What's goody?

Hot Breath verse.

Welcome back.

It's Hot Breath Live with your hosts, comedian Joel Byers.

And Yoshi so returns after being on carpool duty for the past few weeks.

But he did a theater show this weekend, so he neglected his children to be here today so he could brag about getting to perform in a theater this weekend.

So we're gonna hear that and we're answering questions live.

So, Hot Breath, if you're not on these live streams, we do them every Tuesday at 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time.

Just join our email list and I send you a reminder every week.

But most importantly.

But before we get into the questions, Yoshi, please tell us.

Tell us what.

What happened this weekend?

You're in a theater.

You're opening for Ian Bag.

Hot Breath alum.

What?

Tell us.

Tell us.

Paint the picture.

It was a good show overall.

I hosted the show.

Fun set.

I mean, you know how we talk about how we don't really have to say much.

If it goes well, that's pretty much how I'm gonna try to leave it here.

Let's just say I curtsied on him and we'll just leave.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

It was.

It was good.

It was fun.

I can't wait to get the tape because they did record the entire thing.

So I'm excited about that.

Definitely going to use that a lot.

But overall, just good show.

Ian is super.

Just next level professional.

Sometimes you forget how long he's been in the game.

He has seen everything.

He is, like, dealt with everything, but super professional.

The theater was phenomenally friendly.

They're actually starting to do a whole lot more shows.

They actually have Shane Gillis coming next month to do the arena part, which is like.

I want to say it's like maybe like 20,000 seats.

So just that arena itself and the theater are like, they're doing much more comedy in that area.

So super.

Just a good level of professionalism all around.

My buddy John Wynn, who I met at the World Series of Comedy, is actually the guy who kind of, like, hooked.

Yeah.

How did it happen?

Tell these.

Tell the kids.

You know, it is.

It is a.

It's a fun story.

I came back from a show one night, like last.

Last month.

Came back from a show.

And I don't know if you do this, but do you just.

When you get home, do you just scroll while you're in the car before you go in the house?

Or is it just me?

No.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Not every time, but I've definitely been caught in the Dopamining before.

Yeah, that's what they call that, dopamining.

You're just mining for dopamine.

Yeah, yeah.

So I came back from a comedy show still feeling like in the comedy spirit, dopamine.

I was on Instagram and Ian was on Live and he was talking about just being on the road.

He's been on the road for some time now and they've just did a whole bunch of shows like in Canada.

And I don't know, maybe they've done like, maybe, like maybe like 10 or 15 shows.

And they were just talking about their, you know, Ian and John, who they travel together.

Ian is John is Ian's feature for all those shows.

And so they were just on live.

I hopped on to ask them a question about like, what's their favorite food that they've had?

And I mentioned that I was in Atlanta and Ian just asked, hey, do you want to open for me?

And I think he asked because John remembered that we saw each other.

I was like, oh, tell John I said hello.

And that's how the connection sort of was made.

So I was just on his live and he just asked.

So I mean, it was just, I don't want to say it's luck of the draw, but just sort of right place, right time, it's all that.

But also like being ready for the moment as well.

And I'm sure, you know, the feature would have said, no, no, no, I wouldn't put him up.

He's not good if he thought I wasn't good.

So it's just like, hey, just be ready at any moment when those opportunities.

So super excited that, that that's exactly how it happened.

There was no other reach out or anything like that.

And then he told me to contact him like a couple of days before the show.

I did.

We found out sort of just logistics of what time to be at the show.

I knew I knew the feature, so I actually picked up the feature from the airport.

We drove together, got there, set up the cameras and all the other stuff that he needed.

We had lunch.

We just kind of kicked it right before the show.

And then we got to the show maybe like at 5, and then the show was at 8.

So we just hung out, looked at the space, he set up all the cameras and then I was just like just preparing for my set beforehand and that was really it.

And then I hosted.

It was good.

I think I did 12 minutes up top and then I just, you know, did a little banter in between and then I introduced the next Folks.

So it was truly a host set, an opening set, but it was very fun.

Took a bunch of pictures afterwards, lots of comments after the show.

I think I got 14 new followers, so that's huge.

Is this your first theater?

No.

I mean, I do a theater, like, every month, but definitely, like, this is a.

This is a.

Yeah.

This is different level theater, though.

Yes, different level theater.

No shade to your monthly theater.

No, no, no, no.

So, like, I would say that having.

This is where Nate Bargatsi recorded the Tennessee Kid, so.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, that's right.

John Chris also recorded his last special here.

Yep.

So, yeah.

Yeah, it's like a legitimate, like, spot.

I was saying the theater element because it actually helped me relax because the space looked very familiar.

And so, like, just performing in a theater is a different kind of, like, the way you set up your jokes actually feel a little different because you gotta wait for your jokes to carry before you, like, speak again.

So just having that background was very, very helpful.

Having already been kind of like, in a theater.

I mean, my theater is like 260 and this one is like 700.

Yeah.

And so different, for sure.

But the stage kind of setup didn't feel, like, completely brand new.

And so I was actually a little worried about whether my jokes.

