performed for the blind, wheelchair bound, and more. A good laugh goes a long way for all involved.

5) Age isn’t an issue. It’s a source of material.

George Carlin, George Burns and many others not named George just got funnier with age. Youth has it’s advantages, too. Not worrying about paying the mortgage and funding a college account for your kids can free you up to explore comedy to it’s fullest. Late nights and nine hour drives are an adventure.

6) Funny is Funny

Regardless of who you are you can give this a go. Why? Because funny is funny. And whether it’s the truth, an embellishment or a story totally created from imagination – you can tell that story

7) Instant Feedback

Unlike movie actors, session players, artists and writers – you have access to a ever changing, intense feedback machine. Being alone on stage in front of strangers is powerful. An honest audience is a great audience.

8) A skill that transfers

Speaking in front of groups is the number one fear. If you can master delivering humor with confidence and on demand you have a skill that is valuable for coaching, mentoring, training, managing, leading, teaching and yes, even loving.

9) A skill that can raise a lot of money, awareness and much need laughter for those who need it most!

Using comedy to provide for others is a very powerful feeling. By donating your talent - or using it to pack a house for a great cause - you are experiencing the best comedy has to offer. Love.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

SUBSCRIBE TO THE INSIDER TIP SHEET

Get exclusive information delivered right to your inbox. The tip sheet is full of comedy news, blog recaps, podcast summaries and a monthly challenge to get your comedy career on the right track.

Just email: [email protected] and put “Insider Tip Sheet” in the subject header. Let me know how long you’ve been at it and where you are based. I promise to keep your email anonymous and spam free.

===

DOES YOUR WRITING NEED HELP?

If you feel your writing is holding you back, please consider enrolling in the online writing class. Creating sets and getting stage time won’t help one bit if you aren’t creating solid material. For more info on that click here.

Why do I love stand-up comedy? Let me count the ways!

In this episode we talk about nine attractive characteristics of stand-up. Not that the other art forms aren’t pretty in their own way.  But if I only have one valentine to send - I’m sending it to comedy. Specifically, we talk about lovely Stand-Up characteristics such as:

1)    Low (to no) barrier to entry

If you can talk, you can try it. You don’t have to buy a lot of tools. Easels, brushes, and paint bind artists.  Musicians need instruments. Dancers need music. Comics need only their voice and a thought. Maybe only singers have a similar low barrier to entry.

2)    There is an audience for EVERYONE

Your experiences should resonate with somebody. Hopefully, it resonates with a lot of somebodies. The more you work on digging deep into yourself and why you tick, the bigger your audience should become.

3)    No discrimination

All walks of life, all races, rich or poor, or middle class – everyone is welcome.

4)    Handicap accessible

Guys like Josh Blue, Chris Fronseca, or Will Marfori, who both have cerebral palsy are excellent comedians. Richard Pryor had multiple sclerosis at the end of his career but it couldn’t rob him of his gift of humor.

And comedy can transcend many obstacles.

I’ve done shows where my act was “signed to the deaf.” I’ve performed for the blind, wheelchair bound, and more. A good laugh goes a long way for all involved.

5)    Age isn’t an issue. It’s a source of material. 

George Carlin, George Burns and many others not named George just got funnier with age. Youth has it’s advantages, too. Not worrying about paying the mortgage and funding a college account for your kids can free you up to explore comedy to it’s fullest. Late nights and nine hour drives are an adventure.

6)    Funny is Funny

Regardless of who you are you can give this a go. Why? Because funny is funny. And whether it’s the truth, an embellishment or a story totally created from imagination – you can tell that story

7)    Instant Feedback

Unlike movie actors, session players, artists and writers – you have access to a ever changing, intense feedback machine. Being alone on stage in front of strangers is powerful. An honest audience is a great audience.

8)    A skill that transfers

Speaking in front of groups is the number one fear. If you can master delivering humor with confidence and on demand you have a skill that is valuable for coaching, mentoring, training, managing, leading, teaching and yes, even loving.

9)    A skill that can raise a lot of money, awareness and much need laughter for those who need it most! 

Using comedy to provide for others is a very powerful feeling. By donating your talent - or using it to pack a house for a great cause - you are experiencing the best comedy has to offer. Love.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

SUBSCRIBE TO THE INSIDER TIP SHEET

Get exclusive information delivered right to your inbox. The tip sheet is full of comedy news, blog recaps, podcast summaries and a monthly challenge to get your comedy career on the right track.

Just email: [email protected] and put “Insider Tip Sheet” in the subject header. Let me know how long you’ve been at it and where you are based. I promise to keep your email anonymous and spam free.

===

DOES YOUR WRITING NEED HELP?

If you feel your writing is holding you back, please consider enrolling in the online writing class. Creating sets and getting stage time won’t help one bit if you aren’t creating solid material. For more info on that click here.  

Would you like to be part of history? Chad Riden and D. J. Buckley (of NashvilleStandUp.com) need your help to break the Guinness World record for the “Longest Stand-Up Comedy Show – Multiple Comedians.”

The event is scheduled to start April 12 at “The East Room” in Nashville, TN.

The current Guinness World Record for this category is 80 hours and was achieved by comedians at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood December 6-9, 2010. That show included 170 different acts by 150 comedians.

Nashville StandUp seeks not only break the 3.3 day / 80 hour record, it hopes to shatter it by 112 hours! That’s 8 days /192 non-stop hours of stand-up comedy featuring hundreds of talented comedians from as many locations as possible.

YOU ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE!!!

Stage time is available for all comedians who are willing to be part of this record. The show will start at 6:30 on April 12 and go for as long as humanly possible. For more info on the location of the event click here.

