#host battle

Well about last night..... I mean shit. I don’t really know how to feel about last night. It wasn’t unfun. It just was not what I expected even like a little bit. 

Chris and I met with Danny Shea before the show at The Southern to get some more shows on the books for December/January. It was a good meeting and I am very excited for what the next few months holds for us there.

The Southern has been such a weird place for open mics lately. Some are absolutely amazing, well attended, fun, and others are not. Last night was probably the poorest attended show we have done there. 

At it’s peak we had 10 non-comics, there. Six are regulars to the shows, two were employees of the venue, one was a new person, and lastly the other was Trevor Stewart (used to do comedy in Charlottesville)

First let me just address Trevor. I have known this dude for like three years. He was doing comedy in Charlottesville when I started coming out that way. He ran a bunch of shows and he legitimately ran them into the damn ground. Trevor is one of the kindest, sweetest, most genuine human beings I’ve ever met. He is also one of the craziest, wildest, off the wall human beings I’ve ever met. 

He would do things on stage looking back on it now I can’t believe happened. There was a night when I was hosting The Boneyard (currently Holly’s Deli and Pub) for Tj Ferguson. Trevor went up absolutely wasted. I mean he was smashed. Perhaps the drunkest I had ever seen him. He went up and it felt like he just snapped. He started yelling his jokes like an insane person and there was a moment when he stared directly into my soul and yelled. I was scared to light him. It felt like he was going to lose it on everybody. Then after the set I talked to him and he was like, “I didn’t even see the light,  I hope I didn’t go over, but thanks for the stage time.” 

I watched Trevor do standup and tank shows for about two years in Charlottesville. Because of him they had to quit doing comedy at multiple venues. He lost the room at Fellinis to Chris Alan (they switched owners and now don’t do comedy at all). He lost the room at the Titlted Kilt (before I started doing comedy). He lost the room at Firefly (such a weird spot for a mic, but one of the first places I did crowd work). I’m sure there are others I just can’t remember them. I did so many damn bad shows with this dude. 

Even with all of this I absolutely love and adore that dude. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I met Trevor when I was so new to comedy and had like no comedian friends. He was part of my first comedy friend group. The dudes who came to all of the shows 3+ years ago when I started (Chris Alan, TJ Ferguson, Paige Campbell, Kenn Edwards, Tom Wagoner, and Trevor)

I legitimately went through some of my most formative years as a comedian with this dude. He was super supportive, and nice. The kind of dude who would always remind you why you did comedy, and give you more compliments than you deserved. So thanks Trevor. I will never forget that. 

Last night was a lot of Charlottesville comics first interaction with Trevor. They didn’t get to see him perform, but because the show took a weird turn they did get to have him interact with them. It sucked that the show was poorly attended, and it sucked at moments on stage, but it was such a nostalgic rush to be at a poorly attended show in Charlottesville with Trevor there. 

Since there was a small audience, and mostly comics Chris decided to do an impromptu Host Battle (Chris and I’s show where we both have microphones, and interrupt/workshop new material with the comics). Except this time we had one microphone to share between all three people. 

I wasn’t in the mood at all for this show. It took me like two or three comics to get in the groove. I was in a weird headspace, and initially was having no fun at all. 

Chris and I’s opening set was weird. We both did a couple new jokes which was nice, but that was about it. I was working on this new joke about one of my students insinuating I’m gross and fat. The wording needs work, but it felt good to write about my students again. I had taken a break from it because I didn’t want to be known as the comic who just talks about autism. 

Host Battle is either the most fun show, or the worst show to be on. When it’s good it is great because you are getting to kill on stage for like two hours, and when it’s bad it’s awful because you’re just bombing on stage for like two hours.

This show just got incredibly weird. The bartender Angel got involved. It was a super rowdy and small audience. Everybody was talking, and heckling. We encouraged it though because it made the small weird show interesting and fun.

Trevor brought what I can only assume is his drunken gf. She said she wanted to try comedy in the future so she was checking out the show. SHE HECKLED LIKE A MOFO!!! 

Paige Campbell was the first set where I really felt comfortable on stage, and got into the swing of things. Trevor’s gf kept heckling tf out of him. Like not even mean, just so drunk that she kept interrupting. She interrupted and when he asked her a question she said, “quit talking to me I want to hear your jokes.” Like she had forgotten that she had interrupted him.Paige had a couple jokes go really well. It seemed productive, and I think he had a good time. 

So many sets, and so many moments to talk about. So I’m just going to jump into it.

 Alex Castagne had a good set and got to work out some new stuff. He had some good crowd work and the new bits are gonna be dope.

Chris Cantrell had his first Host Battle set ever, and he seemed crazy nervous. He got some laughs, and actually did some crowd work. That was nice to see. He also said David McCallie was like if celery became a person.

 McCallie went up and tried to have good energy. So I took his joke book and started yelling his own bits at him.

 Jake Snyder went up and Chris made fun of his newly grown beard. We also found out that Jake didn’t have sex in a bed until the third girl he ever slept with.

 Sam Wood got up and was antagonistic af with Chris. She’s so mean on stage it is ridiculous. 

JR went up and we talked about odd jobs. He had some good premises that I hope he keeps working on.

 Abdulla Jastaniah had a new premise about the JFK shooter being Siamese twins. He was so pleased with his premise it was infuriating, but it was also sick how much fun he was having. 

David Tyrell went up without any material, which I have never seen before. We just riffed about the election, and it got heated/weird. 

Colby Knight is closeted af. We talked about his repressed homosexuality, and how specific his jokes were. He had a joke about the roads coming from Lynchburg and Charlottesville to Smith Mtn. Lake. That is a small frame of reference for a bit.

 Sam Padgett closed it out by doing jokes he is usually afraid to do. He had some good stuff, and it was weird as hell. 

The whole night the bartender was heckling. She was super into the show which was good. She had a good time, which with a small show like that is a huge boost. She had a good sense of humor, and let us roast her as well. All in all it was a surprisingly fun show. Also Chris Alan farted the whole show. Like legit two hours of farts.

Like this show sucked, but it didn’t suck. I wanted to do a set and work on new material, but instead I just got to hang out and riff/roast with friends. I’m glad I went. I was exhausted afterwards, and didn’t get useable videos at all. The good news is it reinvigorated my love for Host Battle and I’m excited we will be breaking in the new year at The Southern with a Host Battle on January 4th. 

I’d give the show a D+. Legit it was ridiculous and weird. I had some super good lines and so did Chris. I had some full belly laughs, and a good hang. I got home late, but I didn’t care. I needed that show,  I love all my baybees and laydees! I’m really excited for the Host Battle Election Autopsy tomorrow November 7th at 8 pm at The Southern! So come out. 

In response to Joe’s disdain for 90′s ska from our Episode 6 last Monday, Jason decided to put together a mix of ska classics from the 60′s and 70′s so we can all skank like Sami!

Something you may have missed - The 2012 /DRIVE Host Competition 

The 2012 DRIVE Host Competition: Which DRIVE host can obtain the most views on their video in one week.  Each video must be AT LEAST TWO MINUTES in length while incorporating a Cadillac CTS-V.