Because I go a little fast, whether my jokes will take time to carry and whether I'd be able to, like, pause and stuff like that.

But it felt exactly like that theater setting that I was already sort of used to, so.

But overall, just very next level space is dope.

I mean, treated us like rock stars in the back.

Everyone had their own room at, like, rooms upon rooms upon rooms.

But it was very cool.

And Yeah.

I mean, and then watching Ian Bag do his Ian back thing was just.

Oh.

Because so he.

He's known for his crowd work, so.

And if you guys haven't heard his interviews on Hot Breath, you gotta hear those.

Those are gold mines of info, especially about crowd work, because this guy is like, the gold standard of crowd work.

So he still did crowd work in the theater and still made it a whole thing.

Yes.

One of the coolest things to watch was, like, right beforehand he was trying to set up some merch, and then we go to the front of, like, the little theater space to, like, set up his merch.

And he had just, you know, random fans came up to him and they start talking and just start talking, like, somewhat crazy stuff.

Just saying just off the wall kind of things, but also, like, complimenting how much they're excited about the show.

And Then in the show that was about 20 minutes of the show was the random stuff that those people were saying.

Whoa.

Yeah.

And what's so impressive is that he brings things back like nobody's business, dude.

He is the call back king.

And this guy who is talking, like, just randomness was asking some question about, like, what, how long are you going to be on?

I want to make sure I have enough time to go to the strip club or something like that.

And then Ian on stage starts talking about strip clubs and how there's some people here who want to try to hurry up and get to the strip club and hurry up and see me, because they want to get to this.

And it was just like all these connections.

And then he connected it to people that he asked questions about at the beginning of the show.

So it was just like watching, like, this beautiful mind of connections all made of something literally that just happened right before the show, something that happened within the show, and him literally weaving all of it as part of all the jokes that he was telling.

It was like a masterclass in crowd work.

Right?

And the good thing is, like, his audience is very primed for the crowd work, so they're actually super respectful.

When he asked the questions, everybody is quiet, waiting for that one person to talk, because in the theater, you really can't hear that well because you're very far away.

So everybody stops talking, wait for the person to kind of talk.

And then you also get, like, a little bit people who are a little drunk, a little belligerent, and he just handled those people with so much class.

Like, he didn't, like, talk down to him.

He kind of made a part of the show, but they never, like, disturbed the show at all, even though they were very loud and very talkative and just wanted to be more of the show than what was, like, required.

So it's just like, oh, my.

Like, it's just.

It's like he's like this dad.

Like it from.

In my mind, he's like this dad who's handling a whole bunch of, like, kids on a coach, like, coaching a whole bunch of kids.

Just be like, no, you go.

There you go, there you go, there you go.

There you go.

There you go to the goalie.

And he's just, like, just knocking it out of the park.

Incredible to have that control in a room of that many people.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It was like, oh, God.

It was like, wow.

Yeah.

Like, I mean, you know, we talked about sort of just like, the laugh rates and the kind of laughs that certain people get, dude, these are next level laughs.

Like there was many of laugh breaks.

Many of just people just like, just they were hurting by the time they like got out after seeing him.

It was that funny of a set.

Yeah.

Those 30 plus years in comedy laughs, you know.

Yeah, it's just, it's just a different level.

It's just a different level as it.

As it should be.

Yeah, but when you see someone who's been doing it that long, you're just.

Like, oh, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Right.

Yeah, yeah, it was, yeah, it was, it was a master class to watch.

Yeah.

But it was a phenomenal show.

Super excited.

And I think my dopamine and my like my insides were like firing for a couple of days afterwards.

It was very fun.

Oh, I bet, I bet you're still riding that.

I mean, 700 people, that's.

That's next level you're getting.

That's that straight drop right there.

That's that, that ain't stepped on, fam.

That's that pure.

Pure.

And it all came down to like McGill said in the comments that it's like we talked about last week of it's just being ready when your luck hits.

Yeah.

Oh, and you're ready for the opportunity.

Absolutely, man.

Yeah, yeah.

There was no.

Yeah.

I wish I could write a book on how to make this happen, but it's about work.

It's just like, just put in the work.

And when you are performing, just know that anyone could help you make your career, you know, I mean, so this person who I met at this other festival is now featuring for this big time comedian.

They've worked, they've literally known each other for like 20 something years.

They come in town, he's like, oh, I need an opener.

There's this guy who, you know, if I sucked when that person saw me, I wouldn't have gotten it.

Yeah, exactly.

Or if you were a jerk or whatnot, you know, that's why the mantra here is be nice, be funny.

Because that's really the secret sauce.

Be nice, be funny.

Yeah.

And then the other part I think is consistency.

Just keep right.

Yeah.

And so, yeah, it was great.

So I'm excited, man.

I can't wait to see the tape.

It was just very fun.

And then I had people come out to the come see me.

Which is very cool.

Actually had fans.

Oh, nice.

We came to see you.

I was like, what?

So that's always fun.

Oh, that's lit.

Yeah, dude.

Oh my gosh.

He's growing up.

