I'm Not a Comic: Here's Why You Should See Me Do Standup

What’s Up, Mics? My Standup Comedy Debut & the Podcast Market Insights

Dec 06, 2024

Much of my creativity, or my ‘creative energy,’ goes into various midnight oil projects. Many of the time consuming ones are our podcast(s!) we’ve been doing for years.

Since YouTube has taken over for Google Podcasts and the podcast industry in general, our once simple ‘3-2-1’ record to audio, then a quick edit and post has turned into a multi-hour editing workflow with multiple steps to get a visualizer version and clips to post on our channels.

This is our top performing episode - not only this year, but lifetime on YouTube. Why? We’re not sure.

Steve Coogan recently appeared on What We Do In the Shadows. It’s appropriate to read this Substack in his voice.

I might be making this sound daunting, but it’s only overwhelming when I’ve got dinner and couch time planned, and I'm stuck waiting for a render to export. Once the edits are done, the computer does most of the work. I’ll admit, I’ve had some fun making podcast artwork in Photoshop and Adobe Express recently, but that’s just one small step. Plus, now, with YouTube, Instagram reels, and TikTok, making clips of our podcast is relatively easy in programs like Descript.

Back in the day, beyond recording, editing might take 2–3 hours. Now? (NOW?) It’s more like 10 hours to sweeten the audio and video and get everything posted where it needs to go. Wow, when I think about it, that's a long time. What am I even doing with my life?

No wonder I don't go out for fun anymore! And I only edit the audio on SOME of our podcasts. The main show is My Main Man

Dursin

’s duty as LeaguePodcast Commander. Plus, he’s in charge of our relatively new Spotify account, another layer and complication we didn't have just a few years ago. And I’m grateful to continue this mission after so many years. Keep on truckin’ as they say. I’m not speaking for him, but we all hope it catches on with some algorithm and gets noticed!

Will we evolve into one of those ‘cameras on’ podcasts that have dominated the podcasting world from 2020–2024?

I don’t think so, but it’s nice to know we could. The 10,000-hour philosophy says that putting in the time makes it easier and better over time. At least, that’s a concept of a plan.

I’ve been lucky enough to be asked to help—and even get paid on Fiverr—to produce quality podcasting products for others! As someone who never imagined mixing a live band on stage or in the studio, a punk rock singer who can’t play an instrument, and a self-taught podcast engineer, I’d say I’m giving it a fair go! (Cue the Alan Partridge voice)

I suffer from misophonia, meaning certain tones and noises bother me. Plus, I’ve had a denture in my mouth since before the pandemic (a generous mouth noise generator—including a bonus whistle)! So, I’m extra sensitive to hearing mouth sounds, breathing, sniffles, etc. With the right software (we’re switching to Riverside) and separate audio tracks, I can aspire to achieve that nice “Ezra Klein Show” sound (a show likely produced by a team of highly paid NYT engineers in a dead studio).

I have to be easier on myself, too, because most of the professional podcasts I listen to do have engineers with experience, better equipment, resources, and time. I play around with tools like RX Audio and Adobe Podcast AI, which help me get closer, but Dursin and I realized something yesterday that I’ve known for a while. Our 15-year-old Skype recording process (where all tracks are joined into one) just doesn’t perform as well as Riverside—or even Zoom—no matter what we do. It’s like uploading a high-res poster to Instagram. The quality gets compressed to the gills, and it looks good, but not great. And, famously, turds are hard to polish.

Here’s the thing—some of my favorite podcasts don’t sound perfect at all, and I’m still all in! Kinda funny, right? I’m definitely guilty of over-editing myself, so maybe I should take a hint from this and ease up a little!

My podcast sound tricks can change every episode—what works one time might not work the next! I’m not exactly following a science here, I just go with what sounds good to my ears and roll with it!

What does this have to do with stand-up? Well, everything and nothing.

I work for a promoter, producing comedy shows. My role is all the technical "advancing," stocking expensive water in the green room and making sure everything runs smoothly. It’s a job I love, especially after spending so many years in live music.

Occasionally, the show requires a "host"—a stand-up comic who introduces the feature and headliner. Typically, someone else is hired for this role. Sometimes, I have to find someone, and 100% of the time, I'm annoyed about filling in this abstract slot that wasn’t part of the original plan.

The way we run our shows is different from a "Chuckle Barn." We book a headliner and an opener, and the opener introduces the headliner. Simple. I can easily use the VOG (Voice of God) to bring the opener on stage without complication.

I’ve been teasing the people I work with at these clubs that “I should just do it, I’ll be the host.”

Well, I won’t get to 10,000 hours hosting a comedy show if I don’t have any experience. How do I get experience? The only way I know how. I’ll do it myself.

Stacey and I have booked this show and I will debut a short comedy act in a room that I would call ‘low risk’. She can showcase her burlesque, and there will be a real comic and some other friends playing music. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day weekend than with Clay N. Ferno’s Variety Hour at Arts at The Armory Cafe on Sunday, February 16th?

I’ll even have new teeth by then. Is that what people will come out to hear? Teeth jokes? At least I’ll be able to chomp into a carrot. 🥕