Yesterday was more of a low-key day in Indy.  Only had one set scheduled at the Lazy Daze Coffee House open mic, which turned out to be a good deal of fun.  The show was held in a very small, intimate side room full of comfy couches and chairs, which only served to further the irony of a coffeehouse with the name, "Lazy Daze." But I dig small, intimate venues, and this was a pleasure to play.  It was also great to witness a display of some of the local open mic talent here in Indianapolis.  When I made the decision to visit Indy, I didn't want to JUST hit the clubs, because in some cities, clubs--although great--don't always give a full representation of what the local comedy scene is like.  Plus, even if you're doing a show at a club with other local area comics, everyone is putting on their A-game and doing their solid showcase sets.  Which is also fun in itself, but as a comedy fan, I also like seeing the process of experimentation and workshopping that happens when comics are playing with new material.

Which is why Lazy Daze was a fun show.  I got to see comics of various experience levels, from guys who had been doing it for a couple years and had a certain amount of polish, to total newbies who'd barely been at it for a month or so and were still struggling.  I didn't do as much experimenting with new material as I would have liked, as I was doing a dry-run of some club sets I have in the next couple of days, but it was great to watch other people--people whom I have no preconceived notions of, and who have no preconceived notions of me--grind their comedic axes to varying effect.  Whether they killed or bombed, it was refreshing to see another city's collective comic "sensibility."

I haven't been to enough different cities to really test this theory, but I've been to several, so I can kinda pin it down: I think every city with some sort of semi-respectable local comedy scene has its own collective comic sensibility.  That is to say that in each city, there are a number of running themes, topics, or styles that are touched upon by many of the local comics.  It doesn't mean it's hack or played out, or that the scene is therefore homogenous, necessarily--in fact, it seems to come out of a place that is organic and authentic, which makes it interesting and engaging, and sort of gives that city its own comedic identity.  Going off my experience at Lazy Daze, most of the comics tended to talk about relationships, dating, jobs, etc.  Most of the comics also went for a more conversational, storytelling type of delivery.  That may seem conventional, but Indianapolis is in the middle of the so-called "heartland" of America.  That's life in the Midwest.

By contrast, Asheville, NC, has a much more abstract and cerebral comic sensibility.  The comics there have more of a quirky observational tone, and sometimes go for more obscure references.  Asheville is known for being a very creatively-minded city, and that reflects itself in the comedy scene there.  Again, this isn't to say that it's hack, or that EVERY comic in these cities has these respective traits, but it is overall indicative of the kind of comedy that prevails in these communities.  And it's always interesting to watch.

Tonight, I have two sets scheduled: one at Crackers Comedy Club in Broadripple, and then a drop-in later at Beer Sellar Castleton.  Really looking forward to both of these shows, and I'll have a full report in the next day or two!

Until next time,

--Riley