I'm does a theater and he doesn't show up to the show anymore, does a theater.

And I was like, I don't know if I got time for this live stream.

I have, quote family.

No, we know.

We know you're out there doing the good work, being a good dad.

Grinding, man.

Grinding.

But that's great, man.

Congrats.

I'm excited for you.

That's a.

That's a big.

It's a big milestone there.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

I'm not.

Yeah, this is.

This is a.

This is a.

Chalk this one up on the board.

Like.

Yeah.

Oh, facts.

Big facts.

So I guess we should get into some questions.

You know, I don't.

You know, I.

I did a show at the Comedy Catch in Chattanooga.

Hey, let's go.

I don't want to flex in a distillery in Dahlonega, Georgia.

Hey, which distillery?

Which one did you do?

Big.

Big Creek.

Big Creek Distilling.

Big Creek Distillery.

Saturday.

It was nice.

I think it was Friday.

Joe Pettis put.

Put it on.

I think it was.

It was his first time doing a show there.

It was really nice.

You were on that show?

I was, yeah.

Yeah.

Oh, hilarious.

I closed that.

Were you on that?

Oh, I went up early because I did another show downtown Delanica.

Oh, okay.

Dope.

So there was.

Yeah, the Search.

There's a few people putting on some dope shows.

So, like, Joe owns One Up Comedy that produces a bunch of shows, and then JB King and Ryan Skrilla own Die Laughing Comedy and they put on a bunch of dope shows.

So they're both doing shows in Dahlonega.

So I just kind of double dip.

So, yeah, I went up second at that.

At the distillery show and then went over to do the other one.

Oh, that's so funny.

We were on the same show.

You're literally on the station.

I was like, I was just there.

That's so funny.

Yeah, it's hilarious.

Yeah.

Because I told Joe that I was going to be late because he gave me the date.

I was scheduled for the date, but he gave me the wrong number on the date.

But he said, like, Friday the 25th.

So I scheduled it for the 25th of August, which is a Sunday.

Oh, okay.

So I told her.

I was like, I think I can make it, but I can't get there till like eight.

So he was like, oh, yeah, yeah, just get there and then I'll just have your clothes.

I was like, all right, bet.

So, yeah, yeah, it was fun.

That was a great crowd, man.

Oh, yeah, the old money up there, that felt like old money up There.

I like that.

I kind of like getting around those kind of people.

That's.

That's.

That's 401k and land.

Yes.

It felt like.

It felt like when I.

When I did that show in a Sonoma, I was like, oh, I like.

I like this kind of rich people.

Let's get.

Let's get the rub in here.

What else we got?

Yeah, they give you advice about finances.

Yeah, I like that saying, gardening and finance.

That.

That.

It's like, oh, no, no, no.

You can't pick these kind of trees during this month.

You got to pick these kind of trees during these months.

Also, you should check your futures because they're not great.

And you gotta hold it for the long term.

None of this short term pump and dump.

You gotta hold for the long term.

That compounding is real.

Yeah, they talk in terms of portfolios, not just.

I love that.

I want to get around more rich people.

I want to get that rub.

It's the jam, dude.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It was a beautiful show.

Yeah, I love the setting.

And, yeah, it's great to see what, like, Joe's done and JB and Ryan have built and Holly Valentine was on the show, you know, and she runs West End Comedy Fest, which we've talked about on here.

So a lot of dope comics around here doing a lot of dope stuff.

So any comics out here listening that put on shows?

Yoshi and I like to do them if we can make it happen.

That was a hell of a lineup.

I didn't know you were on the show.

That was a.

Yeah, he brought the heat.

It was his first one.

So, like, when I saw everyone sitting there, I was like, oh, my gosh.

He did.

Like, people were.

People were like, legit.

Like, yo, that was amazing.

Like, I don't think they.

Because that place just doesn't get comedy right?

And comedy.

So just in the area, they don't do a lot of comedy in that city.

So the people that watched it, they were like, they were just, like, in awe.

Like, oh, my God, I can't believe you guys, like, live here like that.

We have that kind of talent, like, locally.

So.

Yeah, that's why it's so important.

People that book shows, you have to remember the lineup is everything.

Like, don't just.

I mean, we're friends with Joe, but I'm just saying, don't just book your friends for the hookup.

Like, you want to put a good lineup together because you want people to enjoy it and come back and bring friends.

That's the that's the number one mistake I see with comics trying to produce their own show is they just kind of throw together a lineup and they don't give really any thought.

And the lineup is probably the most important part of the actual show experience.

So people actually come back and word of mouth market for you as well.

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, let's just say, like, after that show, they were like, we're definitely doing that again.

And is so important in the fact that you've got to pick the right people for the right kind of audience.

Joe.

Audience.

And pick the right kind of people for that audience.

Right, right.

I think such an important factor that a lot of people skip on.

Like, it's hard for me.

I mean, and I do this too.

I pick my lineups based on if I've seen you work this kind of audience.

And sometimes your material may not work in this kind of audience.

You know what I mean?

Right.

So I think it's just very important.