To offset the fees associated with paying a representative from Guinness to attend and validate the record, and to pay for staffing, video and club rental, NashvilleStandUp.com launched an IndieGoGo crowd-funding campaign. So you can be part of the event even if you can’t be present.

For more on the various donations please click here.

We also talk with the fellas about:

• Why having an email list and web site is important for your scene
• The Nashville comedy scene
• Booked shows versus open mics
• How Chad got the moniker “America's Favorite Comedian Of All Time”

So, please support the cause with time, talent and a few bucks. You will be part of history and have a new credit on your bio.

If you enjoy this PODCAST please subscribe in iTunes , or STITCHER and leave a comment and ranking.

==

This podcast is a production of the RIk Roberts School Of Laughs. Find out more about online comedy classes, live workshops and more at www.SchoolOfLaughs.com.

==

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR "INSIDER TIP SHEET"

Get exclusive information delivered right to your inbox. The tip sheet is full of comedy news, blog recaps, podcast summaries and a monthly challenge to get your comedy career on the right track.

Just email: [email protected] and put “Insider Tip Sheet” in the subject header. Let me know how long you’ve been at it and where you are based. I promise to keep your email anonymous and spam free.

Would you like to be part of history? Chad Riden and D. J. Buckley (of NashvilleStandUp.com) need your help to break the Guinness World record for the “Longest Stand-Up Comedy Show – Multiple Comedians.” 

The event is scheduled to start April 12 at “The East Room” in Nashville, TN.

The current Guinness World Record for this category is 80 hours and was achieved by comedians at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood December 6-9, 2010. That show included 170 different acts by 150 comedians.

Nashville StandUp seeks not only break the 3.3 day / 80 hour record, it hopes to shatter it by 112 hours! That’s 8 days /192 non-stop hours of stand-up comedy featuring hundreds of talented comedians from as many locations as possible.

YOU ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE!!!

Stage time is available for all comedians who are willing to be part of this record. The show will start at 6:30 on April 12 and go for as long as humanly possible. For more info on the location of the event click here.

To offset the fees associated with paying a representative from Guinness to attend and validate the record, and to pay for staffing, video and club rental, NashvilleStandUp.com launched an IndieGoGo crowd-funding campaign. So you can be part of the event even if you can’t be present.

For more on the various donations please click here.

We also talk with the fellas about:

So, please support the cause with time, talent and a few bucks. You will be part of history and have a new credit on your bio.

If you enjoy this PODCAST please subscribe in iTunes , or  STITCHER and leave a comment and ranking.

==

This podcast is a production of the RIk Roberts School Of Laughs. Find out more about online comedy classes, live workshops and more at www.SchoolOfLaughs.com.

==

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR "INSIDER TIP SHEET"

Get exclusive information delivered right to your inbox. The tip sheet is full of comedy news, blog recaps, podcast summaries and a monthly challenge to get your comedy career on the right track.

Just email: [email protected] and put “Insider Tip Sheet” in the subject header. Let me know how long you’ve been at it and where you are based. I promise to keep your email anonymous and spam free.

Joke thieves are everywhere. Just when you least expect it, your favorite routine that you’ve worked years to perfect is stolen. And it’s on TV nonetheless!

What do you do? Drop the joke? Confront the thief?

As long as there have been stories, there have also been “raconteurs” who have borrowed bits and pieces to embellish and call their own.

Today’s episode covers a variety of aspects of “creative interpretation” and how to deal with them.

Specifically, we talk about:

• Golden Globes … Stealing Material from Comics?

• The most famous incidents in recent history

• How to avoid joke thieves in the first place

• The benefit and risk of posting material to YouTube

• Why bookers sometime look the other way when they know a joke thief is guilty.

• Why stealing jokes won’t pay off in the long run.

• “Sideways” writing and premise theft

• How cell phones have made open mics more honest

And much, much more.

If you enjoy this PODCAST please subscribe in iTunes , or STITCHER and leave a comment and ranking.

===

SUBSCRIBE TO THE INSIDER TIP SHEET

Get exclusive information delivered right to your inbox. The tip sheet is full of comedy news, blog recaps, podcast summaries and a monthly challenge to get your comedy career on the right track.

Just email: [email protected] and put “Insider Tip Sheet” in the subject header. Let me know how long you’ve been at it and where you are based. I promise to keep your email anonymous and spam free.

===

DOES YOUR WRITING NEED HELP?

If you feel your writing is holding you back, please consider enrolling in the online writing class. Creating sets and getting stage time won’t help one bit if you aren’t creating solid material. For more info on that click here.

Joke thieves are everywhere. Just when you least expect it, your favorite routine that you’ve worked years to perfect is stolen. And it’s on TV nonetheless!

What do you do? Drop the joke? Confront the thief?

As long as there have been stories, there have also been “raconteurs” who have borrowed bits and pieces to embellish and call their own.

Today’s episode covers a variety of aspects of “creative interpretation” and how to deal with them.

Specifically, we talk about:

And much, much more.

If you enjoy this PODCAST please subscribe in iTunes , or  STITCHER and leave a comment and ranking.

===

SUBSCRIBE TO THE INSIDER TIP SHEET

Get exclusive information delivered right to your inbox. The tip sheet is full of comedy news, blog recaps, podcast summaries and a monthly challenge to get your comedy career on the right track.

Just email: [email protected] and put “Insider Tip Sheet” in the subject header. Let me know how long you’ve been at it and where you are based. I promise to keep your email anonymous and spam free.

===

DOES YOUR WRITING NEED HELP?

If you feel your writing is holding you back, please consider enrolling in the online writing class. Creating sets and getting stage time won’t help one bit if you aren’t creating solid material. For more info on that click here.