But it's not like you can't talk about things, but you got to relate to the audience that is there.

And an audience in North Georgia, rural North Georgia, is very different than an audience in downtown Atlanta.

Yeah.

Just two very different audiences.

Now, there are some comedians that can rock both.

Right.

Not all comedians can rock both.

And so you just got to find the right ones to rock the right type of audiences.

Exactly.

Yeah.

And Hud asked where we are.

We're in the Atlanta area.

And Good question, though.

And Cade said the live stream is so helpful.

I listen to every podcast.

Thank you.

You're both awesome.

Thank you.

Appreciate that there, Cade.

Let's get into some of the questions, and if y'all are, as you're watching this live here, why don't you share it?

Why don't you hit the like button?

Why don't you go ahead and share this, post it on your Facebook or whatnot, and let's start spreading the word out here.

If you're listening to the podcast, go join the email list so you can get updates on when we're going live every single week and get your questions answered.

So, first question I'm seeing here looks like it's from Daphne Steinberg.

Is this.

Let's see, is this joke funny or childish?

Wait, is this joke funny or childish and stupid?

Might it be funny because it sounds like a 5 year old wrote it.

Okay, word economy.

We'll work on that.

Here it is.

Where do bees go for cheap nectar?

A hive bar.

I messed up the timing of it.

Pause in the middle because it Cut off on the comment.

It like went to the next line.

Let's try it again.

Where do bees go for cheap nectar?

A hive bar.

There we go.

I think I was waiting for the sound effect left.

I was.

I hit the button and it didn't.

It.

It didn't work.

I did definitely.

I was like.

I was like, I think something's coming afterwards.

Okay, there it is.

So, yes, it's.

It's a funny joke.

I think just it's hard to ask question jokes in a showcase mostly because, you know, these are very traditional to like knock, knock jokes and stuff.

They're good written down and they're good if you're doing it.

Sorry.

There it is.

If you're doing a section of your set where you're like, oh, let me tell some dad jokes kind of thing, but, you know, it's.

This would be hard to pull off on a stage.

Not that you even asked that.

But is it funny, stupid and childish?

Yes.

All that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I mean, I think it's silly and I love, you know, some good silly fun.

I think.

Yeah.

On stage it may get more of a something.

Yeah.

It's not gonna like kill or sometimes an audience member will just go, dun dun.

And that's the worst.

That's the worst.

I remember early in my career, a couple came up to me after a show I did in Greenville, and the guy goes, you're not haha funny.

You're aha funny.

I was just, ah.

Do you want to buy merch?

They did buy merch, so I'll take it.

That's so funny.

Yeah.

I don't think it's a bad joke, but I think for stage, it's like, I don't think it would really bring the house down.

Yeah.

But yeah, fun word play there.

Ooh, here we go.

Next question from B.

Best way to find open mics in your area.

Facebook, probably.

Well, Google.

I mean, you Google open mic in your.

Whatever city you're in and stuff will pop up for comedy or music or poetry.

And then probably every city has like a Facebook group.

A lot of them do.

At least where they have a bunch of open mics and stuff.

Yes.

Yeah.

Like even in Atlanta, Atlanta has a Facebook group, a discord, where there's a bunch of things listed as well.

And then, you know, I would say all the major cities have groups.

Even smaller cities have groups as well.

I would just search as much as possible.

Facebook is the only one that really facilitates that group thing.

So there's not really like Instagram groups, but Definitely.

Facebook groups have a bunch of open mics and showcases available.

Mm.

All right.

We rolling through them.

Oh, we rolling through them today.

Oh, this one's for Yoshi.

Max Vega asks, how do you approach being humble when you start doing well in comedy shows?

This has Yoshi written all over it.

You don't.

That's what Yoshi.

You don't.

You lean in.

Forget the people from the early days, move on.

I mean, here's the thing.

No matter what you're doing in comedy, whether you think you're doing well or not doing well, you will know when you are doing better than you used to.

You.

You will feel that in your body, in your set, in your confidence.

And you need all that feel good to stay in this gig.

You know what I mean?

Like, the persistency.

And the amount of.

The persistency is super important, but the amount of bad things that happen, or I would say things that feel like they're going to change your life, that happen that then don't.

Happens so often that you just gotta lean into the fact that, you know, you're good, you know you can do this, and you're gonna keep doing it until you achieve more and more goals.

You know, I think Joel and I have talked a lot about how so many opportunities come when it comes to comedy that you think, oh, once I get this, everything changes.

That's not always the case.

So you just do the next thing.

You just keep doing the thing that you enjoy doing, which is doing comedy.

So, you know, when it comes to just being humble, I would say don't even think about it.

Humble is just a state of mind.

I think the key is not to be an a hole to the people around you.

Yeah.

Being humble for yourself and like, to yourself.

I think that's an important factor when it comes to, like, your confidence.

Yeah.

And you know our mantra here?

Be nice, be funny.

I think that sings volumes.

And I have found it helpful to stay in the middle.

I don't try to get too overly excited about things and also not overly down about things.

Good point.

Yeah.

But because you can always be better.

I mean, we were just about Ian Bag and how.

Oh, that's another level of comedy.

You know, if you ever want to be humble, just go watch earthquakes Netflix special and then you'll be like, oh, okay, I've got work to do.

I think.

I think that's.

I think that's the cure right there.

I think that's all you need.

If you're feeling your oats, go watch that earthquake special and you'll be like, oh, no.

And honestly, when you watch people who are just so good at this.

Yeah.

Especially when you can see these people live.

Watching Ian back was very next level.

But I've also watched George Wallace do sets, and it was like, what is happening right now?

Why are all these people on the floor dying?

I've never said anything remotely as funny as these.

What he just said to make these people literally on their sides just hurting.

And he just did it for an hour straight, like.

And so.

Yes.

So there's times when I'm like, oh, yeah, yeah, I crushed that.

And then somebody comes up after me, and that crush that I thought I did, they just kept that consistency all the way through.

And it's like, oh, you're a pro.

Like.

And it's like, yes, I'm a pro, too, and I travel.

But there's levels to this game, and the key is to always strive to get to the next level.

And I'm nowhere close to what the next level looks like.

But I like watching.

I like seeing what greatness looks like.

So I think that's the key.

But sure, yeah.

And Earthquake is filming another special here in Atlanta at the end of the year, so we gotta.

We gotta pull up to that.

Oh, hell, we gotta pull up to that.

Dante Hobson just said, I saw Earthquake live, and it ruined me.

Yeah.

I mean, honestly, go watch that special.

And it will ruin you.

It will.

But, yeah, I think it helps.

Just stay in the middle.

Don't try to get overly hyped or overly down, and just kind of stay in the middle and grateful, and that'll help you kind of through this journey, because there's a lot of ups and downs.

And I will say, comedy has a great way of humbling you to where as soon as you're feeling yourself and you're like, I'm on, there's always gonna.

The rug is gonna be yanked out from underneath you.

And I can't tell you how many times that's happened to me.

But also, comedy will save you as well.

I can't tell you how many times I've, like, booked a gig and then got car trouble, and that gig paid for the fixing of my car.

Like, comedy has helped me in several ways along the journey of right when I needed something, comedy was there.

And also right when you think you don't need comedy and you're above it, then comedy will pull you right back down.

I like that.

Yeah.

Somebody did ask me when my special was coming out.

We're in the.

Yeah, we're in the last stages of color correction and, like, getting all the fine tuning, so probably within the next, like, two weeks I was trying to get it out.

Two weeks.

Oh, snap.

Yeah, we're.

We're very close.

We're very, very close.

Yeah.

So.

But all the editing and stuff has been, like, finalized, so now it's, like, on it and like getting the intros and the outros and like, just the nitpicky stuff.

But the editing and the actual jokes and the improv that's in there, all that has been finalized.

Bow, bow, bow, bow.

That's awesome.

Congrats, man.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And that's actually what I spent a lot of this week on as well.

The last couple of weeks has just been like, getting down to the nitty gritty of, like, doing hours on editing.

Oh, yeah, dude.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's a whole thing.

Yeah, it's a whole.

The post production side is just a whole other.

Yeah.

Nightmare.

Yeah.

But honestly, very exciting.

My video guy is just incredible.

Super responsive and he's been amazing.

So I'm super excited to get it out soon.

Yeah, it's, it's, it's.

It's almost there.

Almost there.

Right?

Oh, and people are applauding you in the comments and showing love.

I love that.

Excited, man.

Very cool.

Yeah, Yeah.

I didn't want to ask because I know editing and all that, it can.

It can take way much more than you think it will.

But we're, yeah, done with editing.

We're just in the.

Just the color correction is what they say in the beers.

Noice.

Yeah.

All right, let's do Eddie Coleman.

What's the key to crafting a quality relationship bit?

I've been performing this bit for two months, yet it still falls flat.

It's kind of tough to know without knowing the bit.

Yeah, I was just gonna say, I'd probably say one of the keys, especially if you have a bit that isn't, like, isn't hitting the way that you want.

I always say, like, either shelf it or try to go through the bit, like one line at a time and figure out at what point does the audience kind of like die down on this joke.

And that's usually where the spot that you need to work on.

I have found that, like, my mind, especially because I've got adhd, tries to make a lot of connections inside of a bit.

And I have to say it to, like, a friend or like another comedian to be like, does this make sense?

And they'll let me know, hey, I didn't get that connection.

You're the only one that made the connection.

So it's almost like you got to keep.

It's the KISS methodology.

Keep a simple, stupid.

Which is like a marketing of.

Just, like, you gotta simplify the bit, but make sure that you almost break it down into one.

Another great thing that from Jason Roland, who is the CEO of Comedy Feedback, has mentioned to me, is if you record your bit, watch yourself as you're performing it without the sound button, and watch your movement and see how you.

Without actually saying.

Without hearing the words.

And if it shows.

If it shows in your body, people can tell whether it's funny or not.

Like, your body will tell whether it's a funny bit or not.

And so.

Which was like, yo, that's great.

And I've been.

It's been super helpful just to watch yourself without words.

And then you'll pick up on all your tendencies.

Like, I have a tendency to keep my left arm on my side a little bit.

And so watching myself was what made me realize, oh, I do this a little too, too often than I want to kind of thing.

So super helpful.

Yeah, that's great.

And just one other one also.

Just revisit the premise.

Just make sure the premise is clear and the premise is simple and that what you're doing in the bit is reflecting that premise.

So just make sure everything's aligned there.

And at the end of the day, if it's not working right now, shelfing it and coming back to it with fresh eyes never hurts as well.

Never hurts.

Yeah.

Sometimes I always say, like, maybe the bit isn't ready for you to tell it yet.

Yeah, maybe it's just.

Yes, got the idea.

But maybe it's just not ready for the world and ready for you to tell it.

I've got.

I brought back a bit from, like, my first year that I thought was, like, gonna kill him.

Never worked.

Brought it back, like, seven years later, crushing.

Oh, now I'm ready.

I'm better at this right now.

I get why it failed before because I was looking at it in a different kind of lens.

And now I'm like, oh, okay, I.

See why you're a better comic.

You know how to write better and perform it better.

So, yeah, some of them just take time.

Yeah, definitely takes time.

Oh, we can run through these.

Let's try to get to as many as possible.

Alicon Bobby.

I'm great at writing stuff, but can't host to save my life.

Help.

I think to host well, you have to develop a relationship with your audience and the relationship that you're developing with your audience is to put them in the best mood as possible to enjoy the show.

So just remember that your audience is there to have a good time.

Therefore, you keep them and you put them in a good time.

One perspective.

I don't.

This doesn't run for everybody, but you never want to say anything as a host that will, even in your jokes that will, like, feel way too controversial to where they turn on you and the rest of the show.

Just be very mindful as a host that you don't want to do that.

Even if the rest of your.

Your people who are coming onto your show say all the crazy stuff, if you do that as a host, you have now set the tone in the room that this is what's going to happen and it may not happen.

So just be very mindful about, like, just turning people off as a host.

I think that's just an important thing that I've seen over the years when in hosting.

Yeah, that's a great one.

Yeah.

It's all about connecting with the audience and just saying a fun vibe.

And honestly, as a host, you don't even have to kill.

I mean, honestly, your whole job is just to welcome people, set the expectation for the show and just set a fun energy and vibe.

You still do material and stuff, but it's not like you're.

You're hosting, you're not comediang, if that helps makes sense.

It's.

It's a different muscle.

And the secret to hosting is creating that connection with the audience, which is why I always recommend comics host shows, because it does force you to work that other muscle of creating a connection with the audience, being authentic, being more in the moment with the audience as opposed to in your head as much.

And it's a skill you get better with at time.

But going in with that intention, I'm just here to have fun and just connect with the audience and set a fun mood and vibe for the show and let your comedians on the show shine and just have fun and set the tone.

Boom.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Matt Gill said Yoshi doesn't know what to do with his hands without a mic in one.

Yeah, I don't know what to do without a mic in one.

Pause, pause, fam.

Oh, and we have McGill's question.

A lot of my material is in a few areas, which allows me to mix and match based on response.

Should I be making more defined sets?

A lot of my materials in a few areas define maybe along the same theme.

Maybe that's what they're asking.

Maybe McGill doesn't know how to what to do with words if they're not.

Maybe he needs to divine the question better.

Theme based or a linear set?

I think it's style.

I think that's personal preference.

So that's what he said.

Theme based or linear set?

I think it's all personal preference and it's a stylistic choice.

You can go from one random joke to the next and it's still fine.

There's no random order, especially if you're.

If you're starting out or if you're like just.

The key is to just do the jokes.

Just do the jokes.

Like, don't worry about a transition, just do the jokes.

Do the ones that make you feel good.

Just get out the joke as much as possible.

Now, when you're doing like a showcase set and you're like, have a story to tell, then maybe you want to put some order around it, around, okay, which one do I do first?

Or if you're like linear, where you're like talking about your background, your history, where you grew up and then you're going to talk about your present life, then maybe you want to start where you grew up and then talk about your present.

But if you're just starting out, just get out jokes.

Just the more jokes, the better you get at performing.

It's just about getting that out and getting.

Building that muscle as much as possible.

Yeah, you want to, of course, open with a joke that you know works and that you're confident in and you want to get a laugh as quick as possible.

15 to 20 seconds is a great goal.

Honestly.

Three laughs per minute, I think, is a very manageable goal for comics to have in developing a set.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I think it's just a good.

Every 20 seconds, you having a laugh, but you just want to get to a laugh as quick as possible and end on a laugh and then you can kind of fill out the sets from there.

But a set, think of it do as like a first date to where you have more introductory stuff up front and then any of your like edgier material you put in the middle or later in the set once you've built rapport with the audience.

Yes.

Yeah, Great question though there.

Oh, and Jones said that was a great workshop.

I highly recommend it.

I came away super hyped to start some writing.

Thank you, Joan.

I mentioned the workshop in the pre show show.

Just want to shout that out for people that want to.

Yeah, join that workshop.

It's available.

It's linked in the show notes.

It's available.

You can take it any.

It's a video.

It's a video now.

You guys missed the live one.

I mean, and it's popping.

And it's popping, popping.

Know Jones said it was great.

So, I mean, what else you need to hear?

I mean, what else?

What are you waiting for?

Yeah.

Do you want to get better or not?

Yeah.

Some people are humble about it, but some people.

Hilarious.

No, but I think it's so important.

I.

I will, I will tell everyone this.

Keep learning comedy.

I'm taking a class right now and I've been doing comedy nine years.

Like, keep learning comedy.

Like, keep getting better at the craft.

Whatever you need to do, whether that's writing differently.

I think it's so important to just keep challenging yourself as much as possible.

So, yeah, that's what comes.

Joan has done comedy, but she's still taking a class.

She's still like refining her set, getting better at it.

I think it's so important to just keep going and keep learning as much comedy as possible.

It helps.

Also, I.

I posted in the Facebook group this new idea for like a class I had, and then someone commented about why wouldn't this be, you know, why wouldn't this just be free?

And there is something to.

When you're invested in the class and paying for something, you more likely to get a return on it as opposed to if something's free, it's more passive.

I know for me personally, I've done paid and free, like taken them free or paid for classes.

And the ones I paid for I got more out of just because I was more motivated of like, oh, well, I paid for this.

So I'm going to be sure to get the most out of it as opposed to something free.

So you can just go out there and figure it out over the years as well.

But there are people out there who have learned the hard way so you don't have to as well.

Dug through the trenches.

Yeah.

A show for show cast.

Toker.

What tricks do you have to get control of a crowd after the comic before you loses them?

I think it is so important to acknowledge some level of what's happening with the audience now.

Can you do that in a positive way?

Absolutely.

It's very easy to do it in a negative way.

Right.

Which is like, oh, that was terrible.

Right.

You can definitely bring everybody in and just be like, oh, I guess we all felt what that was and then talk about it.

Something that we're all feeling in the room.

I think that's an important thing to do.

But I think one key if you're going afterwards is to at least acknowledge what everybody is feeling in the room and make a joke about it.

When possible, make a positive joke about it.

So that way, positive thing that then you can roll into your set.

You don't want to roll negativity into your set.

You want to roll positivity into the set, but you also want to be very conscious that everyone in the room felt this exact same way.

Now let's address it.

Let's turn it into positive.

And boom.

Now you can kind of roll onto your set.

So now you can control the room.

It's the same thing.

Like, if somebody's crushing, right?

Which is.

If somebody's crushing and your style is much more.

Maybe it's not as crushing or whatever.

Just say something.

Be like, wow, that guy's got way too much energy.

Me, I don't have any energy.

Boom.

You get a quick laugh.

Now you go into your set about how you're like a muted version of the last person kind of thing.

So just be.

I would say just try to turn it into a positive and you address what everybody is feeling in the room.

Yeah.

Don't be like, early shows in the hood I used to do where the DJ would play gunshot sound effects.

That was a.

That was a winner.

You'll never forget.

Oh, yeah.

And then there's that Lil Wayne song where it's like, man, I forgot what that one's called.

But it says the N word.

And that's what.

That's.

There would be a whole bit the host to be like, oh, man.

When Joel got off stage, he said, and then they would, like, play the song.

It was like a thing.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Have fun with it.

But remember, these are your peers as well.

So you can address the elephant in the room, but it's bet.

Yeah.

Like Yosh said, don't punch down.

But you can't address it because people are still bowdy.

Bowdy.

Yeah.

Yeah, for sure.

Yeah.

Just try to turn.

Try to turn into a positive.

Yes.

Speaking of positive, Daphne said, if y'all have not checked out Joel's Breaking writer's block workshop, what are you waiting for?

It rocks.

There we go.

That'll be linked in the show notes as well.

Next question, Next question.

And I didn't tell them to say this.

You know, these are.

These are volunteer.

Oh.

Dubs asked me how I balance fatherhood and comedy.

I mean, honestly, I think everyone is on the same page, right?

Like, everyone knows that as A as the father in this household, that this is what I do as my profession.

Right.

And so there's a balance of, hey, I still gotta make sure that the kids are where they need to be.

But I'm not like doing sets at 6pm I'm doing sets at like 9pm Right.

And so I think it's just finding things that still work within your schedule.

And my schedule is like in the family schedule.

So like my kids know, oh, dad's not going to be here this evening in case we want to do something late because he's got something on the comedy schedule.

So I think it's just important that everybody in the family is on the same page when it comes to, you know, these dreams, you know, you know, when I had them, they stopped the dream.

I'm just kidding now.

Hilarious.

That is hilarious.

You're really selling it there.

You're really selling.

I'll be honest, my kids have been like, just the biggest like advocates of the dream.

Like, they've been amazing.

They always check on, they were like, they'll always ask, hey, how was your set?

How'd it go?

You know, they'll even ask if I use certain jokes because they've, I've got them in my jokes and they're like, daddy.

I was like, yep, sure did.

Even though it's like an old joke, they still want to know how, like how it performed or whatever.

But yeah, well, they're still like, you still doing that old joke, Daddy?

Are you not writing new stuff?

You still doing that?

When's your special coming out?

But yeah, I mean, I think it's just having everyone inside the house know what's happening and know that this is like the objective.

And so I think that's, that's how I balance it.

And you know, having a kick ass supportive wife that supports your dream, also so damn important.

I mean, amen.

Having a significant other that like, like supports you and like gives you balance and allows you.

I don't even want to say allow, but like, gives you the freedom to pursue the things that you want to do is and so important and monumental and honestly, probably the biggest game changer of all.

Yeah.

You gotta have that.

And you've got to have open communication.

Yeah.

You've got to be on the same page.

You've got to.

I think for a while I would, I would be like, oh, well, I'll just work on stuff in my own silo and I'll show, I'll show her what's poppin.

I'll show her what we doing.

But actually it's the opposite that you should be doing.

Keep her in.

Or him in the know of what you're working on.

What, like spitball with them?

Like, make them a part of it and not this thing that you do that's separate from the family, but make it.

Yeah.

Part of the whole family experience.

And make sure communication is number one priority.

You gotta have that communication, expectations.

Yeah.

And every once in a while, remind your kids that those shoes that they're wearing.

Comedy money that was made from comedy, like, don't get it.

Comedy is paying the bills around these hair parts.

You know what I mean?

So I don't say it like that, but, you know, sometimes your mind of.

Hey, the.

The reason that this mortgage got paid is because dad had a couple of gigs.

So big facts.

It's just like, don't.

Don't forget to let them know that not only is comedy working, but comedy is also, like, the thing that's helping you go to school.

What helped you get all this stuff that I just got for.

Yeah.

Like, you know, sometimes I get paid in chinka chicken fingers, and sometimes they're real chickens.

Hilarious.

I guess now would be a good time to let the hot breath reverse know that I am having a kid at the end of the year.

Dab.

So I'm taking notes with everyone else right now.

You are terrible at setting up.

I mean, I'm not.

I'm not.

You just went straight to the punchline.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Congrats, brother.

Hell, we doing it.

We doing it.

Let's go, baby.

That's funny because I'm imagining that you were trying to find a way to shoehorn it in somewhere.

Somewhere.

You're like, you know, I wasn't gonna say anything, and then this question came up, so I.

I didn't know how else I would bring it up ever again without it being out of the blue.

Hell, yeah.

Congratulations, man.

We doing it.

Yeah.

Yeah.

She's.

She's 22 weeks today, so it's been a minute.

Boom.

But I didn't want to.

I didn't want to say anything too soon.

Yeah.

You know, pregnancy is up and down.

I don't.

You know, I didn't want to say anything until things were nice and established, so everything's good and healthy.

Yep.

And, yeah, by the end of the year, Congratulations.

Nice, dude.

Way to go.

Yeah.

No lead up.

He's like, yes.

Yeah.

You just raw dogged us that information right there.

Pause, pause.

We need a pause sound effect.

That's hilarious.

So what better time to get a workshop.

Then.

Oh, McGill just did a.

A super chat and said, get your kid a hot breath onesie.

That's hilarious.

We actually, when I had my niece, we actually made her a hot breath onesie.

That's hilarious.

Oh, how funny.

Dude, that's so good.

That's so great.

But we're keeping the gender surprise.

We don't know what it is yet.

We're trying to keep it a surprise until.

Till the.

Till the day.

Yeah.

I thought that'd be a fun little game.

That's.

I love that flow state hypnosis said we busing.

We be busting.

Out here, baby.

We out you.

So there you go.

There it is.

Hot breath of verse.

We doing it.

We did it.

A lot of people making raw dog jokes.

I did not expect that out of the.

But yeah, there.

There you go.

Hot breath of verse.

Now you're in the know officially.

No.

So that's probably a good way to land the plane.

Yeah, man.

Since we're.

We did go over.

But I appreciate all the positive comments and in the live chat here.

That's so cool.

Thank y'all.

And if we didn't get to your question, we will be back next Tuesday.

And you can also.

If we didn't get to your question, you can try super chat.

We'll get right on it.

Oh, snap.

There is that.

There is.

There is that.

But you can also post it in our Facebook group and we're happy to answer questions there.

Or if you're on the email list, you can reply to the email I send out about the live Q&As and we'll maybe get to it next week or we can apply in the email.

But we're here to help, you know, but we only.

We got to keep it to an hour as much as possible here every Tuesday.

So let's get out of here.

We appreciate everyone for hanging out.

Jordan said, I'm so glad I came on this live.

Exactly.

You got to join this live every Tuesday at 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time.

Join the email list and I'll send you a weekly reminder of when we're going live and you can get your questions answered live on the air.

Boom.

We did it.

Until next Tuesday, I think.

I think we've done it all today.

Did it all.

We love you all.

Thanks for hanging out.

See you all next week.

Bye.